 Billikens Busy with Three Meets This Weekend
Nov. 18, 2009
This Week: Saint Louis swimming and diving returns to the pool for three meets this weekend following a nearly three-week hiatus from competition. The Billikens kick off the action with a 6 p.m. dual Friday against Eastern Illinois at Simon Recreation Center on the SLU campus. SLU will participate in Washington (Mo.) University's two-day Thanksgiving Invitational starting on Saturday at 10 a.m. Competition at Wash. U. on Sunday will begin at 9:30 a.m. Also on Sunday, the Bills with host IUPUI at 9:30 a.m. Last Time Out: The Billikens swept Western Illinois Oct. 30, with the SLU men's squad picking up its first dual-meet victory of the season. At the Lindenwood Invitational Oct. 31, the Saint Louis women downed the Lions 176-78, but the Billiken men lost 153-107. About the Billikens: The 2009-10 Billiken squads feature a wealth of youth as 17 freshmen are suiting up in the blue and white for the first time. The women's roster is comprised of 24 student-athletes, while there are 23 on the men's roster. The SLU women are 6-2 this season, and the men's squad is 1-4. Coach Jim Halliburton: Head coach Jim Halliburton is in his ninth season at the helm of the Billiken swimming and diving program. His men's and women's teams have amassed a 257-79-1 dual-meet record during his tenure. Halliburton's staff is comprised of diving coach Greg Triefenbach, assistant coaches Meredith Kiersznowski, Jessen Wabeke and Stefan Yarbrough and volunteer assistant Brad Byars.
Billikens Behind-the-Scenes: A new feature on www.slubillikens.com is "Meet the Billikens," a question-and-answer session with student-athletes. Freshman Ariel Hyams (Anchorage, Alaska / West Anchorage), sophomore Brian Brasser (Centerville, Ohio / Centerville) and seniors Sal Cruz (Chesterfield, Mo. / Parkway Central) and Lindsey Tamkun (Germantown, Tenn. / Houston) have already been featured, and more Saint Louis swimmers and divers are slated to be highlighted. Zoning Out: Senior Anna Larson (St. Charles, Mo. / Francis Howell) eclipsed both of Saint Louis' diving standards at the Lindenwood Invitational Oct. 31 en route to qualifying for the NCAA Zone Meet for the fourth straight season. She bettered her own record in the one-meter event with a score of 295.40. Larson shattered Erin Lasinski's three-meter mark with a 305.95-point performance. At the same meet, sophomore Hannah Tautz (Littleton, Colo. / Littleton) turned in the seventh-best one-meter effort in school history (268.35) to qualify for her second NCAA Zone Meet. On the men's side, Chad Carmichael (Westlake, Ohio / Saint Ignatius) met the zone-meet qualifying standard with a score of 302.40 on the one-meter board, while Billy Hrabovsky (Cheyenne, Wyo. / Central) qualified for the Zone Meet on the one- (291.95) and three-meter (316.50) boards. Rob(In) Hood: Senior Laura Robertson (Katy, Texas / Cinco Ranch) owns SLU's fastest times in four events this season and is tied for the team lead with seven individual first-place finishes. She has posted the quickest 100 (1:09.44) and 200 (2:30.37) breast, and 200 (2:13.76) and 400 (4:43.04) IM performances by the Billiken women's squad this year. All Dahle'd Up: Junior Michael Dahle (St. Louis, Mo. / Lindbergh) is the only Billiken to post three individual first-place finishes in a meet this season. At Western Illinois Oct. 30, he won the 200 back (1:58.64), 200 fly (2:01.02) and 400 IM (4:20.88) for his only first-place touches this season. Additionally, Dahle owns SLU's fastest performances this season in a team-best six events - the 500 (4:49.92) and 1000 (10:01.41) free, 200 back (1:58.64), 200 fly (1:59.74) and the 200 (1:59.77) and 400 (4:20.88) IM. Taking It All in Streid: Freshman Taylor Streid (Peoria, Ill. / Notre Dame) has made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, already collecting three individual first-place finishes to lead all SLU rookies. She also owns Saint Louis' fastest times this season in the 200 (1:58.82) and 500 (5:18.87) free, and in the 100 (59.39) and 200 (2:10.97) fly. The freshman won the 100 fly (59.39) at the season opener at Washington (Mo.) University and touched first in the 200 fly (2:10.97) at the Butler Quad. Streid then finished first in the 500 free (5:18.87) against UALR and Stephens College. She was also Saint Louis' top finisher with three top-10 performances at the Show-Me Showdown Oct. 10. Cracking the Top 10: Divers Chad Carmichael and Billy Hrabovsky have cracked the Billiken record book's top 10 a combined five times this season. Carmichael registered the fifth- (302.40) and ninth-best (273.25) scores on the one-meter board, while Hrabovsky owns the sixth-highest score (291.95). On the three-meter board, Hrabovsky recorded the second-best effort in program annals (316.50), while Carmichael boasts the sixth-best performance (296.50). Sibling Rivalry: Jimmy and Maggie Brabbins (Beverly Hills, Mich.) are the first siblings to be a part of the Saint Louis swimming and diving team during the same season since Denver, Colo., natives Amanda and Andrew Skram were on the squad together during the 2003-04 campaign. Making an Impact: Six freshmen have collected individual wins this season. At Washington (Mo.) University Oct. 3, Emily Kopec (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / George Washington) placed first in the 100 free (56.07), Allison Storm (Danville, Ind. / Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) won the 50 free (25.38) and Taylor Streid finished first in the 100 fly (59.39). Streid was the only rookie to earn an individual first-place finish at the Butler Quad, winning the 200 fly in 2:10.97. In SLU's meet against UALR and Stephens College, Maggie Brabbins earned her first collegiate victory in the 100 free (56.69), while Streid tallied a first-place effort in the 500 free (5:18.87). At Western Illinois Oct. 30, Will Butzke (Batavia, Ill. / Marmion) touched first in the 50 free (23.02) and Marco Navarro (Chandler, Ariz. / Brophy College Prep) won the 200 breast in 2:19.67. |
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