mark schubert
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
MARK SCHUBERT HEAD COACH •12TH YEAR
Mark Schubert, who is in his 12th year as head coach of the USC men’s swimming team and 11th in charge of the women’s team, has led a program at Troy that mirrors his own career as a coach. Both are unparalleled. Each feature a storied resume of NCAA accolades, a distinguished history of Olympic success and a blossoming international relationship that complements it all. Here are the basics. Schubert has won three NCAA team titles and his squads have won 44 NCAA individual titles. USC’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have won a combined 10 team titles and 140 NCAA (and AIAW) individual titles. Come August, 2004 in Athens, Greece, Schubert will begin his third stint as a United States Swimming head coach and his seventh consecutive assignment as an Olympic coach. Also in Athens, USC swimmers and divers will attempt to continue their own Olympic success. Among Troy’s aquatic accomplishments is accounting for almost half of the Athletic Department’s Olympic medal count, which totals more than 200. And more and more, both Schubert and USC are enjoying their success thanks to teams with rosters that read like a United Nation’s roll call. In the past three seasons alone, USC has had swimmers from Sweden, Great Britain, Canada, Brazil, Hungary, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Costa Rica. All three areas converged in the Summer of 2003, when Schubert and his swimmers – from all over the globe – shined in national and international competition. Sophomores Ous Mellouli (Tunisia) and Mihaly Flaskay (Hungary), junior Blythe Hartley (Canada), outgoing senior Erik Vendt, USC great Lindsay Benko and incoming freshman Larsen Jensen all won medals at the 2003 World Championships (Schubert was an assistant coach for the U.S. team) in what could be a preview of the Olympics next year. Jensen and fellow freshman Kayln Keller then shared the spotlight with junior Kaitlin Sandeno at the 2003 U.S. Summer Nationals,
dominating much of the event with a combined eight titles. The summer success came on the heels of a strong 2002-2003 NCAA season for both the men’s and women’s teams when they remained among the elite programs in the country. Schubert guided the women to third place at the NCAA Championships, its highest finish since winning the team title in 1997. The women’s team had five AllAmerican swimmers who earned a combined 16 All-American honors. Sandeno highlighted the swimmers’ efforts, earning a team-high five honors and finishing among the top 3 in each of her individual races. The men’s squad took fifth for the second year in a row and finished in the top six for the seventh year in a row. The team featured eight swimmers who earned a combined 21 AllAmerican honors, including Vendt, who won his fourth and fifth career NCAA titles and was the high individual point scorer for the meet. Since Schubert came on board at Troy in 1992, he has directed his men’s squads into the top seven at the NCAA Championships eight times and has guided the women’s team into the top seven nine times, including its first-ever national championship in 1997. Also in that span, his women’s squads have produced 14 NCAA individual titles, one relay title, 24 Pac-10 individual titles and one relay title. His men’s teams have won nine NCAA individual titles, one NCAA relay title, 29 Pac-10 individual titles and five Pac-10 relay titles. Additionally, the men’s and women’s swimming programs are a combined 133-43 in dual-meet competition under Schubert. Schubert is also the director of the highly successful Trojan Swim Club, which won the 1999 U.S. Summer Nationals women’s and combined team championships and the 2003 U.S. Summer Nationals women’s title. His
“Swim with SChubert” swim camp, like his USC and Trojan Swim Club teams, works out of USC’s McDonald’s Swim Stadium. One of the United States’ most recognizable and successful coaches of all-time, Schubert was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 10, 1997 as “Honor Coach.” The same year, he also was named Coach of the Year by five organizations: American Swimming Coaches Association, United States Olympic Committee, United States Swimming, NCAA and Pac-10. Two years later, he earned a trio of Coach of the Year awards in 1999, coming from the USOC, ASCA and USS. Schubert’s international coaching experience is highlighted by his six consecutive coaching appearances with U.S. Olympic swim teams, a streak that will reach seven in 2004. Before heading the men’s team in 2000, he was as an assistant in 1996 and was head coach in 1992. Schubert was an assistant for the combined men’s and women’s teams in 1980, 1984 and 1988. He was also the head coach of the 1982 U.S. World Championship team and was an assistant on the 1978, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1998 and 2003 World Championships staffs. His Trojan swimmers captured four medals in Rome and four more in Perth, Australia. In his 33 years of coaching, Schubert has placed 29 swimmers on U.S. Olympic
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2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
Mark Schubert‘s Collegiate Record YEAR 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
SCHOOL Texas (W) Texas (W) Texas (W) Texas (W) USC (M) USC (M) USC (W) USC (M) USC (W) USC (M) USC (W) USC (M) USC (W)
USC (M) USC (W) 1999 USC (M) USC (W) 2000 USC (M) USC (W) 2001 USC (M) USC (W) 2002 USC (M) USC (W) 2003 USC (M) USC (W) Overall Record USC (Men) USC (Women)
RECORD 6-2 9-1 6-1 7-1 8-3 8-1 8-1 6-2 8-1 8-1 9-1 8-0 9-1
PAC-10 — — — — 2-2 3-1 4-1 2-2 4-1 3-1 4-1 4-0 4-1
NCAA FIN. 2 1 1 2 13 6 6 10 7 7 4 6 1
NCAA TITLES 4 5 8 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 5 1 4
CONF. FINISH 1 1 1 1 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 2 2
5-2 8-1 6-1 6-2 5-2 5-3 3-3 4-3 4-5 5-4 5-3 5-3 161-48 66-23 67-20
2-2 4-1 3-1 3-2 2-2 2-3 1-3 2-3 0-4 1-4 2-2 2-3
5 5 6 6 6 7 4 6 5 4 3 3
0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 4 2 2 0 44 10 14
2 2 2 2 3 5 2 3 4 2 3 3
Mark Schubert’s Career Highlights HAS WON THREE NCAA TEAM TITLES, TWO AT TEXAS (1990-91) AND ONE AT USC (1997) • HIS ATHLETES AT THE TWO SCHOOLS HAVE WON 44 NCAA INDIVIDUAL AND RELAY TITLES • HAS PLACED 29 OF HIS SWIMMERS ON U.S. OLYMPIC TEAMS, INCLUDING TRIPLE GOLD MEDAL WINNERS LENNY KRAYZELBURG (2000) AND MARY T. MEAGHER (1984) AND DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL WINNERS TIFFANY COHEN (1984) AND BRIAN GOODELL (1976) • HAS COACHED U.S. TEAMS IN THEM LAST SIX OLYMPICS, INCLUDING SERVING AS HEAD COACH OF THE U.S. MEN’S TEAM IN 2000 AND THE U.S. WOMEN’S TEAM IN 1992. HIS 2000 MEN’S TEAM WON 16 MEDALS, INCCLUDING SEVEN GOLDS. HIS 1992 WOMEN’S TEAM WON 14 MEDALS, INCLUDING FIVE GOLDS. HE WILL SERVE AS THE U.S. MEN’S TEAM HEAD COACH IN 2004. • INDUCTED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME IN 1997 36
HONORS 1990 NCAA Coach of the Year 1992 Olympic Head Coach
1996 Olympic Assistant Coach 1996 Pac-10 Coach of the Year 1997 NCAA, Pac-10, USS, USOC, ASCA Coach of the Year 1999 USS, USOC and ASCA Coach of the Year 2000 Olympic Head Coach
Mark Schubert’s U.S. Olympians 2000 Klete Keller ........................................ 1 SILVER, ...................................................... 1 BRONZE Lenny Krayzelburg................................3 GOLD Lindsay Benko .....................................1 GOLD Erik Vendt ........................................... 1 SILVER 1996 Brad Bridgewater ................................1 GOLD Janet Evans Kristine Quance ................................1 GOLD
1976 Brian Goodell ....................................2 GOLD Casey Converse Shirley Babashoff ...............................1 GOLD .......................................................... 4 SILVER Maryanne Graham Nicole Kramer Marsha Morey
1992 Janet Evans ........................................1 GOLD .......................................................... 1 SILVER Erika Hansen Lawrence Frostad 1988 Dan Veatch Erika Hansen Susan Johnson 1984 Mike O’Brien .....................................1 GOLD Rich Saeger .......................................1 GOLD Tiffany Cohen ....................................2 GOLD Mary T. Meagher ................................3 GOLD Dara Torres ........................................1 GOLD Amy White ......................................... 1 SILVER 1980 (USA Boycott) Steve Barnicoat Jesse Vassallo Brian Goodell Mary Beth Linzmeier
