TicketsFeb. 2, 2009
By JEFF GENTIL
Monty Hopkinshas seen a lot in his 20 years as UC's swimming and diving team head coach. With the recent re-shaping of the campus, Hopkins probably had to endure the most trying time in his tenure.
Due to the Varsity Village project, and the subsequent demolition of Laurence Hall, the swimming and diving team had no home. So they had to commute to St. Xavier High School every day for practice and meets. Admittedly, it was a very trying time not only for Hopkins, but for the team as well. Now, with Varsity Village finally complete, the swimming and diving team has a home again and is very much on track to returning to its former successes under Hopkins.
"During that still period of four years without a pool (on campus), kids stopped
coming to UC," Hopkins said.
The team couldn't even practice at its usual 6 a.m. slot.
"It was the roughest of times," he said. "We had to commute in the middle of the day, due to NCAA regulations, while the campus was being rebuilt."
Senior Jakub Carda, one of the only current swimmers around for the trying times of UC swimming, has seen an amazing difference.
"It's a great advantage to have the facility we have on campus," he said. "It's better for the student-athlete. We definitely save time not having to commute. We lost a lot of good swimmers, but now we're rebuilding the team. This year, we're so much better. There is a lot of potential for Bearcat swimming."
Hopkins concurs with Carda's assessment of the state of the swimming and diving team.
"It's not where you are; it's which direction you're headed," the coach said. "We could be better, but we are definitely headed in the right direction. We have a great group of kids."
While other sports rely on upperclassmen to lead a program, swimming is a sport where experience isn't as important.
"Swimming is different," Hopkins said. "You can get leadership from freshmen. Everything is dependent on work ethic. It's all based on times and not personalities. There is no void between age and experience. Our kids have a great work ethic and the result is great leadership."
Both the swimming and diving teams have some ground to make up on the rest of the BIG EAST, but in the past couple of years, they have already made up significant ground and hope to continue that this year.
The men finished fifth in the conference last year, but a repeat of that would be a letdown, according to Carda.
"We have a good chance to finish in the top three," he said. "It's what we have practiced for. It's a pretty good goal for us. It's optimistic, but realistic. It's challenging, but it can be done."
Junior Josh Schneider agrees with Carda's goal: "Anything less than a top-three finish will be a disappointment."
Hopkins will be looking to Carda and Schneider, among others, to lead the path back to glory for the Bearcats.
"Josh Schneider came here a real big, strong guy who liked to race," Hopkins said. "He is getting a lot better. He is willing to lay it on the line and he still really likes to race. Josh has the school record in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle (the NCAA races in yards, not meters) and qualified for the NCAA meet in both events as well as the 100-yard butterfly last year."
Schneider doesn't shy away from his reputation.
"My strength is that I'm not afraid to race anyone," he said. "I always have fun with racing."
He also has some big goals in sight for this year.
"I'd like to break 19 seconds in the 50 free," he said. "That might be good enough to win the NCAA meet. I'd also like to go undefeated in the 50 free this year. Also, finish top eight in the 100 free, top 16 in the 100 butterfly and be named "Swimmer of the Meet" for the BIG EAST meet (win two or three events and have an extraordinary performance)."
Last year's UC Co-Most Valuable Swimmer, junior Jeremy Peter, is back and looking to improve upon a good 2007-08 year, when he won the BIG EAST 200-yard individual medley, finished second in the 400 IM, and set the school record for the 200 breaststroke.
Carda, a senior co-captain, placed third in the BIG EAST 400 IM and swims several other events.
"He and Jeremy (Peter) are our most versatile swimmers," Hopkins said. "They compete against each other a lot in the individual medley races. They both make each other better."
Nathan Williams (a sophomore from Elder High School in Cincinnati) is the men's team's best distance swimmer. Williams placed third in the BIG EAST in the 500-yard freestyle and scored (qualified for the finals) in the mile.
"When he's on his game, he is very, very good," Hopkins said. "He can put together some good races. He's already been better this year than last year. He is close to making the NCAA meet."
On the women's side, junior Elinore de Jong, last year's Most Valuable Swimmer, is back to full health and looking to have a great year.
"Elinore suffered through 'mono' last year, so she was always playing catch up," Hopkins said. "This year, she's doing great. She's very serious and dedicated. She's always trying to get better. She's very talented and always gives her best effort. She's a pleasure to coach."
Freshman Liz Hansson has already made an impact in the early going. Her versatility has won her some points with her coach.
"She's a really hard worker," Hopkins said. "She's a really good racer and really tough, too. She's been a great addition."
On the diving side, Kirtley Krombholz is making great strides in her sophomore year, and has a good chance to qualify for the NCAA meet.
"She's very competitive," Hopkins said. "She has a middle linebacker mentality. Just a tough kid. Works hard. She's already done better this year and scored her best ever against West Virginia earlier this year. She's way ahead of last year."
Senior Shannon McCarthy, who scored in the 200-yard backstroke last year, returns for her fifth and final year.
"Shannon had her best 200 backstroke in the BIG EAST meet last year (15th out of 35 swimmers)," said Hopkins. "She will have a lot of people pushing her this year so she will have some work to do if she wants to have the same results from last year."
Still, the transfer from Missouri maintains an excellent attitude and perspective.
"I just want to finish up well," she said. "I would like to make the finals at the BIG EAST meet and set my best times. But we're really here for school. Athletics is just one of the extra things we do on the side and I'm really proud of our team grade point average last year. Our GPA was the highest in the BIG EAST and it just knocked my socks off. It's certainly nice to have that on your résumé."
(This story was previously printed in the Bearcat Sports Digest.)