February 15, 2000.....Contact: John Kean.....Phone: 573-341-4140

MINERS FACE BIG CHALLENGE IN CENTRAL STATES INVITATIONAL

ROLLA, Mo.--The University of Missouri-Rolla swimming team has won three straight and six of the last seven regional meets it has taken part in. Making it seven of eight will be a big challenge for the Miners, as they now compete in a new regional meet that includes the defending national champions.

The Miners will compete in the Central States Invitational beginning Friday at the Springfield Aquatic Center in Springfield, Mo. The field will include Drury, the defending Division II champs and current top-ranked team in the division and Truman State, who is ranked seventh.

UMR has not competed since a Feb. 4 double dual meet when it beat Truman and lost to Southwest Missouri State. The Miners, who enter the regional meet ranked third in Division II, 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 a time among the top 10 in the 200-breaststroke.

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 eighth-fastest mark in the 100-freestyle at 46.72 seconds, while teammate David Nurre (Lewisville, Texas) is 12th in that event at 46.83.

Nurre also has the fifth-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 seventh-best time in both the 100- (51.20) and 200-yard butterfly (1:53.76). Matt Scott (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) is 10th in both events, with a 51.55 in the 100-fly and 1:54.39 in the 200-fly.

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.