Hurricane Swimming and Diving Heads to Florida State

Oct. 9, 2003

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami Swimming and Diving will hit the water for the first time this season, traveling to Tallahassee, Fla. to face Florida State and Florida A&M on Friday afternoon.

Miami hit the lanes for the first time this season with 12 newcomers, including first-year Head Swim Coach Mariusz Podkoscielny.

“Florida State has a very good program,” Coach Podkoscielny said. “They have a great group of returners and have a very talented group of freshman. They are going to be very tough.”

Leading the Miami swimmers will be senior Manon van Rooijen (Westdorpe, Holland). Van Rooijen enters the season after winning the BIG EAST Championship in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.34 and setting a BIG EAST Championship record in the 200-yard freestyle for the second consecutive season with a time of 1:46.44.

The Hurricane diving team features two All-American selections in senior Emily Spychala (Miami, Fla.) and junior Miguel Velazquez (Mexico City, Mexico). Spychala returns after a 14th place finish at the NCAA Championships in the 1-meter with a score of 267.60 in 2002-03. Velazquez earned All-American honors last season after finishing fourth in the NCAA Championships in the 3-meter competition.

The Hurricanes are scheduled to take to the pool at 5 p.m.

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