The LSU men’s swimming and diving teams will go for the gold as they compete at the NCAA Men’s Division I Swimming and Diving National Championships in Long Island, N.Y., held at the Goodwill Games Aquatic Center, starting today at 11 a.m. and going through Saturday.
The Tigers will be sending five swimmers competing in 10 different events.
Senior Evan Martinec will compete in the 100-and 200-yard backstroke. Junior Christian Clausen will compete in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke.
Senior Chris Stanczyk will compete in the 200-yard freestyle, and sophomore Ross Hebert will compete in the 50-yard freestyle. Neil Lowe will also be competing in the relays.
The team will compete in four out of the five relays. It will compete in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay and the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay.
Martinec finished fifth in 2003 in the 100-yard backstroke, and coach Jeff Cavana said he expects Martinec to improve this year.
“We just want him to do better,” Cavana said. “You don’t know how everyone else is going to do. We just want him to do better at this meet than he’s ever done.”
Martinec’s best times this season are a 46.23 mark in the 100-yard backstroke and a 1:44.36 mark in the 200-yard backstroke. Both marks were achieved at the 2004 Southeastern Conference Championships.
Cavana said he expects a good finish at the competition.
“We could be anywhere from top 13 to top 20,” Cavana said. “I would be disappointed if we were not in the top 20. We’re looking at top 15 or better, that’s our goal.”
Seniors Martinec and Stanczyk will be competing in the last meet of their collegiate career at nationals.
Martinec is a five-time NCAA All-American and could add to that total this weekend. He is the LSU record-holder in the 100-yard backstroke and was a part of the teams that hold the LSU records in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay. He also holds the SEC record in the 100-yard backstroke.