Oct. 19, 2011

The USC men's and women's swim teams, both coming off of top 7 NCAA finishes a season ago, open the 2011-2012 campaign this week, the women at Pac-12 foe Washington State on Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday (Oct. 21-22) at 11 a.m. in Pullman, Wash., while the men host CSU Bakersfield at noon Saturday (Oct. 22) at McDonald's Swim Stadium.

The women's team, facing the Cougars for the first time, will score each day as separate meets.

The women are led by 2011 NCAA Women's Swimmer of the Year Katinka Hosszu, a senior, as well as fellow returning All-Americans senior Amanda Smith, juniors Haley Anderson and Christel Simms and sophomores Kasey Carlson and Stina Gardell. The Trojans finished third at the Pac-10s and third at the NCAAs, their best NCAA finish since 2003. Senior diver Victoria Ishimatsu, an All-American as a freshman and a sophomore, is also back.

The men return four All-Americans, led by sophomore Vladimir Morozov, the 2011 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year and a four-time All-American as a freshman. Also back are senior All-American Jeff Daniels and fellow sophomore All-Americans Dimitri Colupaev and Jack Wagner. The men's team finished third at the Pac-10s and seventh at the NCAAs, its highest finish since 2007.

In addition to the returning All-Americans, both squads return a host of experience as the Trojans look to build on their success under sixth-year head coach Dave Salo. The women's squad complements its six All-Americans with returning 2011 NCAA point scorers Ishimatsu, senior Tanya Krisman and juniors Jessica Schmitt and Yumi So as well as 2011 NCAA participants Meghan Hawthorne, a sophomore, and junior Lindsay Parish. On the men's side, adding to its four returning All-Americans is junior NCAA point scorer Alex Lendrum as well as 2010 All-American Nick Karpov and 2011 NCAA participant Chase Bloch, a freshman.

Trojans in the 2011 Postseason -- Women
USC's third-place finish at the 2011 NCAAs was led by Katinka Hosszu, who became just the second Trojan ever to win three NCAA titles in one season and the first to win the 200y fly en route to five All-American honors. In addition to her NCAA crowns, she also anchored USC's second-place 400y medley relay and led off its eighth-place 800y free relay. Hosszu was the only swimmer to win three titles at this year's NCAAs and her time in the 400y IM (3:59.75) was an NCAA Championships record. Hosszu was also a three-time 2011 Pac-10 champ in the 200y and 400y IM and the 200y fly, which helped her earn the 2011 Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year honor. USC's departed seniors Lyndsay DePaul and Presley Bard went out with a bang, earning five and four All-American honors, respectively. DePaul was a three-time NCAA finalist (100y and 200y fly, 200y IM) while Bard did it twice (100y and 200y back). Junior Haley Anderson was a three-time All-American last year (500y and 1650y free, 800y free relay) while sophomore Kasey Carslon debuted at the NCAAs last year as a four-time All-American (50y free, 100y breast, 200y and 400y medley relay). Senior Amanda Smith and sophomore Stina Gardell earned their All-American honor as part of USC's 800y free relay while junior Christel Simms did so in the 200y medley relay ... At the 2011 Pac-10s, USC won a combined eight titles en route to a third-place finish. Winners included the aforementioned Hosszu, Victoria Ishimatsu, who repeated as 1- and 3-meter springboard champion for the third time, Anderson (repeated as 1650y free champ, won first 500y free) and DePaul (100y fly).

Trojans in the 2011 Postseason -- Men
Vladimir Morozov led USC's resurgence at the 2011 NCAA Championships with four All-American honors and became Troy's first All-American in the 50y and 100y free in the same year since 1991. He also led USC to third in the 400y free relay and to fifth in the 200y free relay. Dimitri Colupaev was a three-time All-American and was sixth in the 200y free. He also helped USC to third in the 400y and 800y free relays. Jeff Daniels earned his first two All-American honors as part of USC's 200y and 400y free relays while Jack Wagner was part of the 800y free relay All-American squad ... USC won three Pac-10 titles at the 2011 Pac-10s as Colupaev claimed the 200y free, senior Clement Lefert won the 500y free and Harrison Jones won the 1-meter springboard. Morozov went toe-to-toe with Cal sprint defending champion (and Olympic gold medalist) Nathan Adrian and finished second behind Adrian in the 50y (19.06) and the 100y free (41.93). Morozov was also third in the 100y back. Junior Justin DiFederico was a two-time finalist (400y IM, 200y IM) and Alex Lendrum and Nick Karpov reached the 200y back final.

2010-11 HONORS
Katinka Hosszu - 2011 Honda Sports Award for Swimming, NCAA Women's Swimmer of the Meet, 2011 Pac-10 Women's Swimmer of the Year, Nominated For ESPY as top 2011 NCAA Female Athlete
Victoria Ishimatsu - 2011 Pac-10 Women's Diver of the Year (third year in a row)
Vladimir Morozov - 2011 Pac-10 Men's Newcomer of the Year
Hongping Li - 2011 Pac-10 Women's Diving Coach of the Year

SALO NAMED TO 2012 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM STAFF
USC sixth-year swimming coach Dave Salo was selected as a 2012 U.S. Olympic women's swim team assistant coach in September. Salo will team with the women's head coach Teri McKeever, a former USC All-American who is now the head coach at Cal. Next year's Olympic Games will mark Salo's third time on the U.S. Olympic coaching staff. Salo served as a women's assistant coach in 2000 and a men's assistant coach in 2004. In 2008, Salo was a part of Tunisia's Olympic coaching staff and helped guide Trojan Ous Mellouli to a gold medal in the 1500m free.

SALO RECEIVES 5-YEAR EXTENSION
Dave Salo, whose women's and men's teams finished third and seventh, respectively, at the 2011 NCAA Championships and featured a combined 16 All-Americans, signed a five-year contract extension with the Trojans, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden announced in July. "I am proud of the improvements we have made and quite eager to continue progressing in this direction," Salo said. "The vote of confidence from Pat Haden and (senior associate athletic director) Donna Heinel on the job that we are doing is greatly appreciated. It's great to be a Trojan!" Salo, in his sixth year at the helm of both prestigious programs, is one of the most highly regarded swim coaches in the world who was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in September of 2010.

2011-12 USC CAPTAINS
Seniors Katinka Hosszu, Amanda Smith and Victoria Ishimatsu and senior Jack Ostler and junior Alex Lendrum were named captains for the 2011-12 USC swimming and diving teams, elected by their teammates. Hosszu was a three-time NCAA champion in 2011 while Smith earned All-American honors. Ishimatsu is a career-three-time All-American diver. Lendrum was a 2011 NCAA consolation finalist and 2011 Pac-10 finalist and joined Ostler on the 2011 Pac-10 All-Academic first team (the second time in a row for Ostler).