Swimming & Diving: Auburn shoots for record sixth straight title

[AUChizad]

Where's That "James E Martin Aquatics Center" Forum When We Actually Need It?
http://www.al.com/auburn/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1206605741239150.xml&coll=2

CHARLES GOLDBERG
News staff writer
Cesar Cielo, Scott Goodrich and Auburn's other high-profile swimmers have promised to put off any thoughts of Olympic glory in August for one weekend of team competition in Washington.

Auburn tires to become only the second school to claim six straight national swimming titles when the three-day NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships begin today near Seattle.

Auburn is trying to match Indiana's run from 1968-73, but swimming experts say the Tigers aren't favored to repeat. There's talk that Texas, Arizona, Stanford or Florida could unseat the Tigers. To do it, somebody has to beat Cielo, who is back to defend six NCAA titles and has to be considered one of the favorites in each of the seven races he's entered. He'll swim with Goodrich in three of the relays.

Cielo hasn't rested on his NCAA laurels. He's part of the 200 freestyle relay team that qualified almost a second faster than Arizona; and was the fastest individual qualifier in the 400 free and the 100 free. He's the NCAA record-holder in both events.

Coach Richard Quick hasn't won a men's national title, but his 12 NCAA women's titles at Stanford and Texas gives him some feel for the week.

"My experience in the past is when a team is ready like this one is, you step out of the way and let them do their thing," Quick said.

The Tigers qualified their usual high number of swimmers, this year at 17, but are short of Texas, which has 19. Florida also qualified 17 swimmers, and Arizona and Stanford are lurking with 15 swimmers each.

Alabama qualified two. Teams with the most swimmers and divers have the best chance of winning since points are awarded for the 16 fastest times in each event.

Auburn has won seven NCAA men's titles overall, plus five more women's titles. The Tigers finished second, however, at the women's national championships last weekend. That snapped Auburn's two-year run as the women's champions.

Quick said he isn't allowing his male swimmers to talk about that, or the Olympics for that matter.

"We made a pact among each other that we wouldn't talk about the Olympic Games and we wouldn't talk about competitions in the past,"

Quick said. "We're focusing on the NCAA Championships."

What Auburn will be relying on is swimmers such as Cielo, last year's NCAA swimmer of the year who is a six-time NCAA champion. Auburn will be counting on him to bring home points. Quick likes Cielo's chances.

"Everybody wants to win, but the great athletes of the world hate to lose, and I think Cesar is in that boat," Quick said.

Cielo could be the star of the Brazilian swim team at the Olympics, but he says he won't start worrying about that until a Grand Prix event in three weeks. Goodrich doesn't have to prove he's Olympic ready until the U.S. trials in four months.

"I'm not even thinking about that right now," he said.

Instead, he's aiming for another NCAA title.

"I think every year there's pressure, but this year you definitely don't want to break the streak. But worrying about that won't help get the job done," Goodrich said.