Men's Swimming and Diving Season Outlook
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
October 22, 1998
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State head coach Richard Bader is looking forward to a bright future for the Spartan mens swimming and diving team.
Entering the 1998-99 season, the return of a strong group of veterans and the addition of a stellar corps of freshman has Bader optimistic that the Spartans can begin their ascent to the top of the Big Ten Conference.
"We are looking to move up at the Big Ten level," Bader said. "We feel we have a squad of competitors who can perform at the Big Ten level, but we still have a challenge with our depth."
That challenge may begin to be conquered with a 1998-99 squad that features 14 freshmen and sophomores among its 23 competitors; the energy is running high through preseason workouts.
To help balance the inexperience, Bader will rely heavily on the leadership of his three seniors: Daniel Bacheler and team captains John Bruesch and Mike Mulshine.
"They have had experience at the Big Ten level and also the national level," Bader said. "We feel that these leaders will help us not only as far as our scoring is concerned, but they will also help the talented young group adjust quickly."
The five freshmen swimmers will be looking to adapt to the pressures of swimming in the Big Ten, the nations fastest conference. Meanwhile, a talented Spartan sophomore class has the benefit of a year of experience at the college level. Bader feels that, while depth will be a question, the Spartans have some top-level performers in each event.
Sophomore Mike Tingley is one of those swimmers who should improve after a year of experience. After scoring at Big Tens and qualifying for senior nationals, Bader looks to Tingley to continue making an impact in the backstroke and individual medley events.
Sophomore John Munley also returns full force to lead MSU in the freestyle events. Munley posted the Spartans top individual finish at Big Tens last season, taking fifth place in the 200 freestyle and scoring in both the 500 and 1,650 free as well.
"Our real standout has to be John Munley," Bader said, "who just missed making the World University Games by one spot. He has made a tremendous improvement from his freshman to sophomore year."
Mulshine will lead the Spartans in the butterfly this year with the experience he holds in the Big Ten and national levels. He has been a consistent finalist in both butterfly events at the Big Ten Championships and will be counted on for scoring this year.
The breaststroke events will be led by Bruesch, a two-year captain who finished in the top 10 in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the 1998 Big Ten Championship.
The Spartans five freshman swimmers give Bader even more young talent to work with. Incoming freshman Aaron Mahaney scored at the senior nationals this summer and is a USA Swimming All-American in the butterfly.
Another freshman, Scott Shafer, swam very well at juniors. He will be competing in the freestyle and backstroke events.
"There is someone up there who can do it in every event across the board," Bader said. "The balance is our strength while our weakness is depth."
Diving coach John Narcy also has a young squad that is developing steadily under his tutelage.
Narcy will be depending on upperclassmen Jason Owens, Casey Guntsviller and Phillip Hillary this year to lead a diving group which made up completely of in-state talent. The other three divers on the team are incoming freshmen Brad Kreutzburg, Shaun Kirk and Michael McKee.
"Jason Owens should be our leader in diving," Narcy said. "He had 10 pretty good dives at the Big Ten Championships; he is still working hard to get that 11th dive."
With the combination of talent and experience in nearly every event, Bader is hoping this team can develop the depth to move up the ladder at the Big Ten Championship. Early in the preseason, he likes what he sees. "I have been impressed with the practices and team camaraderie," Bader said.
"Its a long season, a tough season and a tough conference," he added. "But we are very excited about watching these guys compete."
