Badger Men Impress at Season-Opening Meet
October 10, 2003 | Men's Swimming & Diving
The Badger men's swimming and diving team opened the 2003-04 season in style Friday afternoon at the UW Natatorium, placing first in all 11 swimming events at the four-team Wisconsin Invitational. No team scores were kept in the meet that also included UW-Stevens Point, UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee.
Wisconsin's swimmers showed little signs of early-season rust, as two pool records were broken at the meet. In the first men's event of the day, junior Adam Mania shattered the 100 backstroke mark while swimming the opening leg of the 400 medley relay. Mania's split of 48.96 broke the previous mark of 49.32 set by Minnesota's Alex Massura in 1998.
The defending Big Ten-champion 400 freestyle relay squad wrapped up the meet in impressive fashion, posting a winning time of 3:00.27, over 13 seconds ahead of the runner-up team from UW-Milwaukee. Mania, Matt Marshall, Eric Wiesner and Dale Rogers combined to break the record of 3:00.73 set by as USA team back in 1988.
Marshall also cruised to victories in the 50 free (20.91) and the 200 fly (1:49.64). Tim Liebhold was a double-winner, finishing first in the 1000 free and (9:39.33) and the 200 back (1:53.20).
Other individual winners for the Badgers included Pat Torpey in the 200 free (1:42.25), Mania in the 200 individual medley (1:52.68), Rogers in the 100 free (45.20), Wiesner in the 500 free (4:38.56) and Kevin Zakrzewski in the 200 breaststroke (2:10.71).
The 400 medley relay team of Mania, Zakrzewski, A.J. Lerner and Scott Speer finished first in a winning time of 3:27.68.
UW returns to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 when it hosts Iowa in a dual meet.
