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Oct. 21, 1999
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – As he looks toward the 1999-2000 season, 1999 ACC Coach of the Year MarkBernardino has high expectations for the Cavaliers, ranked 11th in theCollege Swimming Coaches Association of America Preseason Poll. Virginia’smen had a fantastic season last year, earning their highest finish ever(14th), and third straight top-20 finish, at the NCAA Championship. Theteam returns four All-Americans this season, including the ACC Rookie ofthe Year, Ed Moses.
Joining this year’s Cavalier men are 11 talented first years.”It’s probably the best versatility we’ve brought into our team in all theyears I’ve been coaching here,” said Bernardino of his newcomers. Thisbodes well for UVa because versatility “is what the historically greatteams in the ACC built themselves around,” said Bernardino. Also joiningthe team is Troy Johnson, a transfer student from the University of Utah.
With so many freshmen, strong leadership is a must. “I think wehave a lot of people that are good leaders,” said Bernardino. Jared Felker,Doak Finch, Ryan McGeary and Austin Ramirez are quad-captains. Third yearsJamie Grimes and Michael Fuller provide additional leadership andBernardino expects Johnson to “show some first-class leadership skills.”
Virginia faces a difficult schedule this season. In the seasonopener, the Cavaliers host a Tennessee team that placed seventh at theNCAAs last season. According to Bernardino, the ACC competition should befierce. “North Carolina’s loaded and North Carolina State is loaded,” saidBernardino.
FREESTYLE
“It’s very critical for us to have something good happening in thesprint events in order to take the next step on the national level,” saysBernardino about the sprinters role in the team’s success. Despite the lossof veterans Shamek Pietucha and Turner Graves to graduation, expectationsare high for Virginia’s sprint freestyle group. This season’s sprint corpscould provide the long-anticipated breakthrough in the sprint freestyleevents.
UVa’s returning sprinters are seniors Jimmy Blitzer and Felker. Thetwo have improved their times each year and will be counted on to continuetheir improvement.
The catalyst for a breakthrough season looks to be Troy Johnson, atransfer from Utah. “We think he’s the total package. We think he can comein and contend for the ACC title in both the 50 free and the 100 free,”said Bernardino.
Newcomer Gary Sharpe brings “raw and untested sprint talent to thesquad,” said Bernardino. He should be a contributor, especially as he gainsmeet experience.
“The bottom line prognosis on the sprint program is that it shouldbe as good as it’s ever been,” Bernardino said.
Virginia’s 200 freestyle lost two top swimmers to graduation, MikeRenshaw and Pietucha. “Renshaw for what he did as a four-year finalist.Shamek because he was one of the two fastest 200 freestyler for two yearsin the ACC even though it was a secondary event,” said Bernardino.
Nevertheless, Virginia remains strong in the 200 free event.Sprinter Blitzer posted his best times ever in the 200 free last season andRyan McGeary had a big season as well. Distance freestyler Ramirez “hasbeen one of the top three 200 freestylers in the league the last couple ofyears,” added Bernardino.
Strengthening the 200 freestyle corps are Johnson and first yearsDan Zurowski and Mike Wheeler. “Depth-wise we’re pretty strong in thatevent,” Bernardino concluded.
Headlining a group of 500 freestylers that Bernardino said he”wouldn’t trade for anybody in the ACC and hardly anybody in the country”is three-time defending ACC champion and All-America Ramirez. Bernardinohopes to see Ramirez “carve his name among the ACC greats in thatparticular event.” He took the silver medal in the 400-meter free at thePan American Games in August. The other outstanding members of the 500 freeteam are Michael Fuller, Jamie Grimes and McGeary. Newcomer Mike Wheeler isone of the top 500 free men coming out of high school this year. He isjoined by two other freshmen, Zurowski, and Dan DeMarco who “both have thepotential to be finalists in the ACC in the 500 freestyle,” saidBernardino.
