Swimming and Diving Announces Captains For Upcoming Season
10/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
Oct. 15, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. The Michigan State swimming and diving program has announced its captains for the 2002-03 season. Seniors Joe Brennan (Poway, Calif.) and Nick DeFauw (West Bloomfield, Mich.) will captain the men's squad, while Stephanie Anisko (Mississauga, Ontario) and Kate Duncombe (Erie, Pa.) were selected to lead the women's team.
Brennan has competed at the Big Ten Championships every season and was awarded with the Jack Seibold Sparty Award for Leadership last year. DeFauw was a member of last year's 200 medley relay team that set a new school record. A 2001-02 Academic All-Big Ten team member, DeFauw has also had experience at the Big Ten Championship level.
"Joe is definitely a leader on this team. He had a great summer of training and gained a lot of experience. He can really be a player for us," head coach Jim Lutz stated. "Nick is a great worker. He wants to contribute whatever he can to help the team."
On the women's side, Anisko has seen action at the Big Ten Championships each year and also competed at the NCAA Diving Zones during the last two seasons. A two-time recipient of the MSU 100% Commitment award, Anisko was named to the Academic All-Big Ten and the Verizon At-Large Academic All-District teams. Duncombe qualified for the NCAA Championships last year in the 100 and 200 backstroke and also set two new school records in both events. A Big Ten Swimmer of the Week as a junior, Duncombe has competed at the Big Ten Championships each season and also qualified for the NCAA Championships as a freshman.
"Stephanie has had the experience at the NCAA level and last year was Kate's best season yet here at Michigan State," associate head coach Matt Gianiodis said. "We have a very good senior class this year."
Upcoming Alumni Weekend Activities: The Spartans will officially kick off the season on Friday, Oct. 18, with the annual Green and White meet at the Charles McCaffree pool in the IM West Building at 5 p.m. The men and women will be equally divided into the Green and White teams for the exhibition event.
Former MSU team members will return to the Charles McCaffree pool on Saturday, Oct. 19, for the annual Alumni Meet at 9 a.m. Featured at the Alumni Meet will be the 50-yard events, the short relays, and the 25-yard plunge. Recently retired diving coach, John Narcy, will be honored at the Alumni Meet for his 37 years of service with the MSU diving team.
The team will also be awarding the first William Heusner Memorial Service Award at the Alumni Meet on Oct. 19. The award will be named after Bill Heusner, the school's meet official for the past 30 years. A graduate of Northwestern University and a former swimming coach at Minnesota, Heusner served as a sports psychologist for Michigan State, while a professor in the MSU Department of Kinesiology. Heusner also represented Michigan State at Big Ten Championship and NCAA Championship meets.