Lenny Krayzelburg 2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles teams; these athletes have won 18 gold and eight silver medals, plus seventh world championship titles. Even more impressive, Schubert’s swimmers have broken 26 world and 110 American records and have won more than 200 U.S. national titles. Schubert’s swimmers had a great summer of 2002. Benko set a world record in the 200m free at the Short Course World Championships, winning two golds and swimming on three American record-breaking relays. She also won gold at the Pan Pacs. Vendt went under the world record in the 400m IM at the U.S. Summer Nationals, but was barely edged by Michael Phelps at the wall. He won a pair of silvers in the 400m IM and the 1500m free at the Pan Pacs and was NCAA Swimmer of the Year. Among Schubert’s top swimmers in 2001 included two-time World Championship bronze medallist Klete Keller, World Championship silver medallist Vendt as well as World University Games medallists Ryosuke Imai and Mark Warkentin. Among the Olympians he coached in
Sydney in 2000 were three-time gold medallist Lenny Krayzelburg, gold medallist Benko, silver medallist Vendt and silver and bronze
medallist Keller. As the U.S. Olympic head coach for men, he guided the team to seven gold, six silver and three bronze medals. Krayzelburg, one of Schubert’s most recent phenoms, set the swimming world ablaze when he broke three backstroke world records at the 1999 Pan-Pacs, where Schubert served as head coach. For her part, Benko won five medals there and was part of an American record relay. Warkentin held his own by winning four gold medals at the 1999 World University Games. Overall, Schubert placed 12 swimmers on various U.S. National teams in 1998 and 1999, including 1998 World Championship participants Krayzelburg, Bard Bridgewater and Benko. Krayzelburg, Bridgewater, Bret Awbrey and Warkentin all competed for the U.S. at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Pan-Pac participants from 1999 included Krayzelburg, Benko and Bridgewater. Leonardo Costa and Karen Campbell made Schubert proud at the 1999 Pan Am Games, each taking home a gold. Rounding out the international competition
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were Corrie Murphy and Gabe Woodward at the World University Games and Paige Francis, Mike Williams, Philippe Demers and Costa at the 1999 World Short Course Championships. In 1997, Schubert led USC to its first ever NCAA women’s swimming and diving team title that was led by huge efforts from Kristine Quance and Benko. Schubert’s 1996 Atlanta Olympic performers included Bridgewater and Quance (both gold medalists) and Janet Evans (a gold medallist in Barcelona and Seoul). As the 1992 USA Women’s Olympic head coach, he guided the American women to two gold medal relay world records, four additional American records and an impressive world-leading 14 medals, including five gold. He has also coached Erika Hansen (formerly a USC assistant coach), Lawrence Frostad, former Olympic champions Mary T. Meagher (a triple gold medallist in 1984) and double gold medallist Tiffany Cohen, Trojans Sippy Woodhead and Mike O’Brien as well as Olympic champions Brian Goodell and Shirley Babashoff. Schubert came to USC from the University of Texas, where his swimmers won two NCAA team titles (1990 and 1991) and four Southwest Conference championships in his four years there (198992). His Longhorn swimmers won 12 NCAA individual and eight relay titles and Schubert was named 1990 NCAA Coach of the Year for his efforts. Among the swimmers Schubert coached to NCAA titles were American record holders Leigh Ann Fetter and Whitney Hedgpeth. He also served as the head coach of the 350-member Texas Aquatics U.S. Swimming club team that won 10 national titles during his four-year tenure. Prior to taking over at Texas, Schubert was one of the top club coaches in the U.S., serving as the head coach of the Mission Bay Makos Swim Team in Boca Raton, Fla., which won nine national 38
team titles from 1986-89. Schubert helped design the Mission Bay Aquatic Center and directed daily operations of one of the world’s most comprehensive aquatic centers, including competitive swimming, diving and master’s programs. Schubert initially made his mark on the national level as the head coach of the internationally renowned and highly successful Mission Viejo (Calif.) Nadadores from 1972 to 1985. While there, he coached such talented swimmers as Cohen, Meagher, Babashoff, Brian Goodell, Mike O’Brien, Jesse Vassallo, Sippy Woodhead and Dara Torres. His teams won a national-record 44 national team titles during his tenure. Schubert was named national Coach of the Year by the American Swimming Coaches Association in 1981, 1976 and 1975. Schubert coached at the high school level at Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) High from 1971 to 1972 and at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High from 1973 to 1975, where his team won the 1975 CIF title. He is a 1971 graduate of Kentucky with a B.A. in education (he swam there from 1967-69), and he began his coaching career with the Wildcats, serving as an assistant coach from 1969 to 1971. His swimming-related duties include serving on the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Board of Directors since 1975. He is a former vice-president and member of the Board of Directors of the College Swim Coaches Association of America. Schubert was honored by NACDA (the National Association of Athletic Directors) for his role in the success of the 1992 and 1996 USA Olympic Team. Schubert and his wife, Joke, live in Seal Beach, Calif., with their daughters, Tatum, 27, and Leigh, 25, both former swimmers. Joke was the head manager for the U.S. swimmers at the 2000 Olympics and was an assistant manager for the U.S. swim team at the 1996 Olympics.
2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
BILL JEWELL
VIC RIGGS
Bill Jewell, a former All-American swimmer and Olympic kayaker who has coached at both the high school and college level for close to 20 years and who recently led Golden West College (Westminster, Calif.) to five consecutive California State Junior College championships, is in his fourth year as an assistant coach at USC. Jewell, 61, won six state titles and finished second twice in eight years with the Rustlers (1992-2000). Golden West posted a 47-1 South Coast Conference dual-meet record and won seven SCC titles under his tutelage. His 1998 team won 14 of 18 events at the state championship, while his 1995 squad set a state record with 758.5 team points in one of the most dominant performances in state history. His swimmers hold five national community college records and 11 of 18 state community college records. In 1971, Jewell began teaching biology and coaching swimming at Newport Harbor High in Newport Beach, Calif. During the following 11 years, he also formed his own swim club, which eventually led to the cofounding of Beach Swim Club. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jewell’s prep teams were regularly ranked in the top 5 in the nation thanks to elite swimmers like 1980-84 Olympian John Moffet and Pac-10 record holder Todd Lincoln. Jewell retired from teaching and coaching in 1982 to pursue a business career and he still owns and attends to the management of several small firms. Jewell began his coaching career in 1970 as an assistant coach to Ted Newland at UC Irvine. That year, the Anteaters won national titles in both water polo and college division swimming. Jewell graduated from Long Beach State with degrees in physical education and biology in 1969 following a three-year stint in the U.S. Navy and time devoted to Olympic training. He was an All-American butterflyer at Long Beach State, Orange Coast College and in high school and was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in the 100 fly during college. His last coach at Long Beach State was former USC assistant Jim Montrella. Jewell attended USC in 1961 and competed for legendary Trojan coach Peter Daland. Jewell competed as a kayaker (four-man) at both the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He has two sons, Erik, 32, and Dietrich, 30.