Long the preeminent force in ACC distance swimming, this year willbe no exception for Virginia. Ramirez returns to try to become the firstswimmer in the ACC to sweep both the 500 free and the 1650 free fourconsecutive years. Last season, he placed 11th at the NCAA Championship inthe 1650 free and won the 1500-meter free at the U.S. Olympic Cup inSeptember.
Complementing Ramirez are Grimes, who has the third-best time inthe 1000 free and the fourth-best in the 1650 free in Virginia history, andFuller,who holds the 10th-best time ever at UVa in each of those events.
DeMarco, Wheeler and Zurowski will all make a difference in thedistance free events.
BACKSTROKE
With a young backstroke squad last season, Bernardino often turnedto veterans Pietucha and Finch to lead the backstrokers. Despite competingin a secondary event, neither swimmer ever lost. This season Virginiashould have enough true backstrokers to allow Finch to concentrate on hismain events.
Last season sophomore Chris Mousetis “was thrown to the wolves andexpected to uphold the standard of excellence that has always been Virginiabackstroke,” said Bernardino. Despite struggling in the early going, hefinished last season with strong ACC Championship swims and “proved thathe’s a backstroker of the future,” Bernardino said. In fact, at the ACCChampionship, Mousetis placed himself among Virginia’s top-10 times in bothbackstroke events.
With backstroke a recruiting priority, Bernardino brought in atalented group of newcomers who add depth and talent to the squad. GuyYimsomruay comes to Virginia as one of the finest high school backstrokersin the country. He already owns a 200 back time that would rank eighthall-time at Virginia. Brian Best is an outstanding sprint backstroker andMike Wheeler will contribute in the 200 back event. Tommy Whanger roundsout the talented freshman class.
With all the newcomers to the backstroke corps, Bernardino predicts”a noticeable improvement in the backstroke.”
BREASTSTROKE
The loss of two major contributors to graduation leaves Virginiawith little depth in the breaststroke event. Casey Hughes was an All-ACCcompetitor in the 200 breast and Mike Renshaw owns all-time top-10 times atVirginia in both breaststroke events.
Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Ed Moses is the finest returningbreaststroker in the country. “I feel very fortunate to coach Ed Moses.He’s a phenomenal swimmer and a phenomenal person” said Bernardino. Mosesended his rookie season with spectacular NCAA Championship performances,finishing second in both the 100 breast and the 200 breast to earnAll-America honors in each event. He continued to improve in the meetsfollowing the collegiate season. Competing in the 100-meter breaststroke atthe Pan American Games in August, Moses broke his own Pan American Gamesrecord and earned the gold medal for that event. He set the record in apreliminary heat and then established the new mark of 1:00.99 in the finalslater that day. Bernardino has high expectations for Moses. “I believe he’sgoing to be an NCAA Champion and a U.S. Olympian before he’s finished,”Bernardino said.
Third year Justin Capuco rebounded from an injury plagued freshmanseason to make a major contribution at the ACC Championship, achieving apersonal best time in the 100 breast and missing his best in the 200 bestby a mere two-tenths of a second. Bernardino believes Capuco is capable ofsimilar improvement this season. “If he develops just a little bit more,then he’s going to make life difficult for ACC teams.”
Also returning is sophomore Russell Mark, who will be an importantcomponent of Virginia’s breaststroke.
Newcomer Jonathan Baird “is going to be a good one right away,”Bernardino said. An outstanding 100 and 200 breaststroker in high school,he is expected help the Cavaliers significantly. “Baird is very importantto us for this coming year,” Bernardino concluded.
BUTTERFLY
In the butterfly event, the Cavaliers lost “the best there’s everbeen at Virginia,” said Bernardino about Pietucha. Last season he becameVirginia’s first-ever NCAA champion by winning the 200 fly. Pietucha holdsthe all-time Virginia record in the 100 and 200 fly. At the internationallevel of competition he took a gold and a silver medal at the Pan AmericanGames. As a sophomore in 1996-97, Pietucha earned first-team All-Americahonors by placing fourth in the 200 fly and 18th in the 100 fly at NCAAs.In his junior year, he improved by placing third in the 200 fly and ninthin the 100 fly at nationals.
