Streamlined News: Jan. 20, 2012


PHOENIX, Arizona, January 20. RYOSUKE Irie is one of the most consistent performers on the world stage, and he continued to show that yesterday at the Western Australia long course state championships with a 1:54.02 in the 200 backstroke. Irie posted six 1:54s last year in the 200 back, some of which were not major competitions such as this week's meet. Irie was the silver medalist in the 200 back at last summer's world championships, where he swam a 1:54.1, and will be a major medal contender in London.

The collegiate dual meet season is wrapping up for some of the top teams in the country this weekend. Auburn's last dual of the season will be a long course meet at the University of Florida, featuring reigning two-time NCAA champion Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace for the Tigers' women's team.

Texas Christian University finished its dual meet season yesterday with a loss against crosstown rival Southern Methodist University in Dallas, but the highlight for the Horned Frogs was a victory in the men's 100 breast by senior Edgar Crespo. By winning the race, Crespo has gone undefeated in the event all four years in dual meet competition, something that is very rarely accomplished. Crespo also won the 200 breast against SMU.

Southern Cal beat Wisconsin on the men's and women's side during a special two-day dual meet. Stars Katinka Hosszu and Vladimir Morozov swam off events, with both putting up some pretty decent times in 200 freestyle races. Hosszu won the individual 200 free in 1:47.5, while Morozov led off the 800 free relay in 1:35.6. Both of them also won the 100 fly.

Looking ahead to more meets this weekend, Stanford's men's team will host Arizona and Arizona State in Palo Alto. Senior Chad La Tourette, who will be one to watch in the 1500 free at the U.S. Olympic Trials, is looking to continue his streak of wins in the distance freestyles. La Tourette has lost only one distance race in dual meets while a Cardinal, the only loss being in 2009 when he was a freshman. The Stanford women's team will have a bit of a tougher double dual against rival Cal and Arizona. This meet could show us which team will be the one to beat at the Pac 12 championships, and the NCAAs.

The University of Georgia is racing twice this weekend against conference teams South Carolina and Tennessee. The last meet for Georgia didn't end well, as the women and men lost to the University of Texas, but history is on the line for the Lady Bulldogs as they attempt to take sole possession of the school record of most consecutive home victories. Right now, they are at 76 straight wins.

Shifting to open water swimming, the first leg of the FINA open water grand prix kicks off tomorrow with a 15-kilometer swim n Argentina. Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria has been the king of the grand prix meets, winning the overall title multiple times. The grand prix circuit features marathon swims of up to 88 kilometers, which usually does not attract the swimmers you will see racing in the Olympics in the 10K. FINA has a separate circuit of 10K races, and that series starts on January 29 in Brazil.

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