With rain forecasted for the weekend, the Stanford men’s swimming and diving team will head south in favor of a warmer climate. The No. 2 Cardinal (4-1, 1-1 Pac-10) will take on a pair of Californian rivals — Cal State-Bakersfield (4-1) and No. 13 USC
(8-1, 1-1).
The road trip marks another chance for the men to go for seasonal bests and compete against top-flight competition. Swimming head coach Skip Kenney has emphasized that each meet this year is a chance to “re-learn how to swim.”
Beginning on Jan. 1, the full body swimming suits that led to an explosion in world records were banned by FINA, the international federation that monitors swimming. The suits provided buoyancy and support, meaning that the athlete was held in a more hydrodynamic position. Now, without the suit, swimmers must use their own muscle tension and improved technique to replace what the suit once provided. Developing these attributes has been a focal point for the Cardinal this season.
Although the competition in Bakersfield will not be as fierce as it will be at USC, it will provide crucial experience that will help the men later on at Pac-10s and NCAAs. Most of the top athletes will swim their second and third-best events.
“Our goal is to get our guys to make NCAAs in three events . . . with the dual meet format, you can usually only swim your first and second event because there is less time,” Kenney explained.
The road trip also gives the Cardinal something that has been rare during this training-intensive portion of the season — a day of rest before the meet. The Cardinal will be unable to complete a hard session on Thursday, as they will be traveling down to Bakersfield via bus.
USC is a young, talented squad that returns just one All-American from last year in diver Harrison Jones. French Olympian Clement Lefert, however, is a freshman who figures to make a big impact. He is ranked in the top 10 in four events: the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, and the 200- and 500-yard freestyle.
Another freshman, Alex Lundrum, has swum strongly in the individual medley and backstroke events. Dillon Connolly is also ranked in the top 10 nationally in his event, the 100-yard breaststroke. He will square off with Stanford junior John Criste and sophomore Curtis Lovelace, both of whom are ranked in the top 20 for both breaststroke distances.
Although the strength of the Stanford squad is its depth, there are a few top performers who have stood out this year. Senior Eugene Godsoe has excelled in the backstroke events, in which he has the fastest time in the nation in the 100-yard event. Godsoe has also been called on to contribute in the 100-yard butterfly and relays.
Sophomore Chad la Tourrette has been a revelation for the Cardinal in the distance swims. He has posted top-five times at distances ranging from 500 to 1,650 yards. Behind him is a very deep distance group that includes sophomores Michael Zoldos and Trevor Scheid along with senior captain David Mosko, all of whom are ranked in the top 20 nationally.
Alex Coville has led the freestyle sprints for the Cardinal and his contributions will be important, as USC is weaker in those events.
The Cardinal has also seen strong contributions from freshmen Matthew Thompson and Matthew Swanston in the backstroke events behind Godsoe. Thompson is also a major contributor in the 400 IM.
U.S. Diving’s winter nationals are this weekend as well, and Stanford will send junior Brent Eichenseer. Due to the conflict with the USD meet, the diving portion of the USC meet was completed last weekend, though results have not yet been released.
The Bakersfield meet is Friday at 1 p.m. and the USC meet is Saturday at 1 p.m.