Vic Riggs, a veteran swim coach with more than a decade of experience coaching club swimmers from the developmental to Olympic levels, is in his first year as an assistant coach on USC’s staff. Riggs, an All-American swimmer and a two-time Olympic Trial qualifier, joins USC after two years (2001-03) as head coach and owner of the Gator Swim Club in Gainesville, Fla. During that time, he also served as the head coach for the U.S. National Distance Camp in May of 2002, his second consecutive stint as the camp’s head coach (2000). From 1995 to 2001, Riggs, 36, and his wife, Renee, directed the Nellie Gail Saddleback Valley Gators, coaching more than 120 swimmers from ages 5 to 21, from novice level to Olympic. Among the athletes Riggs coached in that time was current Trojan All-American and Olympic medallist Kaitlin Sandeno, who won a bronze at the 2000 Olympics. During his time with NGSV, Riggs coached 15 junior national swimmers who won three junior national titles, set two junior national records, 26 National Championship standards, 15 Top 8 National Championship finishes, 57Junior National qualifying standards and 11 2000 Olympic Trial standards. Before joining efforts with his wife, Riggs served as the senior and age group head coach at Saddleback Valley Aquatics in Lake Forest, Calif., from 1991-95. He was an assistant swim coach at Cal State San Bernardino from 1990-91 and also served as head age group coach for Riverside Aquatics in that time. He began his coaching career in Southern California as the senior assistant at Fullerton Area Sports Team (FAST) in 1989. Riggs competed at California, earning All-American second team notice in 1986 and swam on Cal’s second-place NCAA team that year. He was ranked seventh in the world in the 1500m free and 9th in the 400m free in 1985 and was in the Top 25 in the world in both events in 1984. A 1985 World University Games participant for the U.S., he was an Olympic Trials qualifier in 1984 and 1988. He was a 28-time qualifier for the U.S. Senior Nationals from 1983-89 and won a junior national title in 1982.
ASSISTANT COACH FOURTH YEAR
ASSISTANT COACH FIRST YEAR
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LYNDA SUSAN GILBERT
CORRIE MURPHY
Lynda Susan Gilbert, who coached virtually all age groups of swimming in her native South Africa for close to 20 years before moving to the United States in 2002, is in her first year as an assistant coach at USC. Prior to joining Coach Mark Schubert’s staff at USC, she was part of USC’s recreation swimming staff in 2003, working with the Masters group and age group swimmers and also served on Schubert’s Trojan Swim Camp (2002-03). Gilbert produced swimmers who competed at the South African senior nationals every year from 1991 to 2002. She also coached Masters swimmers since 1995, guiding many into the world rankings and into the age group record books. Among her Masters record holders are Dave McLaughlin, Marissa Rollnick, Anne Jones and Sue Leuner. She started a new club in 2000 at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg and a year later in 2001, guided 12-year old Peter Todd to six titles at the Age Group Nationals, including two national records. Gilbert attended the World Youth Games in Moscow, Russia, in 1998, taking pupil Natalie du Toit to that as well as to the Hungarian Nationals. In 1998, she took four swimmers to South Africa’s nationals and came away with three medals, all in the backstroke. Her swimmer, Taryn Cockayne, also competed at the African Championships in Kenya. She produced a pair of medallists at the Pacific School Games in Perth, Australia, in 1996. Gilbert chaired the Western Province Coaches Association in 1992 and 1993 and served as the president of the Western Province Primary Schools Association in 1993 and 1994. Gilbert coached at a variety of schools and clubs from 1982 through 1989, when she was appointed head swim coach at club team CH and RC Aquatics. She sent her first swimmer to nationals two years later. She received national diplomas in Hematology (1975) and Clinical Pathology (1976).
A five-time All-American, former U.S. national squad member and Olympic Trial finalist with one national title to her credit, USC graduate Corrie Murphy is in her first year as an assistant coach at USC. Murphy, a two-time Trojan team captain while in school, works extensively with USC’s B team as well as the Trojans’ main squad. Murphy spent part of 2003 coaching a developing age-group team in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Murphy finished her career at USC in 2001, earning her fifth career All-American honor in the 400y IM at the 2001 NCAA Championships. At the 2001 Pacific-10 Championships, Murphy was second in the 400 IM, sixth in the 500 free and seventh in the 1650 free. She finalled 10 times in her career at the Pac-10s. She earned a pair of All-American honors by taking second in the 400m IM and seventh in the 200m back at the 2000 NCAAs. At the 2000 Pac-10s, Murphy was second in the 400y IM, fifth in the 500y free and ninth in the 200y back. At the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, Murphy reached the semifinals of the 400m IM, taking 11th overall. Murphy was a 2000 Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention pick and was named the team’s Most Valuable Swimmer. At the 1999 U.S. Open, she reached the finals of the 400m IM, taking eighth. Murphy competed in three events at the 1999 NCAAs as a sophomore, scoring in one event after taking 10th in the 400y IM. She also finalled in both IM events at the 1999 Pac-10s. Murphy won a bronze medal in the 400m IM at the 1999 World University Games. She was USC’s most decorated freshman in 1998 as a two-time AllAmerican. At the NCAAs, Murphy finished seventh in the 400y IM and eighth in the 200y back. She was a finalist at the 1998 U.S. Summer Nationals, taking eighth in the 400m IM. At the 1997 U.S. Spring Nationals, Murphy took fourth in both the 200m back and 400m IM. Murphy prepped at Highline High in Seattle, Wash., where she won the 400m IM at the 1996 U.S. Spring Nationals and took fifth in the 400m IM in the 1996 Olympic Trials. She finished fifth in the 800m free at the 1996 U.S. Summer Nationals and won both the 1000y and 1650y free at the 1995 Junior Nationals. She was a two-time Pacific Northwest and a Washington State Swimmer of the Year. She was the state champion in the 200y IM and the 500y free in 1997. She was a member of the National Honor Society and was an Academic All-Star.
