February 6, 1999
STANFORD, Calif. - Top-ranked Stanford University (10-0, 3-0 Pac-10)set four deGuerre Pool records and won the final relay to edge No. 4 USC(6-1, 3-1) 124-117 Saturday afternoon. The Cardinal has now won 19straight dual meets dating back to the 1996-97 season.
USC actually led 113-111 going into the final event, the 400freestyle relay. But Stanford senior Justin Ewers (Phoeniz,AZ/Arcadia), in his final swim at deGuerre Pool, opened up a 1.23-secondlead on the opening leg and his Cardinal teammates took it from there. Senior Tate Blahnik (Temple, TX/Suffern HS) opened the meet with apool-record 47.76 in the 100 backstroke leading off the 400 medleyrelay. Sophomore Anthony Robinson (Houston, TX/Memorial), senior DodWales (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) and Ewers swam the final three legs asthe relay team also set a pool record. Blahnik's leg was the fastest100 backstroke in the country this year, while the relay time was alsothe nation's best mark this year, by more than two seconds.
Later, Wales swam the third-fastest time in the nation this year tobreak the deGuerre Pool record in the 100 freestyle. Wales also brokethe deGuerre record in the 100 butterfly one day earlier, againstNebraska and UC Santa Barbara. In the race immediately after Wales'record-breaking performance Saturday, Blahnik broke the pool record inthe 200 backstroke, again claiming the best time in the country thisyear.
The victory was the final home meet for eight Stanford seniors: Blahnik,Ewers, Blake Holden (Bay City, TX/Bay City), Casey Ketterling (Mesa,AZ/Dobson), Matt O'Mara (Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue), Matthew Pierce (TheWoodlands, TX/McCullough), Dan Schultz (Bedford, IN/Bedford N. Lawrence)and Wales.
Stanford returns to action Saturday, Feb. 20 at No. 8 Cal, withthe first event starting at 1:00 p.m. USC next competes at the Pac-10Championships, March 4-6 at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach, Calif.
#1 Stanford 124, #4 USC 117
400 medley relay - Stanford (Tate Blahnik 47.76*, AnthonyRobinson 54.44, Dod Wales 46.91, Justin Ewers 43.21) 3:12.32* (deGuerrePool record, old record 3:14.72, Stanford, 1998; Blahnik's lead-off legof 100 backstroke: deGuerre Pool record, old record 48.07, DerekWeatherford, 1994), USC (Leonardo Costa 50.57, Ryosuke Imai 54.21, MikeWilliams 48.80, Gabe Woodward 45.48) 3:19.06, Stanford (Dan Schultz50.07, Steve Ronson 55.57, Michael O'Neil 49.91, Mario Scussel 46.43)3:21.98, USC (Dan Karlin 53.23, Harvey Beckwith 56.27, Slawek Richter51.42, Nick Smith 47.94) 3:28.86.
1000 freestyle - Mark Warkentin (USC) 9:12.10, Reid Gustin (S)9:13.87, Steven Brown (S) 9:15.46, Jeremy Kane (S) 9:19.22, Matt O'Mara(S) 9:20.94, Joel Everman (USC) 9:22.48, Joe Curreri (USC) 9:36.61.
200 freestyle - Bela Szabados (USC) 1:36.64, Adam Messner (S)1:37.06, Bret Awbrey (USC) 1:39.42, Clayton Jones (S) 1:39.67, TateBlahnik (S) 1:39.81, Jeff Guyman (S) 1:41.34, Nick Smith (USC) 1:42.63.
50 freestyle - Justin Ewers (S) 20.43, Gabe Woodward (USC)20.60, Anthony Robinson (S) 20.69, Lance McPherson (USC) 21.05, MikeWilliams (USC) 21.07, Mario Scussel (S) 21.22, Steve Ronson (S) 21.51.
200 individual medley - Rob Canales (S) 1:48.41, Ryosuke Imai(USC) 1:50.56, Glenn Counts (S) 1:50.79, Nick Kaschik (USC) 1:50.96,Philippe Demers (USC) 1:51.58, Casey Ketterling (S) 1:55.13, LeonardoCosta (USC) 1:56.36, Blake Holden (S) 1:57.59.
One-meter diving - Justin Dumais (USC) 292.43*, James Wells(USC) 244.35, Shawn Schuessler (USC) 243.90, Mark Michelin (S) 225.30. 200 butterfly - Steven Brown (S) 1:48.19, Philippe Demers (USC)1:48.40, Bret Awbrey (USC) 1:49.40, Mark Kwok (USC) 1:49.61, MichaelO'Neil (S) 1:51.62, Jeremy Kane (S) 1:53.83.
100 freestyle - Dod Wales (S) 43.90 (deGuerre Pool record, oldrecord 43.96, Joe Hudepohl, 1993), Bela Szabados (USC) 44.86, JeffGuyman (S) 45.82, Glenn Counts (S) 45.85, Lance McPherson (USC) 46.00,Mike Williams (USC) 46.14.
200 backstroke - Tate Blahnik (S) 1:42.78* (deGuerre Poolrecord, old record 1:43.82, Derek Weatherford, 1993), Rob Canales (S)1:47.15, Leonardo Costa (USC) 1:48.55, Nick Kaschik (USC) 1:49.30, DanSchultz (S) 1:49.87, Casey Ketterling (S) 1:50.20, Joe Curreri (USC)1:54.76, Dan Karlin (USC) 1:54.91.
500 freestyle - Mark Warkentin (USC) 4:26.10, Adam Messner (S)4:26.54, Reid Gustin (S) 4:32.40, Mark Kwok (USC) 4:32.49, Matt O'Mara(S) 4:32.90, Steven Brown (S) 4:38.27, Joel Everman (USC) 4:39.29.
Three-meter diving - Justin Dumais (USC) 343.80*, ShawnSchuessler (USC) 273.15, Mark Michelin (S) 259.05, James Wells (USC)253.87.
200 breaststroke - Ryosuke Imai (USC) 1:58.68*, Blake Holden (S)2:02.22, Rob Canales (S) 2:02.87, Slawek Richter (USC) 2:04.05, NickKaschik (USC) 2:04.18, Steve Ronson (S) 2:04.21, Michael O'Neil (S)2:05.99, Ahmad Al-Kudmani (USC) 2:06.08.
400 freestyle relay - Stanford (Justin Ewers 44.10, GlennCounts 44.90, Adam Messner 44.64, Dod Wales 43.51) 2:57.15, USC(Philippe Demers 45.53, Gabe Woodward 44.00, Bret Awbrey 44.94, BelaSzabados 44.21) 2:58.68, Stanford (Jeff Guyman 46.09, Anthony Robinson45.57, Mario Scussel 46.00, Clayton Jones 46.39) 3:04.05, USC (LanceMcPherson 46.55, Nick Smith 46.52, Harvey Beckwith 45.77, Mark Warkentin46.27) 3:05.11.
Records - USC 6-0, 3-0, Stanford 10-0, 3-0.