Mustangs To Compete In KMSC Elite Meet
Dec 16 | Men's Swimming & Diving
| SMU at the KMSC Elite Meet | |
| Date & Start Time | Thursday, Dec. 18 - Sunday, Dec. 21 |
| Location | Oklahoma City, Okla. (OKCC Olympic Festival Pool) |
| Meet Website | King Marlin Swim Club |
| SMU Meet Notes | Meet Notes (.pdf) |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUSwimDiveM | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUSMUSwimmingM | |
DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU men's swimming & diving team (0-1) travels to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the King Marlin Swim Club (KMSC) Elite Meet this weekend. The four-day meet begins on Thursday, Dec. 18 and concludes on Sunday, Dec. 21.
About The Mustangs
Senior diver Devin Burnett, the reigning American Athletic Conference diver of the year, is off to another fine start in 2014. The Plano, Texas, native has twice been named conference diver of the week. In a dual meet versus TCU (Nov. 19), Burnett swept the diving events. At the highly-competitive Art Adamson Invitational (Nov. 20-22), Burnett grabbed the bronze in all three diving events. Burnett has posted NCAA qualifying scores in the one-meter, three-meter and platform dives already this season.
In the pool, several newcomers have made a big impact for the Mustangs. Junior Sam Straughan, a transfer from Loughborough University (U.K.), has registered the only qualifying swimming time for SMU. Straughan posted a 'B' Standard time of 48.28 at the Art Adamson Invite (Nov. 21). The Maidenhead, U.K., native also earned two first-place finishes in a dual meet versus TCU. He won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.73 and the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 49.54.
Freshmen Matt Ackman and Bartosz Krzyzaniak have also been impressive in the pool. Ackman's success has come in the breaststroke events, as he posted the 68th fastest time (1:59.80) in the country in the 200-yard breaststroke. The Pembroke, Ontario, native also won the 200 breast in a dual meet versus TCU. Krzyzaniak, a native of Poland, finished second and third in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events, respectively, in the dual meet versus TCU.
The Mustangs have also received key contributions from the several returnees. Sophomore Ziga Cerkovnik, a 2014 all-conference performer, earned two third-place finishes in a dual meet versus TCU. Seniors Eastman Holloway and Tyler Rauth are also off to strong starts this season. Holloway and Rauth, who both earned all-conference honors last year, each posted a second-place finish in the TCU dual meet.
Key Returnees
SMU has a total of seven student-athletes on its roster who have garnered all-conference accolades, including three-student athletes, seniors Matas Andriekus and Devin Burnett and junior Eastman Holloway, who have earned multiple all-conference honors. The following are those who have earned all-conference honors:
-Matas Andriekus (2012-14) -Burnett (2012-14)
-Cerkovnik (2014) -Hayden Hodges (2014)
-Holloway (2013-14) -Bryce Klein (2014)
-Rauth (2014)
At The Conference Level
In The American, the Mustangs have posted 14 top-five individual times. Straughan's 'B' Standard time of 48.28 is the fastest time in the 100-yard backstroke. In addition, the 200-yard freestyle relay team (Krzyzaniak, Ackman, Straughan, Cerkovnik) recorded the best time (1:21.64) in that event. The following are also top-five individual times in The American:
-Cerkovnik (2nd, 50 free, 20.57) -Krzyzaniak (5th, 200 free, 1:39.82)
-Krzyzaniak (5th, 100 back, 49.94) -Krzyzaniak (3rd, 200 back, 1:48.32)
-Cerkovnik (3rd, 100 breast, 55.44) -Ackman (4th, 100 breast, 55.48)
-Ackman (3rd, 200 breast, 1:59.80) -Cerkovnik (2nd, 100 fly, 49.28)
-Straughan (3rd, 100 fly, 49.33) -Rauth (4th, 200 fly, 1:50.56)
-Straughan (5th, 200 fly, 1:50.75) -Ackman (2nd, 200 IM, 1:50.22)
-Tucker Wells (4th, 200 IM, 1:51.47)
At The National Level
Straughan and Ackman have also posted times that rank in the top 100 nationally. Straughan's time of 48.28 is the 60th fastest in the 100-yard backstroke, while Ackman ranks 68th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:59.80.
About The Meet
The KSMC Elite Meet continues to be held on the third Thursday of each December. The competition will continue to be in its traditional home at the Oklahoma City Community College on the weekend just before the Christmas Holiday. This event is one of the premier competitions in the United States and has been the last, really fast and competitive short-course opportunity to close out the calendar year for over 20 years.
SMU Last Time Out - Art Adamson Invitational
SMU placed seventh out of seven teams at the Art Adamson Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M, on Nov. 20-22. Senior diver Devin Burnett turned in the most impressive weekend for the Mustangs, garnering three third-place finishes in diving (1m, 3m, platform).
In the pool, a crop of newcomers paced the Mustangs. Freshman Matt Ackman registered three individual top-15 finishes, including a ninth-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke (1:59.80), a time just 00.01 away from being a 'B' standard time. The Pembroke, Ontario, native also placed 11th in the 100-yard breaststroke (55.48) and the 200-yard IM (1:51.12).
Fellow freshman Stefan Popov also had a stellar weekend in the breaststroke events. The Sofia, Bulgaria, native finished 17th in the 100-yard breast (56.92) and 19th in the 200-yard breast (2:04.79).
Junior Sam Straughan, a transfer from Maidenhead University (U.K.), posted a 'B' standard time for the second time this season in the 100-yard backstroke, placing ninth with a time of 48.28. Straughan also touched the wall 14th in the 100-yard butterfly (49.50).
Freshman Bartosz Krzyzaniak, a native of Zielona Gora, Poland, clocked top times in the backstroke for the Mustangs. Krzyzaniak placed 13th in the 100-yard back (49.94) and finished 14th in the 200-yard back (1:48.32).
Several returnees also had impressive performances in College Station. Sophomore Ziga Cerkovnik, who earned all-conference honors a year ago, finished 13th in the 50-yard freestyle (20.57) and 12th in the 100-yard butterfly (49.28). Senior Gabriel Andonie finished ninth in the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:05.61) and sophomore Tucker Wells placed 16th in the 200-yard IM (1:52.39).
Summer Success
Several Mustangs also enjoyed success over the summer. Incoming freshman Matt Ackman won the silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui, Hawaii, in August.
Christian Scherübl, another incoming freshman, competed for Austria in the European Championships in August. Scherübl swam the 100m and 200m freestyle, along with the 200m freestyle relay, for the Austrian national team.
Burnett, Klein and junior Parker Meinecke all competed in the USA Diving National Championships in August. With a third-place finish in the one-meter and a second-place finish in the three-meter synchronized, Klein was the men's high point award winner. Burnett finished fifth in the one-meter and Meinecke finished 19th in the platform prelims, narrowly missing the cut for the finals.
Coaching Success
Head Coach Eddie Sinnott is seeking his 17th conference championship. Sinnott, who captured the conference title 16 times in his first 17 seasons, is looking to get back to his winning ways after placing second last year in The American's inaugural season. Sinnott has also been named conference coach of the year 16 times.
Up Next - LSU
The Mustangs will go on a brief hiatus until Jan. 3, 2015, when they take on the LSU Tigers at 1 p.m. in Rockwall, Texas. The dual meet features both men's and women's swimming and diving.
