Kenyon Is Unstoppable, Wins 23rd-Consecutive Men’s Div. III Crown

OXFORD. Ohio, March 23. KENYON Coach Jim Steen is philosophical about his team's inordinate success in the pool.

"You win some and then you lose," he is fond of saying, suggesting that the old maxim "you can't win 'em all" applies.

Well, coach, we've got news for you: you CAN win 'em all!

In Kenyon's case "winning 'em all" meant winning a record 23rd-consecutive men's NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championshs this evening at
host Miami University's Student Recreation Center Natatorium, just a stone's throw down the interstate from the Lords' campus in Gambier.

Kenyon smashed a pair of national meet records while scoring 187 points on the meet's concluding evening to wrack up yet another national championship with 589 points – somewhat down from the 669 it won with last year.

Kenyon's closest competitors were Johns Hopkins and Emory University, who finished with 382 and 358 points, respectively, to take second and third in
the team-title race. Fourth and fifth were Carnegie Mellon (269) and Hope (262).

Oh, it's true, Kenyon DOESN'T win 'em all.

Why, just last season the Lords (gasp!) lost the DIII women's championship to intra-state rival Denison, coached by Greg Parini, a Kenyon grad with three champiionship titles on his curriculum vitae.

But that was obviously an aberration — just a "bump in the road" — as Kenyon came storming back this season to handily win the women's crown here last weekend, its 19th in the last 21 years (the meet's only been swum 22 times).

Steen was here this evening, in spirit if not actually in the flesh, as he's on sabbatical for the 2001-02 season as Special Assistant to the Kenyon's Dean of Students. In his "steen" the Lords are under the guidance of key aide Pete Casares, who joined the staff last year after a stint as an assistant here at Miami and also was responsible for the women's
championship last weekend.

Carares'men's team victory tonight was its 23-straight title, making that streak the longest by any team in any sport in any division in NCAA history.

With 40 championships overall, Steen is also the most successful coach of any sport in any division in collegiate history too.

Casares' dual wins the last two weekends make him the only other swimming coach other than Florida's Randy Reese and now Auburn's David Marsh ever to win a women's and men's swim title with the same school. Of course he's the ONLY man besides Steen to do it in the same season — and all he's got to do now is win another 17-consecutive seasons to accomplish what his "boss" has done.

(That also applies to Marsh, who'll be trying for Auburn's third NCAA men's D1 championship next weekend in Athene, GA. and at the same time try and halt Texas' two-year win streak.)

The NCAA DIII men's meet has been in existence since 1975 (28 years) and Kenyon has 23 championships. Hopkins (1977-'79) is No. 2 and Chico State (CA) and St. Olaf (MN) have the other wins.

That Steen hasn't been snapped up by some Division 1 program wanting to turn its fortunes around (let alone some high-powered club program) is more a testament to Steen's devotion to his Kenyon swimmers than any lack of foresight on the part of athletic directors and/or club presidentes, as the veteran Kenyon coach has had innumerable opportunities — offers — to go elsewhere since he came to Gambier more than a quarter-century ago.

"I enjoy what I do, I'm proud of our success, we've built up a great program here, we have quality kids so why would I want to leave?" he posits.

"Now…if they came and asked me to be head coach for United State Swimming, and then offered to move the program here to Gambier and said they'd duplicate all that great stuff they have in Colorado Springs, well…" he says facetiously.

Lord sophomore Marc Courtney-Brooks, with wins in the 100-200 freestyles plus golds as a member of four of five winning relays, was voted Swimmer of the Meet.

Other individual awards went to Derek Chicarilli of Middlebury as Diver of the Year, Johns Hopkins' George Kennedy as swimming Coach of the Year and Greg Rape of St. Olaf as the diving Coach of the Year.

The Lords opened the final evening session in impressive fashion as a pair of swimmers established DIII Championship records. First, senior Michael
Bonomo, who last season set a record en route to the 1650 title (15:27.85), made short shrift of that standard with his 15:25.73. It was Bonomo's third
gold in this race and a fitting way to end his collegiate career.

Next, 100 back runner-up Leandro Monteiro, a freshman, followed by racing to the 200 backstroke title in a DIII-record 1:47.21. He also collected a pair of golds as leadoff swimmer on Kenyon's two winning medley relays.

The Lords' run continued apace as Courtney-Brooks blasted to a 44.80 100 free victory, adding a second individual title to the 100 fly he won last evening.