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2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
HONGPING LI HEAD DIVING COACH • FIFTH YEAR
An NCAA champion and two-time Olympian who has been one of the most successful NCAA coaches in recent years, Hongping Li is in his fifth year as USC’s head diving coach. He was named to the position on July 1, 1999. Li, the 2002 NCAA and 2001-03 Pac-10 Women’s Diving Coach of the Year and the winner of the 1998 and 1999 United States Olympic Committee’s “Diving Developmental Coach of the Year” award, came to USC after serving as the head coach of the Mission Viejo (Calif.) Nadadores Diving Team since 1993. “Hongping is one of the finest young coaches in the country,” USC Head Swim Coach Mark Schubert said. “He had spectacular results at the club level at Mission Viejo and he has continued that here. He comes from a great tradition of diving, which gives a tremendous new aspect to our program. He’s also a USC graduate and a former NCAA champion, so he knows our tradition here as well.” Li has had immediate success in his first four years at USC, directing four men’s and women’s divers to a combined 16 All-American honors and two NCAA titles. In 2003, three of Li’s divers earned All-American honors. Ray Vincent became Li’s first men’s diver at USC to do so, taking third in the platform at the 2003 NCAA Championships. At the women’s NCAAs, Blythe Hartley was a three-time All-American while Nicci Fusaro earned one All-American honor. Hartley also swept the 2003 Pac-10 Championship diving events on the women’s side (Fusaro took a pair of seconds) and Vincent won the platform title in the men’s meet. For their efforts, Li was named 2003 Pac-10 Women’s Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season and Hartley was named Pac-10 Women’s Diver of the Year for the second straight year. Li also served as head coach for the U.S. Diving team that competed at the 2003 Grand Prix Diving Championships in Rome, Italy. He earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors after directing the women’s diving squad to superb results at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Hartley won a pair of NCAA titles and made three finals appearances on her way to 2002 NCAA Women’s Diver of the Year while Fusaro also made three NCAA finals appearances. Senior diver Kellie Brennan also scored and just missed earning All-American honors. Also in 2002, Hartley won a silver and a bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games while Fusaro qualified for the 2002 U.S. national team. In 2001, Li guided Brennan to a pair of All-American honors (and her third consecutive Pac-10 1-meter title) and Fusaro to her first at the 2001 NCAAs. Both also reached the top three at the 2001 U.S. Indoor Championships. 2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
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USC Coach Hongping Li with Nicci Fusaro (middle) and Blythe Hartley at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Hartley won two NCAA titles in 2002 and both she and Fusaro were three-time All-Americans. Li was named 2002 NCAA Coach of the Year while Hartley was tabbed 2002 NCAA Diver of the Year. Brennan was named Pac-10 Diver of the Year, Fusaro was tabbed as Newcomer of the Year and Li earned his first Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor. A year earlier in 2000, Li helped guide Brennan to her first two All-American honors. Li, 40, was named the 1998 and 1999 U.S. Diving Outstanding Age Group Coach of the Year, was a U.S. team coach at the 1999 Pan Am Games, the 1998 World Diving Championships, the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 1997 World Junior Championships, and earned the Coach of Excellence award at the 1995 Senior National Championships. He is also a voting member of both the USA Diving International Olympic Committee and USA Diving’s Competitive Committee of Excellence. At Mission Viejo, he produced eight Junior National champions who won a combined 20 individual titles. Among the elite divers Li coached was Erica Sorgi, who has captured five senior national titles since 1996. Li led the Nadadores to the 1998 Junior National Championships team title as well as
every Western National team title since 1996. He served as an assistant coach at Mission Viejo from 1989-93, helping the club to consecutive junior team titles from 1991-93. Originally from Beijing, Li was a 12-time national champion and a two-time Olympian while competing for China. He finished fourth on the 3-meter springboard at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and earned gold medals on the platform at the 1981 FINA World Cup in Mexico City and the 1981 World University Games. He also qualified for the 1980 Olympics, but did not compete because of the Chinese boycott. Li attended USC from 1985-89 and received a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1989. He won an NCAA title in the 3-meter springboard as a freshman in 1986 and earned All-American honors in the 1-meter springboard. He also earned Pac-10 titles in the 1- and 3-meter springboards that same year. He was not eligible to compete after 1986 because of an NCAA age rule. Li lives in La Palma, Calif., with his wife, Ling, and their 9-year-old daughter, Amanda.
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HONGPING LI’S USC HIGHLIGHTS 2002 NCAA WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR • 2001, 2002, 2003 PAC-10 WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR • LI HAS DIRECTED USC DIVERS TO TWO NCAA TITLES AND A COMBINED 16 ALL-AMERICAN HONORS • UNDER LI, TROJAN DIVERS HAVE WON A COMBIEND 10 PAC-10 TITLES AND HAVE BEEN NAMED BOTH PAC-10 DIVER OF THE YEAR AND NEWCOMER DIVER OF THE YEAR THREE TIMES
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
LINDSAY BENKO
ERIK VENDT
KELLAN O’CONNOR
Lindsay Benko, one of the top women’s swimmers ever at USC who won an Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. 800m free relay team at the 2000 Olympics, will serve as a fourth-year volunteer coach in 2004. Benko is one of the top freestylers in the world and holds the world and American records in the 200m and 400m free (scm) and is the American record-holder in the 200m free (lcm). In 2003, she won a gold and a silver on two relays at the 2003 World Championships. She also won her eighth and ninth U.S. national titles at the 2003 U.S. Spring Nationals, and was the high-point scorer at the meet. In 2002, she won the 200m free at the Short Course Worlds and the Pan-Pacific Championships. In 2001, she won a gold and a silver at the Goodwill Games. She finished her career at Troy as a five-time NCAA champion, three in the 500y free (1996, 1997 and 1999) and two in the 200y back (1996 and 1997). She was a 21-time All-American in her four-year stay at USC and reached the NCAA finals in all 12 individual events in which she competed. Benko’s five career NCAA wins at USC is second only to Kristine Quance’s eight and at the end of the 1998-99 spring semester, Benko owned a USChigh eight individual school records and five relay records. She also won six career Pac-10 titles. But like so many other USC swimmers, Benko matched her NCAA success on the national and international scene. Benko is a nine-time U.S. national champion with six wins in the 200m free, two in the 400m free and one in the 200m back. She won a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships as part of the U.S. 800m free relay and also reached the finals of the 200m free. She also won a gold in the 4x200m free relay at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships. Benko served as a co-captain for the U.S. contingent at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney, Australia. She proceeded to have the meet of her life down under, winning five medals and swimming on an American record relay. She won a pair of golds in the 4x100m and 4x200m free relays, the latter setting a U.S. record. In fact, her lead-off leg of the relay (1:58.86) was the third-fastest all-time American performance for 200 meters. Benko also won silver medals in the 200m and 400m free and a bronze in the 200m back.
Arguably America’s greatest distance freestyler and among the world’s best in the individual medley, Erik Vendt is one of USC’s greatest swimmers ever and is in his first year as a fifth-year assistant coach on the Trojan staff Vendt is a 2000 Olympic silver medallist in the 400m IM, a two-time World Championship medallist, two-time Pan Pacific medallist, a Short Course World Championship medallist and a sixtime U.S. national title winner. He is the American record-holder in 1500m free (scm), the former American record-holder in 1500m free (lcm) and was the first American to break 15 minutes in the latter event. During his four-year stay at USC (2000-03), he was a five-time NCAA title winner, 13-time All-American and seven-time Pac-10 title winner. He won two NCAA titles as a senior in 2003. He won three Pac-10 titles at the 2003 Pac-10 Championships, the first Trojan swimmer to do so since 1977, which gave him seven for his career. Vendt was the 2002 NCAA Swimmer of the Year as a junior, winning NCAA titles in the 400y IM and the 1650y free. He was the NCAA Championships individual high-point scorer with 57 points, the most for a Trojan since John Naber had 60 in 1975. At the 2002 Pac-10s, Vendt won his third and fourth Pac-10 titles. At the 2002 U.S. Summer Nationals, Vendt went under the existing world record in the 400m IM in 4:11.27, but was edged by Michael Phelps’ 4:11.09. At the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships, Vendt took a pair of seconds in the 400m IM and the 1500m free. At the 2002 Short Course World Championships, Vendt won a bronze medal as part of the 800m free relay, swimming the second leg. Vendt won a silver medal in the 400m IM at the 2001 World Championships and at the 2001 U.S. Spring Nationals, he won a pair of national titles in both the 400m IM and the 1500m free. Vendt capped his 2000 season by winning a silver medal in the 400m IM and reaching the finals of the 1500m free at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Before that, he became the first American ever to go under 15 minutes in the 1500m freestyle (lcm) when he went 14:59.11 at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. Earlier, he set a U.S. record in winning the mile en route to three All-American honors at the 2000 NCAA Championships. At the NCAAs, Vendt won the 1500m free (scm) in an American-record time of 14:31.02.
Kellan O’Connor, a seven-time NCAA AllAmerican and two-time Big Ten champion, is in his first year as a volunteer coach under Mark Schubert at USC. He will assist the Trojans this year and prepare for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. He plans to pursue a career in engineering next fall. O’Connor graduated with a degree in manufacturing engineering from Northwestern in 2003. While at Northwestern, he was a three-time AllAmerican in the 200y fly and won Big Ten titles in the event in 2002 and 2003. He holds the Wildcat school records in both the 100y and 200 fly. He was a two-time All-Academic Big Ten first team choice and was the 2003 male recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his academic and athletic achievements. He was team captain and team MVP in 2003.
