dave salo Head Coach Third Year

Transcription

1 dave salo Head Coach Third Year Dave Salo, one of the nation s top club and national level swimming coaches for more than 15 years and a former Trojan assistant coach, is in his third year as head coach for USC s men s and women s swimming teams. He replaced Mark Schubert, who assumed USA Swimming s head coach position after guiding USC swimming for the previous 14 years. Salo s 2008 was highlighted by the huge success of USC swimmers who after training with Salo went on to big success at the 2008 Olympics. Swimmers who trained with Salo who won medals at the 2008 Olympics included gold-medalists Rebecca Soni, Ous Mellouli and Klete Keller as well as bronze medalist Larsen Jensen. Salo served as Tunisia s Olympic swim coach at the Olympics, enabling him to mentor the Tunisian-born Mellouli in Beijing. Also in 2008, USC s women s squad finished 5-5 in 2008 while the men were 2-5. Both finished fifth at the Pac-10 Championships. The Women of Troy s season was topped off by Soni s pair of NCAA titles, including her third consecutive NCAA crown in the 200y breast and her first in the 100y breast. In addition, Whitney Hentzen earned her first career All- American honor (in the 1650y free) while Emily Goetsch, Kristen Lahey, Rachael Waller and Soni earned additional All-American honors in the 400y medley relay. The men s season was capped by Vanni Mangoni s Pac-10 title in the 400y IM and Richard Gosper s consolation All- American nod in the 50y free at the NCAA Championships. In his first year with the Trojans in 2007, USC s men s team finished 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the Pac-10, taking seventh at the NCAA Championships, fourth at the Pac-10 Championships. The Women of Troy, which suffered the losses of three former Olympians prior to the season s end, were 5-4, 3-4, fifth at the Pac-10 Championships, 20th at the NCAA Championships. Six men s swimmers earned All-American honors in 2007, including then-senior Larsen Jensen, who won NCAA titles in the 500y and 1650y freestyles. Jensen won those same events at the Pac-10 Championships. Mangoni was also fourth in the 400y IM at the NCAA Championships. Soni earned All-American honors on the women s side, successfully defending her NCAA title in the 200y breast and also reaching the final of the 100y breast. Other noteworthy first-year accomplishments under Salo included the breaking of USC s record in the 50y free. Joe Bottom had held the record since 1977, but under Salo, senior Sean Sussex erased the mark, going under Bottom s old standard twice at the end of the 2007 season. (At the start of the season, it was broken again, this time by Gosper). Salo also helped then-juniors Hentzen and Brittany Allen become NCAA Championships individual point scorers for the first time, the two distance freestylers each earning points for the Trojans in the 1650y free. Additionally, then-seniors Bryce Elser and Brandon Lovell both cracked USC s all-time top 10 in the 100y fly in their first year under Salo. Salo, 49, who has coached Olympic medalists such as Soni, Mellouli, Jensen, former Trojans Lenny Krayzelburg and Gabe 39

2 Woodward as well as Aaron Peirsol, Amanda Beard, Staciana Stitts, Colleen Lanne and Jason Lezak, came to USC after serving as head coach of the Irvine Novaquatics from 1990 to Returning to USC, following in the footsteps of Hall of Fame coaches Peter Daland and Mark Schubert, is a coach s dream, said Salo. The fact that it is my reality can t be described adequately. I have had a dream coaching career - coaching some of the best swimmers in the world with one of the best clubs in the country. The opportunity to come back to USC to coach one of the most storied programs in the history of collegiate swimming is tremendously exciting. I am looking forward to contributing to the culture of expected excellence at USC. Salo guided the Novas to numerous Junior National and U.S. National team titles as well as several age group championships. He was tabbed 2002 U.S. Swimming Coach of the Year after leading the Novas to U.S. Spring and Summer national titles. In addition to his work with the Novas, he has served extensively at the national level, including head coaching assignments for the United States at the 2005 World Championships (men) and the 2001 Goodwill Games (men). His assistant coaching duties for the U.S. include the 2004 Olympics (men), 2003 World Championships (men and women), 2002 Pan Pacific Championships (men), 2000 Olympics (women) and the 1999 Pan American Games (women). Nova swimmers and alums who trained under Salo have consistently dotted the roster of U.S. national teams, often in starring roles. Peirsol, the world record holder in the 100 and 200 backstroke (lcm), is a two-time Olympian and won 2004 Olympic gold medals in the aforementioned events. Beard is a three-time Olympian with seven medals, one of many elite breaststrokers who have come under Salo s tutelage. Lezak, a four-time Olympic medalist in two appearances, is among American s greatest sprinters. Besides duties with the Novas and the U.S. team, Salo served as co-head coach at Orange Coast College from 2000 to The Pirates won the 2003 California state title and Salo was honored as state Co-Coach of the Year. Also in 2003, he became the Founding Director of Aquatics at Soka University in Alisa Viejo, Calif., where he recently completed his second season with the Lions. Salo joined the Novas after five seasons ( ) working under legendary USC swimming coach Peter Daland. He helped guide Troy s men s team to five Top 5 NCAA finishes, including second-place marks in 1987, 1988 and Troy also had perfect dual-meet records in 1988, 1990 and Among the USC swimmers he helped coach were NCAA champions and Olympians Dave Wharton and Dan Jorgensen. Salo graduated from Long Beach State with a B.A. and M.A. in exercise physiology and also served as an assistant women s swimming coach there in 1981 and He earned his doctorate in the same field from USC in Salo swam for Santa Rosa Junior College from 1976 to 78 before transferring to Long Beach State. 40

