Indiana University Athletics
Swander Wins National Title
8/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
August 6, 2004
Palo Alto, Calif. - The Indiana men's and women's swimming teams are in combined sixth place heading into the final day of the 2004 ConocoPhillips Summer National Championships in Stanford, Calif. The event concludes on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Hoosier junior Kevin Swander highlighted Friday's performance by taking first place in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:02.81.
Swander's national title highlights a season that has seen the Greenwood, Ind., native earn Big Ten Swimmer of the Championship honors, All-American laurels in the 200-meter medley relay at the NCAA Championship and a seventh place finish in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Trials.
"A year ago, Kevin did not even have the national qualifying standard in the breaststroke, and now he is a national champion," Indiana head coach Ray Looze said. "The progress he has made in the last year is amazing. It has changed him as a person, given him confidence and self-esteem."
Swander actually credits his 100-meter breaststroke title to his third place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:16.32) on the first day of the meet.
"That took the pressure off, because all summer long, I had not really put together a good 200 (meter) race," Swander said. "This (national title) is a great accomplishment, but I am still climbing my way up."
Matt Leach also turned in a top 10 performance for the Hoosiers, taking seventh in the 100 backstroke (58.21). Leach was seventh in the 200 back (2:07), while Murph Halasz took 16th in the 200 butterfly (2:04.67). Finally, the 800 free relay team of David Winck, Hank Baldwin, Swander and Leach placed 15th in 7:38.62.
On the women's side, Sarah Bugden took seventh in the 200 butterfly (2:17.31) and 16th in the 200 backstroke (2:26.02). Mary Colgin, Lauren Lubus, Bugden and Tammy Kostner finished 20th in the 400 free relay (3:54.44). Colgin also took 24th in the 200 freestyle (2:05.91).
