With dissolution close at hand, the men’s swimming and diving teams are sure going out with a bang.
Due to Title IX restrictions the squads are being phased out, yet the Hurricanes continue to wrack up individual achievements.
Miami placed divers Imre Lengyel, Stefan Ahrens and Miguel Velazquez on the NCAA Swimming & Diving Men’s All-America team for the 2001-2002 season.
Lengyel won a national championship in the platform event at the NCAA meet at the University of Georgia. He also placed second in the 3-meter diving competition.
He took second in the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the Zone B Diving Championships in Lexington, Kentucky to qualify for nationals. He was named 2002 Big East Most Outstanding Men’s Diver after capturing confernce titles in both the 1- and 3-meter events in February. In 2000, Lengyel competed for the Hungarian Olympic team and was first honored as the Big East Most Outstanding Men’s Diver.
Ahrens finished fourth in the 1-meter diving event to make the All-America team. He finished 11th in the 3-meter.
His fourth place finish in the 1-meter event at the Zone B Diving Championships qualified him for nationals. He also took fourth in the 3-meter at the Big East Championships. Ahrens competed in his first Olympic games in 2000 in the 3-meter springboard, finishing ninth as a member of the German Olympic Team.
Velazquez, a freshman, captured fourth in the platform event to win All-America honors. He placed 10th in the 3-meter and 11th in the 1-meter.
He finished 3rd in the platform, 10th in the 3-meter and 13th in the 1-meter at the Zone B Diving Championships to qualify for NCAA’s. Velazquez finished second at the Big East Championships in February in the 1-meter and third in the 3-meter.
Miami diving has had at least one men’s diving national champion for the past 12 seasons.
In the swimming department, Wesley Stoddard was named the men’s most valuable swimmer. Stoddard held the fastest times this season for the men in the 500 free (4:35.23), 1000 free (9:42.85), 1650 free (16:00.25) and 400 IM (4:05.90).
On the women’s side, sophomore Manon van Rooijen holds two individual school records in the 100 & 200 freestyle and three relay records. She was named 2002 Big East Outstanding Women’s Swimmer and earned All-America honors in the 100 & 200 freestyle events.
Senior diver Michelle Davison garnered All America honors by placing fourth in the 1-meter diving event and fifth in the 3-meter competition at the 2002 NCAA’s. Davison was named 2002 Big East Women’s Diver of the Year on Feb. 24 at the conference championships.