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VOLUNTEER COACH FOURTH YEAR
FIFTH-YEAR ASSISTANT COACH FIRST YEAR
VOLUNTEER COACH FIRST YEAR
MARK SCHUBERT HEAD COACH •12TH YEAR
Mark Schubert, who is in his 12th year as head coach of the USC men’s swimming team and 11th in charge of the women’s team, has led a program at Troy that mirrors his own career as a coach. Both are unparalleled. Each feature a storied resume of NCAA accolades, a distinguished history of Olympic success and a blossoming international relationship that complements it all. Here are the basics. Schubert has won three NCAA team titles and his squads have won 44 NCAA individual titles. USC’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have won a combined 10 team titles and 140 NCAA (and AIAW) individual titles. Come August, 2004 in Athens, Greece, Schubert will begin his third stint as a United States Swimming head coach and his seventh consecutive assignment as an Olympic coach. Also in Athens, USC swimmers and divers will attempt to continue their own Olympic success. Among Troy’s aquatic accomplishments is accounting for almost half of the Athletic Department’s Olympic medal count, which totals more than 200. And more and more, both Schubert and USC are enjoying their success thanks to teams with rosters that read like a United Nation’s roll call. In the past three seasons alone, USC has had swimmers from Sweden, Great Britain, Canada, Brazil, Hungary, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Costa Rica. All three areas converged in the Summer of 2003, when Schubert and his swimmers – from all over the globe – shined in national and international competition. Sophomores Ous Mellouli (Tunisia) and Mihaly Flaskay (Hungary), junior Blythe Hartley (Canada), outgoing senior Erik Vendt, USC great Lindsay Benko and incoming freshman Larsen Jensen all won medals at the 2003 World Championships (Schubert was an assistant coach for the U.S. team) in what could be a preview of the Olympics next year. Jensen and fellow freshman Kayln Keller then shared the spotlight with junior Kaitlin Sandeno at the 2003 U.S. Summer Nationals,
dominating much of the event with a combined eight titles. The summer success came on the heels of a strong 2002-2003 NCAA season for both the men’s and women’s teams when they remained among the elite programs in the country. Schubert guided the women to third place at the NCAA Championships, its highest finish since winning the team title in 1997. The women’s team had five AllAmerican swimmers who earned a combined 16 All-American honors. Sandeno highlighted the swimmers’ efforts, earning a team-high five honors and finishing among the top 3 in each of her individual races. The men’s squad took fifth for the second year in a row and finished in the top six for the seventh year in a row. The team featured eight swimmers who earned a combined 21 AllAmerican honors, including Vendt, who won his fourth and fifth career NCAA titles and was the high individual point scorer for the meet. Since Schubert came on board at Troy in 1992, he has directed his men’s squads into the top seven at the NCAA Championships eight times and has guided the women’s team into the top seven nine times, including its first-ever national championship in 1997. Also in that span, his women’s squads have produced 14 NCAA individual titles, one relay title, 24 Pac-10 individual titles and one relay title. His men’s teams have won nine NCAA individual titles, one NCAA relay title, 29 Pac-10 individual titles and five Pac-10 relay titles. Additionally, the men’s and women’s swimming programs are a combined 133-43 in dual-meet competition under Schubert. Schubert is also the director of the highly successful Trojan Swim Club, which won the 1999 U.S. Summer Nationals women’s and combined team championships and the 2003 U.S. Summer Nationals women’s title. His
“Swim with SChubert” swim camp, like his USC and Trojan Swim Club teams, works out of USC’s McDonald’s Swim Stadium. One of the United States’ most recognizable and successful coaches of all-time, Schubert was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 10, 1997 as “Honor Coach.” The same year, he also was named Coach of the Year by five organizations: American Swimming Coaches Association, United States Olympic Committee, United States Swimming, NCAA and Pac-10. Two years later, he earned a trio of Coach of the Year awards in 1999, coming from the USOC, ASCA and USS. Schubert’s international coaching experience is highlighted by his six consecutive coaching appearances with U.S. Olympic swim teams, a streak that will reach seven in 2004. Before heading the men’s team in 2000, he was as an assistant in 1996 and was head coach in 1992. Schubert was an assistant for the combined men’s and women’s teams in 1980, 1984 and 1988. He was also the head coach of the 1982 U.S. World Championship team and was an assistant on the 1978, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1998 and 2003 World Championships staffs. His Trojan swimmers captured four medals in Rome and four more in Perth, Australia. In his 33 years of coaching, Schubert has placed 29 swimmers on U.S. Olympic
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Mark Schubert‘s Collegiate Record YEAR 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
SCHOOL Texas (W) Texas (W) Texas (W) Texas (W) USC (M) USC (M) USC (W) USC (M) USC (W) USC (M) USC (W) USC (M) USC (W)
USC (M) USC (W) 1999 USC (M) USC (W) 2000 USC (M) USC (W) 2001 USC (M) USC (W) 2002 USC (M) USC (W) 2003 USC (M) USC (W) Overall Record USC (Men) USC (Women)
RECORD 6-2 9-1 6-1 7-1 8-3 8-1 8-1 6-2 8-1 8-1 9-1 8-0 9-1
PAC-10 — — — — 2-2 3-1 4-1 2-2 4-1 3-1 4-1 4-0 4-1
NCAA FIN. 2 1 1 2 13 6 6 10 7 7 4 6 1
NCAA TITLES 4 5 8 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 5 1 4
CONF. FINISH 1 1 1 1 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 2 2
5-2 8-1 6-1 6-2 5-2 5-3 3-3 4-3 4-5 5-4 5-3 5-3 161-48 66-23 67-20
2-2 4-1 3-1 3-2 2-2 2-3 1-3 2-3 0-4 1-4 2-2 2-3
5 5 6 6 6 7 4 6 5 4 3 3
0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 4 2 2 0 44 10 14
2 2 2 2 3 5 2 3 4 2 3 3
Mark Schubert’s Career Highlights HAS WON THREE NCAA TEAM TITLES, TWO AT TEXAS (1990-91) AND ONE AT USC (1997) • HIS ATHLETES AT THE TWO SCHOOLS HAVE WON 44 NCAA INDIVIDUAL AND RELAY TITLES • HAS PLACED 29 OF HIS SWIMMERS ON U.S. OLYMPIC TEAMS, INCLUDING TRIPLE GOLD MEDAL WINNERS LENNY KRAYZELBURG (2000) AND MARY T. MEAGHER (1984) AND DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL WINNERS TIFFANY COHEN (1984) AND BRIAN GOODELL (1976) • HAS COACHED U.S. TEAMS IN THEM LAST SIX OLYMPICS, INCLUDING SERVING AS HEAD COACH OF THE U.S. MEN’S TEAM IN 2000 AND THE U.S. WOMEN’S TEAM IN 1992. HIS 2000 MEN’S TEAM WON 16 MEDALS, INCCLUDING SEVEN GOLDS. HIS 1992 WOMEN’S TEAM WON 14 MEDALS, INCLUDING FIVE GOLDS. HE WILL SERVE AS THE U.S. MEN’S TEAM HEAD COACH IN 2004. • INDUCTED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME IN 1997 36
HONORS 1990 NCAA Coach of the Year 1992 Olympic Head Coach
1996 Olympic Assistant Coach 1996 Pac-10 Coach of the Year 1997 NCAA, Pac-10, USS, USOC, ASCA Coach of the Year 1999 USS, USOC and ASCA Coach of the Year 2000 Olympic Head Coach
Mark Schubert’s U.S. Olympians 2000 Klete Keller ........................................ 1 SILVER, ...................................................... 1 BRONZE Lenny Krayzelburg................................3 GOLD Lindsay Benko .....................................1 GOLD Erik Vendt ........................................... 1 SILVER 1996 Brad Bridgewater ................................1 GOLD Janet Evans Kristine Quance ................................1 GOLD
1976 Brian Goodell ....................................2 GOLD Casey Converse Shirley Babashoff ...............................1 GOLD .......................................................... 4 SILVER Maryanne Graham Nicole Kramer Marsha Morey
1992 Janet Evans ........................................1 GOLD .......................................................... 1 SILVER Erika Hansen Lawrence Frostad 1988 Dan Veatch Erika Hansen Susan Johnson 1984 Mike O’Brien .....................................1 GOLD Rich Saeger .......................................1 GOLD Tiffany Cohen ....................................2 GOLD Mary T. Meagher ................................3 GOLD Dara Torres ........................................1 GOLD Amy White ......................................... 1 SILVER 1980 (USA Boycott) Steve Barnicoat Jesse Vassallo Brian Goodell Mary Beth Linzmeier