Courtney-Brooks was absolutely Coughlinesque on Kenyon's relays, leading off the 200 free in 20.59 (only sub 21), anchoring the 400 medley (44.35),
leading off the 800 free (1:37.12 — a mere .03 off the DIII record of 1:37.09 for the 200 free) and anchoring the 400 free quarter (43.88!!!)

For good measure, he was runner-up in the 50 free and the race's top qualifier (20.57). Not a bad effort, that.

Hope senior Joshua Boss, last year's Swimmer of the Meet, halted the Lords' string of victories and continued his own in the 200 breaststroke as he
stroked to a 1:59.38 win — not far off his meet record 1:58.90 from 2001.

Boss has now won the 200 four-consecutive seasons and is the only DIII swimmer ever under 55.0/2:00.0 for either the 100 or 200. Only a loss in the 100 his soph season mars his otherwise unblemished record.

Kenyon got back on the winner's platform in the next race, however, as Lord Carlos Vega — a junior — hit the wall first in the 200 fly with a 1:48.78. The win moved him up a notch from last season where he was runner-up 1:50.40).

Vega's going to have to do some heavy lifting to get the DIII record as that's a 1:45.19 by former Kenyon star Pedro Monteiro from the 1997 Championships.

In three-meter diving action, Kalamazoo's Anthony Holt narrowly edged Middlebury's Chicarilli, 454.30 to 452.70.

In the final race of the meet, the 400 free relay, Kenyon won its fifth of five titles as 200 free champ Read Boon, Monteiro, Jon Philipsborn and Courtney-Brooks splashed to a 2:59.87, more than two seconds faster than Denison's second-place 3:01+.

Kenyon's time was just off their 2:57.98 record from four years ago.

With Courtney-Brooks, Boon, Monteiro and Vega all back for next season, that's not a bad nucleus to try and build championship team No. 24 around.

— Bill Bell

NCAA DIVISION III MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP
STUDENT RECREATION CENTER NATATORIUM
MIAMI UNIVERSITY
OXFORD, Oh., March 23

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 Teams)

PLACE SCHOOL POINTS

1) KENYON 589.0
2) JOHNS HOPKINS 382.0
3) EMORY 358.0
4) CARNEGIE MELLON 269.0
5) HOPE 262.0
6) KALAMAZOO 229.0
7) DENISON 212.0
8) WHEATON 170.0
9) CALVIN 136.5
10) WHITWORTH 136.0

