Ten Virginia Men's Swimmers Qualify For NCAA Championships
Story Links
March 26, 2002
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia men’s swimming and diving team will be represented by 10 swimmers at the 2002 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30 at Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Georgia. The 10 swimmers representing UVa are: second-year Luke Anderson (Charlottesville, Va./Bolles School), third-year Jonathan Baird (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy), third-year Dan DeMarco (Great Neck, N.Y./Great Neck South), first-year Bo Greenwood (Manakin Va./Goochland), second-year Jonathan Haag (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland), second-year Adam Kerpelman (Lutherville, Md./St. Paul’s School), second-year Gary Marshall (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville), second-year Ian Prichard (Ventura, Calif./Buena), first-year Michael Raab (Rockivlle, Md./Walter Johnson), and second-year Luke Wagner (Greenwood, Colo./Regis Jesuit). The Cavaliers finished 13th at the 2001 NCAA Championships with 82 points, which is their second-best finish in the national meet.
Virginia has entrants in all 13 individual swimming events and will also compete in all five relays. Cavaliers are seeded in the top eight in nine different events. In the 800 free relay, UVa is seeded eighth with a school record time of 6:27.93. The Cavaliers are the 12th seed in the 400 free relay (2:56.39) and the 13th seed in the 400 medley relay (3:14.05). Nine of the 10 swimmers will compete in at least two individual events with seven swimmers competing in three events. UVa has two juniors, six sophomores and two freshmen competing in the 2002 NCAA Championships.
Anderson, the 2002 ACC Championship Meet Most Valuable Swimmer, will compete in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyles at NCAAs for the second year in a row. Anderson is seeded fifth with Penn State’s Bob Molettiere in the 50 free (19.68). He is seeded sixth in the 100 free (43.08) and 12th in the 200 free (1:36.57). Anderson was a member of UVa’s 2001 honorable mention All-American 200, 400 and 800 free relays. At the 2002 ACC Championships, Anderson won the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles and also swam a leg on UVa’s ACC Champion 200, 400 and 800 free and 400 medley relays. He broke his own school records in winning the 50 free (19.68) and 100 free (43.08) at the ACCs.
Baird will compete in the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career. He will swim the two breaststroke events and is seeded 14th in the 200 breast (1:58.59) and 19th in the 100 breast (54.57). Baird captured All-ACC honors with third-place finishes in the 100 and 200 breast at the 2002 ACC Championships. He set personal best times in the breaststroke events at ACCs.
DeMarco will swim the two distance freestyle events, the 500 and 1650-yard free. DeMarco is the 15th seed in the 1650 free with a time of 15:11.39 and is the 40th seed in the 500 free (4:26.45). He earned honorable mention All-America accolades with a 10th-place finish in the 1650 free at the 2001 NCAAs. At the 2002 ACC Championships, DeMarco placed third in the 1650 free (15:11.39) to earn All-ACC honors.
Greenwood, who is coming off an outstanding ACC Meet, will swim the 200 and 400 individual medleys as well as the 200 backstroke at the NCAAs. Greenwood is seeded fifth in the 400 individual medley (3:44.99), eighth in the 200 I.M. (1:46.20) and 22nd in the 200 backstroke (1:45.46). At the 2002 ACC Championships, he set the ACC Meet, conference, school and Maryland pool records in the 200 and 400 I.M.s with times of 1:45.46 and 3:44.99, respectively. Greenwood was also second to teammate Luke Wagner in the 200 back with a time of 1:45.46.
Haag is going to swim the 100 backstroke at the 2002 NCAAs and is seeded 35th with a time of 48.92. Haag will also swim on several of the Cavaliers’ five relays at nationals. He was a three-time honorable mention All-American in 2001 as a member of UVa’s 200 and 400 free and 200 medley relay teams. Haag swam on UVa’s ACC title winning 200 and 400 free relays and was also runner-up in the 100 backstroke at the 2002 ACCs.
Kerpelman will compete in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles at the NCAA Championships. He also competed in the 100 and 200 free at the 2001 NCAAs. Kerpelman is the 15th seed in the 200 free (1:36.77), tied for 40th in the 100 free (44.40) and 47th in the 50 free (20.29). Kerpelman swam on all five of the Cavaliers’ 2001 honorable mention All-American relay teams. He is the first UVa swimmer to earn All-America honors in five relays at one NCAA meet. Kerpelman placed third at the 2002 ACC Meet in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles and was a member of UVa’s ACC champion 200, 400 and 800 free relay teams.
Marshall is the 2002 ACC champion in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and will compete in those two events at the NCAA Championships, as well as the 200 individual medley. Marshall was a first-team All-American in the 200 breast last season with a seventh-place finish and is the top seed in the 200 breast at the 2002 NCAAs with a time of 1:54.79. He is also seeded fourth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 53.76. Marshall’s time of 1:46.71 in the 200 I.M. ties him with Auburn’s Mark Gangloff for the 12th seed. Marshall won the 100 and 200 breaststroke titles at the 2002 ACC Championships for the second consecutive year and was also a member of UVa’s winning 400 medley relay. He also won the 200 I.M. consolation final at ACCs with a time of 1:46.71, which was the second fastest time swam at the ACC Championships. Marshall also swam the breaststroke leg on UVa’s 200 and 400 medley relays that earned honorable mention All-America accolades at the 2001 NCAAs.
Prichard, the 2001 ACC Swimmer of the Year, is seeded third in the 500 free (4:16.41) and 1650 free (14:54.07). He is also the 22nd seed in the 200 freestyle (1:37.20). Prichard earned honorable mention All-America accolades in the same three events last year. He was ninth in the 1650 free, 11th in the 500 free and 15th in the 200 free in 2001. Prichard was also a member of the UVa’s 800 free relay that placed 11th at the 2001 NCAAs. Prichard is the 2002 ACC champion in the 500 and 1650 free and finished second to teammate Luke Anderson in the 200 free.
Raab will compete in the 500 free and 100 and 200 butterfly at the NCAAs. Raab is the 20th seed in the 200 butterfly (1:45.72) and the 37th seed in the 100 fly (48.29). He is also seeded 46th in the 500 free (4:27.50). Raab is the 2002 ACC champion in the 200 butterfly and also came in third in the 100 butterfly.
Wagner will compete in the 100 and 200 backstroke as well as the 200 individual medley at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year. He is seeded 12th in the 200 backstroke (1:44.02), 26th in the 100 back (48.42) and 31st in the 200 I.M. (1:48.49). He earned first-team All-America honors in the 200 backstroke in 2001 with a fifth-place performance, and was also an honorable mention All-American as a member of UVa’s 800 free and 200 and 400 medley relay teams. In 2002, Wagner won the 100 and 200 backstroke titles at the ACC Championships and swam on the Cavaliers’ ACC title winning 400 and 800 free relays as well.