Lenny Krayzelburg 2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles teams; these athletes have won 18 gold and eight silver medals, plus seventh world championship titles. Even more impressive, Schubert’s swimmers have broken 26 world and 110 American records and have won more than 200 U.S. national titles. Schubert’s swimmers had a great summer of 2002. Benko set a world record in the 200m free at the Short Course World Championships, winning two golds and swimming on three American record-breaking relays. She also won gold at the Pan Pacs. Vendt went under the world record in the 400m IM at the U.S. Summer Nationals, but was barely edged by Michael Phelps at the wall. He won a pair of silvers in the 400m IM and the 1500m free at the Pan Pacs and was NCAA Swimmer of the Year. Among Schubert’s top swimmers in 2001 included two-time World Championship bronze medallist Klete Keller, World Championship silver medallist Vendt as well as World University Games medallists Ryosuke Imai and Mark Warkentin. Among the Olympians he coached in
Sydney in 2000 were three-time gold medallist Lenny Krayzelburg, gold medallist Benko, silver medallist Vendt and silver and bronze
medallist Keller. As the U.S. Olympic head coach for men, he guided the team to seven gold, six silver and three bronze medals. Krayzelburg, one of Schubert’s most recent phenoms, set the swimming world ablaze when he broke three backstroke world records at the 1999 Pan-Pacs, where Schubert served as head coach. For her part, Benko won five medals there and was part of an American record relay. Warkentin held his own by winning four gold medals at the 1999 World University Games. Overall, Schubert placed 12 swimmers on various U.S. National teams in 1998 and 1999, including 1998 World Championship participants Krayzelburg, Bard Bridgewater and Benko. Krayzelburg, Bridgewater, Bret Awbrey and Warkentin all competed for the U.S. at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Pan-Pac participants from 1999 included Krayzelburg, Benko and Bridgewater. Leonardo Costa and Karen Campbell made Schubert proud at the 1999 Pan Am Games, each taking home a gold. Rounding out the international competition
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were Corrie Murphy and Gabe Woodward at the World University Games and Paige Francis, Mike Williams, Philippe Demers and Costa at the 1999 World Short Course Championships. In 1997, Schubert led USC to its first ever NCAA women’s swimming and diving team title that was led by huge efforts from Kristine Quance and Benko. Schubert’s 1996 Atlanta Olympic performers included Bridgewater and Quance (both gold medalists) and Janet Evans (a gold medallist in Barcelona and Seoul). As the 1992 USA Women’s Olympic head coach, he guided the American women to two gold medal relay world records, four additional American records and an impressive world-leading 14 medals, including five gold. He has also coached Erika Hansen (formerly a USC assistant coach), Lawrence Frostad, former Olympic champions Mary T. Meagher (a triple gold medallist in 1984) and double gold medallist Tiffany Cohen, Trojans Sippy Woodhead and Mike O’Brien as well as Olympic champions Brian Goodell and Shirley Babashoff. Schubert came to USC from the University of Texas, where his swimmers won two NCAA team titles (1990 and 1991) and four Southwest Conference championships in his four years there (198992). His Longhorn swimmers won 12 NCAA individual and eight relay titles and Schubert was named 1990 NCAA Coach of the Year for his efforts. Among the swimmers Schubert coached to NCAA titles were American record holders Leigh Ann Fetter and Whitney Hedgpeth. He also served as the head coach of the 350-member Texas Aquatics U.S. Swimming club team that won 10 national titles during his four-year tenure. Prior to taking over at Texas, Schubert was one of the top club coaches in the U.S., serving as the head coach of the Mission Bay Makos Swim Team in Boca Raton, Fla., which won nine national 38
team titles from 1986-89. Schubert helped design the Mission Bay Aquatic Center and directed daily operations of one of the world’s most comprehensive aquatic centers, including competitive swimming, diving and master’s programs. Schubert initially made his mark on the national level as the head coach of the internationally renowned and highly successful Mission Viejo (Calif.) Nadadores from 1972 to 1985. While there, he coached such talented swimmers as Cohen, Meagher, Babashoff, Brian Goodell, Mike O’Brien, Jesse Vassallo, Sippy Woodhead and Dara Torres. His teams won a national-record 44 national team titles during his tenure. Schubert was named national Coach of the Year by the American Swimming Coaches Association in 1981, 1976 and 1975. Schubert coached at the high school level at Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) High from 1971 to 1972 and at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High from 1973 to 1975, where his team won the 1975 CIF title. He is a 1971 graduate of Kentucky with a B.A. in education (he swam there from 1967-69), and he began his coaching career with the Wildcats, serving as an assistant coach from 1969 to 1971. His swimming-related duties include serving on the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Board of Directors since 1975. He is a former vice-president and member of the Board of Directors of the College Swim Coaches Association of America. Schubert was honored by NACDA (the National Association of Athletic Directors) for his role in the success of the 1992 and 1996 USA Olympic Team. Schubert and his wife, Joke, live in Seal Beach, Calif., with their daughters, Tatum, 27, and Leigh, 25, both former swimmers. Joke was the head manager for the U.S. swimmers at the 2000 Olympics and was an assistant manager for the U.S. swim team at the 1996 Olympics.
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BILL JEWELL
VIC RIGGS
Bill Jewell, a former All-American swimmer and Olympic kayaker who has coached at both the high school and college level for close to 20 years and who recently led Golden West College (Westminster, Calif.) to five consecutive California State Junior College championships, is in his fourth year as an assistant coach at USC. Jewell, 61, won six state titles and finished second twice in eight years with the Rustlers (1992-2000). Golden West posted a 47-1 South Coast Conference dual-meet record and won seven SCC titles under his tutelage. His 1998 team won 14 of 18 events at the state championship, while his 1995 squad set a state record with 758.5 team points in one of the most dominant performances in state history. His swimmers hold five national community college records and 11 of 18 state community college records. In 1971, Jewell began teaching biology and coaching swimming at Newport Harbor High in Newport Beach, Calif. During the following 11 years, he also formed his own swim club, which eventually led to the cofounding of Beach Swim Club. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jewell’s prep teams were regularly ranked in the top 5 in the nation thanks to elite swimmers like 1980-84 Olympian John Moffet and Pac-10 record holder Todd Lincoln. Jewell retired from teaching and coaching in 1982 to pursue a business career and he still owns and attends to the management of several small firms. Jewell began his coaching career in 1970 as an assistant coach to Ted Newland at UC Irvine. That year, the Anteaters won national titles in both water polo and college division swimming. Jewell graduated from Long Beach State with degrees in physical education and biology in 1969 following a three-year stint in the U.S. Navy and time devoted to Olympic training. He was an All-American butterflyer at Long Beach State, Orange Coast College and in high school and was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in the 100 fly during college. His last coach at Long Beach State was former USC assistant Jim Montrella. Jewell attended USC in 1961 and competed for legendary Trojan coach Peter Daland. Jewell competed as a kayaker (four-man) at both the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He has two sons, Erik, 32, and Dietrich, 30.
