Troy Opens 2008-09 Season Against Notre Dame
October 22, 2008 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 22, 2008
The USC men's swimming team, led by third-year head coach Dave Salo, opens the 2008-2009 season by hosting Notre Dame on Saturday (Oct. 25) at the USC McDonald's Swim Stadium at noon.
A year ago, USC defeated host Notre Dame, 158-104, in South Bend, Ind.
The Trojans, looking to rebound from a disappointing 2008, are led by senior Vanni Mangoni, a 2006 and 2007 All-American who is primed to return to his top form in 2009.
Mangoni and senior Ankur Poseria are USC's two returning swimmers who competed at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Sophomore diver Steven Starks also competed at the NCAAs and was USC's lone NCAA point scorer (platform).
Mangoni and junior James Martin return as Troy's 2008 Pac-10 Championships swimming finalists. Mangoni won the Pac-10 title in the 400y IM while Martin was eighth in the same event.
Starks was a three-time diving finalist at the Pac-10s, finishing as high as second on platform, while sophomore Derek Roth also reached the finals on platform.
Troy's roster includes a pair of 2008 Olympians. Poseria represented India while junior Zoltan Povazsay represented Hungary. Poseria competed in the 100m fly while Povazsay was on the roster as a relay swimmer in the 4x200m free, but did race.
The Trojan men were also represented by a handful of alums at the 2008 Olympics. Ous Mellouli, representing Tunisia, won gold in the 1500m free, was a 400m free finalist and raced in the 200m free; Larsen Jensen (U.S.) won bronze in the 400m free and was fifth in the 1500m free; Erik Vendt (U.S.) and Klete Keller (U.S.) both won gold after swimming on the prelim of the 4x200m free relay which went on to finish first in finals; Tamas Kerekjarto (Hungary), swam in the 200m fly, the 200m IM and the 4x200m free relay.
All of the above, except Vendt, trained for their respective country's Olympic swim trials under Salo at USC.
Players Mentioned
