Steve Collins and seven current and former Mustang swimmers will compete in Rome
July 21, 2009
ROME (SMU) - Seven current and former SMU swimmers and head coach Steve Collins will be in Rome to participate in the 2009 World Swimming Championships in the Foro Italico from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, Aug. 2.
Collins, head coach of the SMU women's program, was selected to coach the Slovakian team in Italy, a position he held during the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Collins is preparing for his 23rd season on the Hilltop, and has led the Mustangs to 12-straight Conference USA championships.
Joining their coach in Rome are former Mustangs Martina Moravcova, Sara Nordenstam and Petra Klosova, juniors Maroua Mathlouthi and Sascha Van den Branden, sophomore Raminta Dvariskyte, and freshman Miroslava Najdanovski.
Moravcova, an assistant at SMU, was the 1999 NCAA Swimmer of the year, and won 10 individual NCAA titles during her career. She has also stood on the Olympic podium, winning silver medals in the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly in 2000 in Sydney, Australia, becoming the first Slovakian female swimmer to earn a medal. Moravcova also holds 10 individual SMU records, five full-length and five short course, and one as a member of the 400-meter medley relay.
Nordenstam will represent Norway in the championship. The former Mustang currently ranks third in SMU history in the 400-meter individual medley with a 4:15.93 she posted in 2003, and she holds the eighth-fastest time at SMU in the 200-meter breaststroke, a 2:14.77 which she swam in 2002. She is also in the top-10 all-time at SMU in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Klosova, a 2009 graduate of SMU, will represent the Czech Republic in Italy. During her career, Klosova was a four-time All-American, while winning numerous Conference USA championships in both individual and relay events, including a career sweep in both the individual 100-meter freestyle and the 200-meter freestyle relay.
Dvariskyte will represent Lithuania at the championships, after setting a new C-USA Championship meet record with a 2:13.68 in the 200-meter breaststroke. She also placed third in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Mathlouthi, a member of the Tunisia team, finished fourth in 2009 at the C-USA Championships in the 200-meter individual medley after placing third in 2008 as a freshman. She also took second in the 400-meter individual medley.
Van der Branden claimed first at the C-USA Championships in the 50-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle relay and the 800-meter freestyle relay. She also posted a third-place time in the 100-meter freestyle. The Belgian was named 2008 Freshman Swimmer of the Year after leading the SMU relay teams to three first-place finishes and two meet records.
Najdanovski, a native of Serbia, will join the Mustangs in August. She heads into the World Championships fresh off of a Serbian National record 54.73 in the 100-meter freestyle semifinals at the World University Games. She went on to win the bronze medal in the event.
NBC will have television coverage for the event, starting Sunday, July 26 at 11:00 a.m. CST. For more information on the event, visit http://www.roma09.it/en/index.html.
Petra Klosova and several
other Mustangs will compete
at the World Championships
in Rome.