Vic Riggs, a veteran swim coach with more than a decade of experience coaching club swimmers from the developmental to Olympic levels, is in his first year as an assistant coach on USC’s staff. Riggs, an All-American swimmer and a two-time Olympic Trial qualifier, joins USC after two years (2001-03) as head coach and owner of the Gator Swim Club in Gainesville, Fla. During that time, he also served as the head coach for the U.S. National Distance Camp in May of 2002, his second consecutive stint as the camp’s head coach (2000). From 1995 to 2001, Riggs, 36, and his wife, Renee, directed the Nellie Gail Saddleback Valley Gators, coaching more than 120 swimmers from ages 5 to 21, from novice level to Olympic. Among the athletes Riggs coached in that time was current Trojan All-American and Olympic medallist Kaitlin Sandeno, who won a bronze at the 2000 Olympics. During his time with NGSV, Riggs coached 15 junior national swimmers who won three junior national titles, set two junior national records, 26 National Championship standards, 15 Top 8 National Championship finishes, 57Junior National qualifying standards and 11 2000 Olympic Trial standards. Before joining efforts with his wife, Riggs served as the senior and age group head coach at Saddleback Valley Aquatics in Lake Forest, Calif., from 1991-95. He was an assistant swim coach at Cal State San Bernardino from 1990-91 and also served as head age group coach for Riverside Aquatics in that time. He began his coaching career in Southern California as the senior assistant at Fullerton Area Sports Team (FAST) in 1989. Riggs competed at California, earning All-American second team notice in 1986 and swam on Cal’s second-place NCAA team that year. He was ranked seventh in the world in the 1500m free and 9th in the 400m free in 1985 and was in the Top 25 in the world in both events in 1984. A 1985 World University Games participant for the U.S., he was an Olympic Trials qualifier in 1984 and 1988. He was a 28-time qualifier for the U.S. Senior Nationals from 1983-89 and won a junior national title in 1982.
ASSISTANT COACH FOURTH YEAR
ASSISTANT COACH FIRST YEAR
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LYNDA SUSAN GILBERT
CORRIE MURPHY
Lynda Susan Gilbert, who coached virtually all age groups of swimming in her native South Africa for close to 20 years before moving to the United States in 2002, is in her first year as an assistant coach at USC. Prior to joining Coach Mark Schubert’s staff at USC, she was part of USC’s recreation swimming staff in 2003, working with the Masters group and age group swimmers and also served on Schubert’s Trojan Swim Camp (2002-03). Gilbert produced swimmers who competed at the South African senior nationals every year from 1991 to 2002. She also coached Masters swimmers since 1995, guiding many into the world rankings and into the age group record books. Among her Masters record holders are Dave McLaughlin, Marissa Rollnick, Anne Jones and Sue Leuner. She started a new club in 2000 at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg and a year later in 2001, guided 12-year old Peter Todd to six titles at the Age Group Nationals, including two national records. Gilbert attended the World Youth Games in Moscow, Russia, in 1998, taking pupil Natalie du Toit to that as well as to the Hungarian Nationals. In 1998, she took four swimmers to South Africa’s nationals and came away with three medals, all in the backstroke. Her swimmer, Taryn Cockayne, also competed at the African Championships in Kenya. She produced a pair of medallists at the Pacific School Games in Perth, Australia, in 1996. Gilbert chaired the Western Province Coaches Association in 1992 and 1993 and served as the president of the Western Province Primary Schools Association in 1993 and 1994. Gilbert coached at a variety of schools and clubs from 1982 through 1989, when she was appointed head swim coach at club team CH and RC Aquatics. She sent her first swimmer to nationals two years later. She received national diplomas in Hematology (1975) and Clinical Pathology (1976).
A five-time All-American, former U.S. national squad member and Olympic Trial finalist with one national title to her credit, USC graduate Corrie Murphy is in her first year as an assistant coach at USC. Murphy, a two-time Trojan team captain while in school, works extensively with USC’s B team as well as the Trojans’ main squad. Murphy spent part of 2003 coaching a developing age-group team in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Murphy finished her career at USC in 2001, earning her fifth career All-American honor in the 400y IM at the 2001 NCAA Championships. At the 2001 Pacific-10 Championships, Murphy was second in the 400 IM, sixth in the 500 free and seventh in the 1650 free. She finalled 10 times in her career at the Pac-10s. She earned a pair of All-American honors by taking second in the 400m IM and seventh in the 200m back at the 2000 NCAAs. At the 2000 Pac-10s, Murphy was second in the 400y IM, fifth in the 500y free and ninth in the 200y back. At the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, Murphy reached the semifinals of the 400m IM, taking 11th overall. Murphy was a 2000 Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention pick and was named the team’s Most Valuable Swimmer. At the 1999 U.S. Open, she reached the finals of the 400m IM, taking eighth. Murphy competed in three events at the 1999 NCAAs as a sophomore, scoring in one event after taking 10th in the 400y IM. She also finalled in both IM events at the 1999 Pac-10s. Murphy won a bronze medal in the 400m IM at the 1999 World University Games. She was USC’s most decorated freshman in 1998 as a two-time AllAmerican. At the NCAAs, Murphy finished seventh in the 400y IM and eighth in the 200y back. She was a finalist at the 1998 U.S. Summer Nationals, taking eighth in the 400m IM. At the 1997 U.S. Spring Nationals, Murphy took fourth in both the 200m back and 400m IM. Murphy prepped at Highline High in Seattle, Wash., where she won the 400m IM at the 1996 U.S. Spring Nationals and took fifth in the 400m IM in the 1996 Olympic Trials. She finished fifth in the 800m free at the 1996 U.S. Summer Nationals and won both the 1000y and 1650y free at the 1995 Junior Nationals. She was a two-time Pacific Northwest and a Washington State Swimmer of the Year. She was the state champion in the 200y IM and the 500y free in 1997. She was a member of the National Honor Society and was an Academic All-Star.
