January 18, 2000.....Contact: John Kean.....Phone: 573-341-4140

MINER SWIMMERS RETURN TO POOL THIS WEEKEND

ROLLA, Mo.--The University of Missouri-Rolla swimming team will resume dual meet action this weekend when it faces the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday. The meet is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

This will be the Miners' first competition of any kind since Jan. 5 in Florida and first full- scale meet since the Arkansas-Little Rock Invitational in the first weekend of December. The Miners qualified nine of their swimmers for the NCAA Division II Championships in that meet.

The Miners were ranked third in the latest College Swim Coaches Association of America Division II rankings, which was done back on Dec. 15. The Miners trailed defending national champion Drury and California State-Bakersfield in those rankings.

As far as the individuals go, the Miners have several individuals who have some of the best times in the nation in their respective events. Senior Bruno Amizic (Split, Croatia) had the best time in Division II (as of Dec. 15) in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 57.14 seconds and second-best mark in the 200-breaststroke in 2:04.86. Both times established new school records as well. Teammate Jeremy Evans (Bloomington, Ill./Normal) had the third-best mark in the 100- breaststroke at 57.59, while Sean Garceau (San Diego, Calif./Mount Carmel) has times among the top 10 in both events.

Sophomore Dave Belleville (Chesterfield, Mo./Marquette) has the second-best mark in the 50-yard freestyle at 20.53 seconds, which also set a school record when he accomplished that last month in Little Rock. Belleville also has the sixth-fastest mark in the 100-freestyle at 46.72 seconds, while teammate David Nurre (Lewisville, Texas) is seventh in that event at 46.83.

Nurre also has the fourth-best mark in the 200-freestyle with a time of 1:41.76 and fifth-best in the 500-free at 4:38.00.

Steve Caruso (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) has the sixth-best time in both the 100- (51.20) and 200-yard butterfly (1:53.76). Matt Scott (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) is right behind Caruso in the 100-butterfly at 51.55 seconds.

The Miners' 200-yard freestyle relay has the best time in the nation this year to date at 1:23.65, while the 200-medley relay and 400-freestyle relay teams have the second-best times. The 200-medley team posted a time of 1:35.51 and the 400-free relay time is 3:06.17. UMR's 400-medley relay team and 800-freestyle relay teams are currently ranked third in the nation.