25 Yd. Pool

** DIII Record

EVENT : 14 MEN'S 1650 YARDS FREESTYLE

MEET RECORD 15:25.73 MICHAEL BONOMO KENYON 3/23/02
QUALIFYING FOR EVENT 16:13.64
FINAL RESULTS TIMED FINALS

RANK NAME YEAR TEAM TIME

1) BONOMO, MICHAEL SR KENYON 15:25.73 **
:26.53 :54.77 1:23.43 1:51.95 2:20.70 2:49.43
3:18.53 3:47.41 4:16.16 4:44.92 5:13.50 5:41.94
6:10.43 6:38.94 7:07.39 7:35.81 8:04.26 8:32.48
9:00.54 9:28.59 9:56.67 10:24.77 10:52.51 11:20.44
11:48.02 12:15.55 12:42.86 13:10.11 13:37.37 14:04.57
14:32.13 14:59.65 15:25.73
** MEET RECORD
2) ARMSTRONG, SCOTT JR JOHNS HOPKINS 15:27.80
:26.77 :55.10 1:23.71 1:52.61 2:21.56 2:49.83
3:18.52 3:47.35 4:16.34 4:44.91 5:13.19 5:41.54
6:09.99 6:38.55 7:06.68 7:35.16 8:03.31 8:31.31
8:59.49 9:27.42 9:55.02 10:22.81 10:50.90 11:18.49
11:46.35 12:13.74 12:41.27 13:08.78 13:36.33 14:04.11
14:31.88 15:00.15 15:27.80
3) RUSHTON, ELLIOT FR KENYON 15:43.00
:26.22 :54.46 1:23.15 1:51.96 2:20.76 2:49.62
3:18.48 3:47.43 4:16.44 4:45.34 5:14.22 5:42.87
6:11.65 6:40.24 7:09.05 7:37.76 8:06.54 8:35.38
9:04.09 9:32.64 10:01.44 10:30.16 10:58.70 11:27.33
11:56.03 12:24.61 12:53.12 13:21.67 13:50.09 14:18.58
14:47.20 15:15.70 15:43.00
4) ANDERSON, DREW SR DENISON 15:43.82
:25.81 :54.39 1:23.54 1:52.56 2:21.42 2:50.35
3:18.87 3:47.58 4:16.35 4:45.01 5:13.49 5:42.38
6:11.03 6:39.66 7:08.04 7:37.05 8:05.60 8:34.31
9:02.93 9:31.65 10:00.72 10:29.26 10:58.02 11:26.78
11:55.60 12:24.45 12:53.27 13:22.11 13:50.66 14:19.33
14:48.01 15:16.36 15:43.82
5) PEARSON, CHRIS FR CARNEGIE MELLON 15:46.44
:25.39 :53.37 1:21.73 1:50.46 2:19.35 2:48.10
3:17.20 3:46.09 4:15.21 4:44.04 5:13.08 5:42.03
6:11.02 6:40.04 7:09.06 7:38.02 8:07.15 8:36.22
9:05.33 9:34.43 10:03.42 10:32.31 11:01.28 11:30.44
11:59.51 12:28.29 12:57.23 13:26.35 13:55.25 14:23.69
14:51.73 15:19.61 15:46.44
6) KINNETT, RICHARD SO EMORY 15:48.86
:25.79 :53.42 1:21.47 1:49.71 2:18.33 2:47.26
3:16.16 3:45.38 4:14.48 4:43.78 5:12.42 5:41.55
6:10.26 6:39.30 7:08.16 7:37.21 8:05.85 8:34.73
9:03.65 9:32.74 10:01.46 10:30.38 10:59.30 11:28.40
11:57.42 12:26.55 12:55.54 13:24.88 13:54.02 14:22.79
14:51.95 15:20.55 15:48.86
7) CAINES, ERIC SR EMORY 15:49.68
:25.64 :53.99 1:22.95 1:52.03 2:21.19 2:50.15
3:19.31 3:48.55 4:17.20 4:45.90 5:14.87 5:43.86
6:12.99 6:42.07 7:11.24 7:40.32 8:09.28 8:38.02
9:06.47 9:35.41 10:04.46 10:33.60 11:02.45 11:31.47
12:00.47 12:29.10 12:58.39 13:27.52 13:56.38 14:24.96
14:53.84 15:22.17 15:49.68
8) WANG, KEVIN SO WHITWORTH 15:53.43
:26.20 :54.71 1:23.37 1:52.06 2:20.91 2:49.78
3:18.98 3:48.15 4:17.17 4:46.27 5:14.64 5:43.49
6:12.44 6:41.48 7:10.31 7:39.32 8:08.58 8:37.45
9:06.41 9:35.54 10:04.45 10:33.83 11:02.88 11:31.80
12:00.86 12:29.77 12:58.91 13:28.18 13:57.26 14:26.56
14:55.95 15:25.04 15:53.43

EVENT : 15 MEN'S 200 YARDS BACKSTROKE

MEET RECORD 1:47.21 LEANDRO MONTEIRO KENYON 3/23/02
QUALIFYING FOR EVENT 1:53.81

FINAL RESULTS
PLACE NAME YEAR TEAM TRIALS FINAL

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) MONTEIRO, LEANDRO FR KENYON 1:51.18 1:47.21
**
:25.69 :53.53 1:20.67 1:47.21
** MEET RECORD
2) MCCARTHY, BRIAN SO CARNEGIE MELLON 1:50.69 1:50.31
:25.77 :54.29 1:22.54 1:50.31
3) HALSTEAD, CHRIS FR EMORY 1:49.45 1:50.54
:26.18 :54.09 1:22.19 1:50.54
4) BALFOUR, JOHN FR JOHNS HOPKINS 1:50.88 1:50.82
:26.14 :54.42 1:22.82 1:50.82
5) KLUG, JEFF JR EMORY 1:51.17 1:51.33
:26.38 :54.63 1:22.92 1:51.33
6) LOFTHUS, DAVE JR JOHNS HOPKINS 1:51.77 1:51.90
:26.20 :54.32 1:23.06 1:51.90
7) WEISSMAN, DAN FR EMORY 1:50.38 1:52.14
:26.93 :55.15 1:23.65 1:52.14
8) COBURN, ZACH SO TRINITY 1:51.46 1:52.29
:26.66 :54.85 1:23.40 1:52.29