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HONGPING LI HEAD DIVING COACH • FIFTH YEAR
An NCAA champion and two-time Olympian who has been one of the most successful NCAA coaches in recent years, Hongping Li is in his fifth year as USC’s head diving coach. He was named to the position on July 1, 1999. Li, the 2002 NCAA and 2001-03 Pac-10 Women’s Diving Coach of the Year and the winner of the 1998 and 1999 United States Olympic Committee’s “Diving Developmental Coach of the Year” award, came to USC after serving as the head coach of the Mission Viejo (Calif.) Nadadores Diving Team since 1993. “Hongping is one of the finest young coaches in the country,” USC Head Swim Coach Mark Schubert said. “He had spectacular results at the club level at Mission Viejo and he has continued that here. He comes from a great tradition of diving, which gives a tremendous new aspect to our program. He’s also a USC graduate and a former NCAA champion, so he knows our tradition here as well.” Li has had immediate success in his first four years at USC, directing four men’s and women’s divers to a combined 16 All-American honors and two NCAA titles. In 2003, three of Li’s divers earned All-American honors. Ray Vincent became Li’s first men’s diver at USC to do so, taking third in the platform at the 2003 NCAA Championships. At the women’s NCAAs, Blythe Hartley was a three-time All-American while Nicci Fusaro earned one All-American honor. Hartley also swept the 2003 Pac-10 Championship diving events on the women’s side (Fusaro took a pair of seconds) and Vincent won the platform title in the men’s meet. For their efforts, Li was named 2003 Pac-10 Women’s Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season and Hartley was named Pac-10 Women’s Diver of the Year for the second straight year. Li also served as head coach for the U.S. Diving team that competed at the 2003 Grand Prix Diving Championships in Rome, Italy. He earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors after directing the women’s diving squad to superb results at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Hartley won a pair of NCAA titles and made three finals appearances on her way to 2002 NCAA Women’s Diver of the Year while Fusaro also made three NCAA finals appearances. Senior diver Kellie Brennan also scored and just missed earning All-American honors. Also in 2002, Hartley won a silver and a bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games while Fusaro qualified for the 2002 U.S. national team. In 2001, Li guided Brennan to a pair of All-American honors (and her third consecutive Pac-10 1-meter title) and Fusaro to her first at the 2001 NCAAs. Both also reached the top three at the 2001 U.S. Indoor Championships. 2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
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2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
USC Coach Hongping Li with Nicci Fusaro (middle) and Blythe Hartley at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Hartley won two NCAA titles in 2002 and both she and Fusaro were three-time All-Americans. Li was named 2002 NCAA Coach of the Year while Hartley was tabbed 2002 NCAA Diver of the Year. Brennan was named Pac-10 Diver of the Year, Fusaro was tabbed as Newcomer of the Year and Li earned his first Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor. A year earlier in 2000, Li helped guide Brennan to her first two All-American honors. Li, 40, was named the 1998 and 1999 U.S. Diving Outstanding Age Group Coach of the Year, was a U.S. team coach at the 1999 Pan Am Games, the 1998 World Diving Championships, the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 1997 World Junior Championships, and earned the Coach of Excellence award at the 1995 Senior National Championships. He is also a voting member of both the USA Diving International Olympic Committee and USA Diving’s Competitive Committee of Excellence. At Mission Viejo, he produced eight Junior National champions who won a combined 20 individual titles. Among the elite divers Li coached was Erica Sorgi, who has captured five senior national titles since 1996. Li led the Nadadores to the 1998 Junior National Championships team title as well as
every Western National team title since 1996. He served as an assistant coach at Mission Viejo from 1989-93, helping the club to consecutive junior team titles from 1991-93. Originally from Beijing, Li was a 12-time national champion and a two-time Olympian while competing for China. He finished fourth on the 3-meter springboard at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and earned gold medals on the platform at the 1981 FINA World Cup in Mexico City and the 1981 World University Games. He also qualified for the 1980 Olympics, but did not compete because of the Chinese boycott. Li attended USC from 1985-89 and received a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1989. He won an NCAA title in the 3-meter springboard as a freshman in 1986 and earned All-American honors in the 1-meter springboard. He also earned Pac-10 titles in the 1- and 3-meter springboards that same year. He was not eligible to compete after 1986 because of an NCAA age rule. Li lives in La Palma, Calif., with his wife, Ling, and their 9-year-old daughter, Amanda.
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2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
HONGPING LI’S USC HIGHLIGHTS 2002 NCAA WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR • 2001, 2002, 2003 PAC-10 WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR • LI HAS DIRECTED USC DIVERS TO TWO NCAA TITLES AND A COMBINED 16 ALL-AMERICAN HONORS • UNDER LI, TROJAN DIVERS HAVE WON A COMBIEND 10 PAC-10 TITLES AND HAVE BEEN NAMED BOTH PAC-10 DIVER OF THE YEAR AND NEWCOMER DIVER OF THE YEAR THREE TIMES
2003-2004 Coaches Profiles
LINDSAY BENKO
ERIK VENDT
KELLAN O’CONNOR
Lindsay Benko, one of the top women’s swimmers ever at USC who won an Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. 800m free relay team at the 2000 Olympics, will serve as a fourth-year volunteer coach in 2004. Benko is one of the top freestylers in the world and holds the world and American records in the 200m and 400m free (scm) and is the American record-holder in the 200m free (lcm). In 2003, she won a gold and a silver on two relays at the 2003 World Championships. She also won her eighth and ninth U.S. national titles at the 2003 U.S. Spring Nationals, and was the high-point scorer at the meet. In 2002, she won the 200m free at the Short Course Worlds and the Pan-Pacific Championships. In 2001, she won a gold and a silver at the Goodwill Games. She finished her career at Troy as a five-time NCAA champion, three in the 500y free (1996, 1997 and 1999) and two in the 200y back (1996 and 1997). She was a 21-time All-American in her four-year stay at USC and reached the NCAA finals in all 12 individual events in which she competed. Benko’s five career NCAA wins at USC is second only to Kristine Quance’s eight and at the end of the 1998-99 spring semester, Benko owned a USChigh eight individual school records and five relay records. She also won six career Pac-10 titles. But like so many other USC swimmers, Benko matched her NCAA success on the national and international scene. Benko is a nine-time U.S. national champion with six wins in the 200m free, two in the 400m free and one in the 200m back. She won a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships as part of the U.S. 800m free relay and also reached the finals of the 200m free. She also won a gold in the 4x200m free relay at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships. Benko served as a co-captain for the U.S. contingent at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney, Australia. She proceeded to have the meet of her life down under, winning five medals and swimming on an American record relay. She won a pair of golds in the 4x100m and 4x200m free relays, the latter setting a U.S. record. In fact, her lead-off leg of the relay (1:58.86) was the third-fastest all-time American performance for 200 meters. Benko also won silver medals in the 200m and 400m free and a bronze in the 200m back.
Arguably America’s greatest distance freestyler and among the world’s best in the individual medley, Erik Vendt is one of USC’s greatest swimmers ever and is in his first year as a fifth-year assistant coach on the Trojan staff Vendt is a 2000 Olympic silver medallist in the 400m IM, a two-time World Championship medallist, two-time Pan Pacific medallist, a Short Course World Championship medallist and a sixtime U.S. national title winner. He is the American record-holder in 1500m free (scm), the former American record-holder in 1500m free (lcm) and was the first American to break 15 minutes in the latter event. During his four-year stay at USC (2000-03), he was a five-time NCAA title winner, 13-time All-American and seven-time Pac-10 title winner. He won two NCAA titles as a senior in 2003. He won three Pac-10 titles at the 2003 Pac-10 Championships, the first Trojan swimmer to do so since 1977, which gave him seven for his career. Vendt was the 2002 NCAA Swimmer of the Year as a junior, winning NCAA titles in the 400y IM and the 1650y free. He was the NCAA Championships individual high-point scorer with 57 points, the most for a Trojan since John Naber had 60 in 1975. At the 2002 Pac-10s, Vendt won his third and fourth Pac-10 titles. At the 2002 U.S. Summer Nationals, Vendt went under the existing world record in the 400m IM in 4:11.27, but was edged by Michael Phelps’ 4:11.09. At the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships, Vendt took a pair of seconds in the 400m IM and the 1500m free. At the 2002 Short Course World Championships, Vendt won a bronze medal as part of the 800m free relay, swimming the second leg. Vendt won a silver medal in the 400m IM at the 2001 World Championships and at the 2001 U.S. Spring Nationals, he won a pair of national titles in both the 400m IM and the 1500m free. Vendt capped his 2000 season by winning a silver medal in the 400m IM and reaching the finals of the 1500m free at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Before that, he became the first American ever to go under 15 minutes in the 1500m freestyle (lcm) when he went 14:59.11 at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. Earlier, he set a U.S. record in winning the mile en route to three All-American honors at the 2000 NCAA Championships. At the NCAAs, Vendt won the 1500m free (scm) in an American-record time of 14:31.02.
Kellan O’Connor, a seven-time NCAA AllAmerican and two-time Big Ten champion, is in his first year as a volunteer coach under Mark Schubert at USC. He will assist the Trojans this year and prepare for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. He plans to pursue a career in engineering next fall. O’Connor graduated with a degree in manufacturing engineering from Northwestern in 2003. While at Northwestern, he was a three-time AllAmerican in the 200y fly and won Big Ten titles in the event in 2002 and 2003. He holds the Wildcat school records in both the 100y and 200 fly. He was a two-time All-Academic Big Ten first team choice and was the 2003 male recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his academic and athletic achievements. He was team captain and team MVP in 2003.
2003-2004 USC Swimming and Diving
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VOLUNTEER COACH FOURTH YEAR
FIFTH-YEAR ASSISTANT COACH FIRST YEAR
VOLUNTEER COACH FIRST YEAR