The presence of Finch lessens the impact of Pietucha’s departure onthe butterfly corps. A first-team All-American in the 200 fly in both hissophomore and junior seasons, Finch holds the second fastest Virginia timein that event. The ACC Champion in the 200 fly as a sophomore, he finishedsecond last season at the ACCs. In July, he placed sixth in the 200-meterfly at the World University Games.
Also returning in the 200 fly is Michael Fuller who holds thesixth-best time ever at UVa. Sophomore David Pelegrimas was “a significantcontributor for us last year and should be so again this year,” saidBernardino.
In the 100 fly, ACC finalists Jared Felker and Matt Lee return withthe eighth and ninth best times, respectively, at UVa. Ryan McGeary addsdepth to both butterfly events.
In addition, the Cavaliers add a talented group of newcomers to thebutterfly events in Best, Jack Carrig, DeMarco, Evan Taylor and Zurowski.”I don’t see how at least two of those guys won’t have major breakthroughsthis year given that they have the opportunity to train with a Doak Finchand a Michael Fuller,” said Bernardino.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Virginia lost three top competitors in the I.M. events in Renshaw,Hughes and Pietucha. Renshaw was runner-up to Finch in the 200 I.M. at theACC Championships last season. He leaves with the fourth-best time in the200 I.M. at Virginia. Hughes was an ACC finalist in both the 200 I.M. andthe 400 I.M. last season.
Fortunately, Finch returns this year to help keep Virginia’s I.M.strong. Last season, Finch successfully defended his 200 and 400 I.M. ACCtitles. This season he aims to win his third consecutive 200 I.M. andfourth straight 400 I.M. titles. He holds the all-time UVa record in the200 I.M., and ranks third all-time in the 400 I.M. At the 1998 NCAAs, heearned first-team All-America honors by placing eighth in the 400 I.M.
Also returning are Lee, McGeary, Mousetis and Pelegrimas, an ACCfinalist in the 400 I.M. last season.
Talented newcomer Yimsomruay should make an immediate contributionin both I.M. events. Along with Finch, Yimsomruay gives Bernardinoconfidence that “we’ll continue to have an outstanding one-two punch in theI.M.,” he said.
Freshmen Baird and Wheeler should also contribute in the I.M. events.
DIVING
Joe Piorkowsi returns for the Cavaliers after an impressivefreshman season. A finalist on the three-meter board and a consolationfinalist on the one-meter board at ACCs, he qualified for the NCAA ZoneMeet. “I’m excited about this year with Joe Piorkowski coming back,” saiddiving coach Dave Fafara. “I expect big things from him this year.”
Newcomer Matt LaConte joins the diving corps following anoutstanding high school career. He was a YMCA finalist and a juniornational zone qualifier. A very good athlete, he will be counted on tocontribute immediately.
RELAYS
The 200 and 400 free relays were the weak points of the Cavalierrelays last season. The addition of Johnson goes a long way towardsimproving the sprint free relays. Felker, Blitzer, and Lee will be amongthe swimmers contributing to those events and Finch may also contend for aspot.
Finch and Ramirez return to anchor what Bernardino calls “a verystrong 800 free relay.” Blitzer, McGeary, Johnson, Zurowski and Wheeler areall contenders for the final two spots.
Virginia’s 400 medley relay set a new school record and finishedeighth at the NCAA Championships last season with a distance freestyler,Ramirez, swimming the anchor leg. Bernardino hopes to improve on thatperformance by installing Johnson in the anchor position. Mousetis andMoses will lead the front half of the relay with Finch and Johnson behindon what Bernardino calls “one of the best 400 medley relays in thecountry.”