CONSOLATION FINAL

9) SCHWENKER, ERIC SR HAMILTON 1:52.11 1:51.51
:26.07 :54.12 1:23.09 1:51.51
10) RODRIGUEZ, FERNANDO SO KENYON 1:52.73 1:51.74
:26.13 :54.04 1:22.90 1:51.74
11) KOBES, IAN SO HOPE 1:52.47 1:52.46
:26.52 :54.71 1:23.32 1:52.46
12) FREEMAN, RYAN JR WHITWORTH 1:53.23 1:52.50
:25.78 :54.07 1:23.17 1:52.50
13) FELL, BEN JR R.P.I. 1:52.62 1:52.91
:26.56 :55.24 1:24.23 1:52.91
14) LINN, DAVID FR ST. THOMAS 1:53.33 1:54.13
:26.61 :54.99 1:24.25 1:54.13
15) MORGAN, COLIN SR COLLEGE OF NJ 1:53.44 1:54.47
:26.54 :55.76 1:25.33 1:54.47
16) RITTER, ERIC SO WASHINGTON & LEE 1:52.68 1:54.66
:26.35 :55.39 1:25.10 1:54.66

EVENT : 16 MEN'S 100 YARDS FREESTYLE

MEET RECORD :43.65 JAMES BORN KENYON 3/23/85
QUALIFYING FOR EVENT :46.41

FINAL RESULTS
PLACE NAME YEAR TEAM TRIALS FINAL

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) COURTNEY-BROOKS, M. SO KENYON :45.30 :44.80
:21.43 :44.80
2) WESTON, BEN JR UC SANTA CRUZ :45.82 :45.14
:21.77 :45.14
3) DEHAAN, TIM JR HOPE :45.65 :45.34
:21.51 :45.34
4) BRANNOCK, JUSTIN JR JOHNS HOPKINS :45.75 :45.47
:21.74 :45.47
5) SLAGH, BRIAN JR HOPE :45.84 :45.68
:22.04 :45.68
6) JOHNSON, TRENT SR DENISON :45.86 :45.77
:21.61 :45.77
7) JOHNSON, ERIK SO UW STEVENS POINT :46.03 :45.79
:21.78 :45.79
8) GYORFI, PAUL JR WHEATON :45.91 :46.18
:22.20 :46.18

EVENT : 17 MEN'S 200 YARDS BREASTSTROKE

MEET RECORD 1:58.90 JOSHUA BOSS HOPE 3/16/01
QUALIFYING FOR EVENT 2:08.21

FINAL RESULTS
PLACE NAME YEAR TEAM TRIALS FINAL

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) BOSS, JOSHUA SR HOPE 2:00.63 1:59.38
:26.58 :56.35 1:26.88 1:59.38
2) KIEPFER, DANIEL JR KENYON 2:03.93 2:01.13
:27.59 :58.02 1:29.05 2:01.13
3) POHORYLO, MIKE SO AMHERST 2:04.37 2:03.04
:28.14 :59.33 1:31.16 2:03.04
4) TAYLOR, JONATHAN SR WHEATON 2:04.30 2:03.60
:27.97 :59.42 1:30.99 2:03.60
5) SHIMKO, MARK SR EMORY 2:04.18 2:04.45
:28.19 :59.74 1:31.91 2:04.45
6) KRVARIC, PETAR SO KENYON 2:05.43 2:05.37
:28.35 1:00.00 1:32.52 2:05.37
7) SMITH, MATT JR ROSE-HULMAN 2:05.86 2:05.90
:27.84 :59.63 1:33.01 2:05.90
8) PITZ, SCOTT SO JOHNS HOPKINS 2:05.26 2:06.14
:28.36 1:00.14 1:32.71 2:06.14

EVENT : 18 MEN'S 200 YARDS BUTTERFLY

MEET RECORD 1:45.19 PEDRO MONTEIRO KENYON 3/22/97
QUALIFYING FOR EVENT 1:54.87

FINAL RESULTS
PLACE NAME YEAR TEAM TRIALS FINAL

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) VEGA, CARLOS JR KENYON 1:49.93 1:48.78
:24.24 :51.72 1:20.32 1:48.78
2) POPA, SEBASTIAN SR EMORY 1:48.97 1:49.68
:23.88 :51.40 1:20.04 1:49.68
3) SHANE, TOM SR EMORY 1:51.61 1:51.02
:24.65 :52.88 1:21.66 1:51.02
4) RADER, STEVE SO WITTENBERG 1:52.92 1:52.41
:25.43 :54.36 1:23.34 1:52.41
5) SCHAPIRO, ANDREW FR EMORY 1:52.42 1:52.70
:25.49 :54.34 1:23.05 1:52.70
6) DUDA, NICHOLAS SR KALAMAZOO 1:51.83 1:52.78
:24.88 :53.02 1:21.92 1:52.78
7) OGLESBY, MATT SR UW EAU CLAIRE 1:53.45 1:52.82
:24.42 :52.78 1:22.37 1:52.82
8) RICE, BRENT SR WHITWORTH 1:52.76 1:53.07
:25.06 :53.48 1:22.33 1:53.07

