Ball State University Athletics
Men?s S&D Opens 2011-12 Season at Evansville
October 21, 2011 | Men's Swimming and Diving
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State men's swimming & diving team opens its 2011-12 season Saturday as the team travels to Evansville for a meet starting at 1 p.m. at Roy and Mary Wyttenbach Pool.
Under the direction of 33-year head coach Bob Thomas, the Cardinals return 14 letterwinners from last season's squad which posted two school records and four performances which rank in the top three in men's swimming and diving history.
After the intersquad meet we still have a ways to go before competition,” Thomas said. “There is always a lot of anxiety the first meet of the year because there is a big question mark of where you are at. The intersquad didn't tell me much because they did all events.”
The Cardinals return six seniors in an experienced upperclassmen group, including Tony DeBrota (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), Andrew Hostetler (Vincennes, Ind./Jasper), Chris Krupa (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), Gavin McNeeley (North Manchester, Ind./Manchester), Mark Nau (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Snider) and Casey Schroeder (Williamsport, Ind./Seeger Memorial), while Nicholas Stevens (Greencastle, Ind./Greencastle), Michael Weber (Lorain, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) and David Wood (Swayzee, Ind./Oak Hill) make up the three-member junior class.
Neeley recorded the third-best time in program history in the 200 breast (2:05.44), in addition to joining Weber, Schroeder and Krupa in the program record-setting 400 medley relay (3:22.05) at the Mid-American Conference Championships.
Krupa also posted the second-best time in program history in the 100 fly (49.89) and the school record in the 200 fly (1:51.02) at the MAC Championships.
Ball State opens its home schedule next weekend at Lewellen Aquatic Center with a contest versus Milwaukee-Wisconsin Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.