EVENT: 19 MEN's 3 METER SPRINGBOARD DIVING

MEET RECORD 577.05 JEFF GORTON KALAMAZOO 3/18/00

SEMI
RANK NAME YEAR TEAM PRELIM FINALS FINALS

1 HOLT, ANTHONY FR KALAMAZOO 417.25 169.30 454.30
2 CHICARILLI, DEREK SR MIDDLEBURY 455.35 191.60 452.70
3 POITIER, BARON SO NEW YORK UNIV. 434.85 169.65 440.95
4 KASNEY, ANDREW JR COLLEGE OF NJ 416.25 177.50 429.25
5 HANSMAN, CHRIS SO UW OSHKOSH 420.45 156.10 424.95
6 MEYER, JOEL SO U.S.M.M.A. 420.15 177.05 423.55
7 HOPKINS, BEN JR AMHERST 470.60 187.50 417.40
8 RAPPAPORT, JESSE FR ROWAN 419.70 167.85 386.25

K, PAUL FR GUSTAVUS 319.20

EVENT : 20 MEN'S 400 YARDS FREESTYLE RELAY

MEET RECORD 2:57.98 KENYON 3/21/98
QUALIFYING FOR EVENT 3:07.13

FINAL RESULTS
PLACE NAME YEAR TEAM TRIALS FINAL

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) KENYON 3:04.94 2:59.87
1) BOON, READ JR :21.69 3) PHILIPSBORN, JON JR
1:52.03
:45.67
2:15.99
2) MONTEIRO, LEANDRO FR 1:06.77 4) COURTNEY-BROOKS, M. SO
2:36.87
1:30.62
2:59.87

2) DENISON 3:04.58 3:02.31
1) HAAR, GREG FR :21.99 3) ROWE, GRANT JR
1:52.88
:45.98
2:17.50
2) PFEIF, DUSTIN JR 1:06.91 4) JOHNSON, TRENT SR
2:38.37
1:31.22
3:02.31

3) HOPE 3:05.15 3:02.84
1) SLAGH, BRIAN JR :22.20 3) VROEGINDEWEY, JEFF FR
1:53.27
:45.87
2:18.06
2) HAMSTRA, CHRIS SO 1:07.64 4) DEHAAN, TIM JR
2:39.26
1:31.96
3:02.84

4) JOHNS HOPKINS 3:04.16 3:04.15
1) BRANNOCK, JUSTIN JR :22.03 3) LOFTHUS, BRANDON FR
1:53.26
:46.07
2:17.83
2) LOFTHUS, DAVE JR 1:07.51 4) FREUND, WILLIAM SR
2:39.90
1:31.77
3:04.15

5) CARNEGIE MELLON 3:05.18 3:04.46
1) JUCHA, BRIAN SO :21.91 3) MCCARTHY, BRIAN SO
1:54.66
:46.30
2:19.07
2) SHEWCHUK, MATT SR 1:07.65 4) PEARSON, CHRIS FR
2:41.02
1:32.60
3:04.46

6) WHEATON 3:06.62 3:06.04
1) KAMIENSKI, CHRIS JR :22.28 3) GLASS, JOHN JR
1:56.36
:47.02
2:21.13
2) OLSON, CHAD SR 1:09.36 4) GYORFI, PAUL JR
2:42.03
1:34.38
3:06.04

7) KALAMAZOO 3:05.60 3:06.11
1) CROWLEY, RYAN JR :22.42 3) CALLAM, BENJAMIN JR
1:55.65
:47.27
2:20.28
2) DOMIN, STEVE SR 1:08.79 4) STOVER, VICTOR SO
2:41.80
1:33.98
3:06.11

8) EMORY 3:06.62 3:06.59
1) SEYMOUR, BRIAN SO :22.27 3) KLUG, JEFF JR
1:55.41
:46.46
2:19.97
2) HILLER, DAVID JR 1:08.43 4) PRESS, CHRISTOPHER FR
2:41.92
1:33.40
3:06.59

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