3 Coaches Profiles 2008 U.S. Olympic Men s Head Coach Eddie Reese: Dave did a great job getting his kids ready for this meet and that s what the Olympics are all about. This was the best job he s done yet and I expect to see even more from him in the future U.S. Olympic Women s Head Coach Jack Bauerle: Dave can coach anybody in anything. He just prepares his swimmers so well. Aaron was all set to go in Sydney at 17. Rebecca (Soni) had our best women s swim here. U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Aaron Peirsol, who trained under Salo at Irvine s Novaquatics: Dave s had an absolutely amazing (2008) Olympics. 41

4 paul davidson Assistant Coach Third Year Paul Davidson, who has more than 20 years of experience coaching at the collegiate and club levels, is in his third year as an assistant swimming coach at USC. In 2008, Davidson was part of a staff that helped Vanni Mangoni win the Pac-10 title in the 400y IM and that guided Richard Gosper to break the school record in the 50y free and score in the event at the NCAA Championships. He also worked with a women s squad that had five All-Americans, including two-time NCAA champion Rebecca Soni. In 2007, Davidson helped guide six Trojan men s swimmers to All- American honors, including two-time NCAA title winner Larsen Jensen. Soni also won an NCAA title for the women. Davidson came to USC after serving as an assistant coach at UNLV in 2006, where he coached the distance groups and handled women s recruiting. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Cal Lutheran from , helping to build the program from scratch. Davidson s other collegiate coaching experience came at Michigan, a three-year stint from 1994 to While working in Ann Arbor, he also was an assistant coach for Club Wolverine. During his stint in Michigan, the women s team finished second at the 1995 NCAA Championships and Club Wolverine won a title at the U.S. Summer Nationals that same year. From 1996 to 2005, Davidson was head coach at Conejo Simi Aquatics in Simi Valley, Calif. Under his tutelage, the club produced several U.S. Olympic Trials and National Championships qualifiers, grew in membership and won the Coastal section championship in Davidson began his coaching career with the SoCal Aquatics Association in Tustin, Calif., where he served as senior coach and assistant national coach from before moving on to Michigan. He was a member of the UC Irvine water polo team from and was a part of the NCAA Championship team in He graduated from UCI in 1988 with a bachelor of arts degree in film studies and comparative literature. 42

5 jeremy kipp Assistant Coach Second Year Jeremy Kipp, with 10 years of collegiate swimming coach experience, is in his second season as an assistant swimming coach at USC. In 2008, Kipp was part of a staff that helped Vanni Mangoni win the Pac-10 title in the 400y IM and that guided Richard Gosper to break the school record in the 50y free and score in the event at the NCAA Championships. He also worked with a women s squad that had five All- Americans, including two-time NCAA champion Rebecca Soni. He came to USC after serving eight years as an assistant coach for UC Santa Barbara men s and women s swimming teams. He was named associate head coach in his final quarter at UCSB before joining USC. His focus was on the middle distance and stroke groups, where he produced numerous NCAA qualifiers. Kipp s responsibilities also included the coordinating of recruiting as well as strength and dryland training. Kipp sent one swimmer to the Pan Am Games, produced one All- American at UCSB and guided more than 20 swimmers to U.S. Nationals. Kipp came to UCSB from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where he received his bachelor s degree in English. While at Bloomsburg, Kipp served as team captain of the swimming team and later assumed the role of assistant coach during his final year. A club coach for eight years with Santa Barbara Swim Club, Kipp also coached and served as general manager for the Masters Swim Team there as well. Kipp also was a faculty member at UCSB in the exercise and sports science department. Kipp received a master s of science degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific University. Kipp is married to the former Suzanne Bagg. He is an avid surfer. 43

6 catherine vogt Assistant Coach First Year Catherine Vogt, a former top-flight distance swimmer who has coached at both the collegiate and national levels, is in her first year as an assistant men s and women s swim coach at USC. She came to Troy after three years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, North Carolina ( ). Vogt, recently named head coach for the 2009 U.S. Open Water World Championship team set to compete in Rome in July, joined the Trojan staff after a busy 2008 season. She served as assistant coach to the 2008 U.S. Open Water World Championship team that competed in Seville, Spain. She also coached swimmers to second- and third-place finishes at U.S. Nationals, which qualified them for two of the five available spots on the World Championship team. She then traveled to Beijing, China, as U.S. head coach for the Open Water test event. At the 2008 NCAA Championships, she helped guide multiple Tarheel swimmers to All-American honors at the NCAA Championships in the distance and IM events. She led Whitney Sprague to a second-place finish in the 1650y free and coached her to conference and school records in the 500y, 1000y and 1650y free. Also under Vogt, Joe Kinderwater swam to a fifth-place finish in the 1650y free at the NCAAs, setting two school records in the 1000y and 1650y free. In 2007, Vogt s UNC women s distance swimmers finished in the 1650y free at the ACC Championships, while the men placed 2-3. At the 2007 NCAA Championships, Vogt helped guide Tar Heels Whitney Sprague and Chip Peterson to All-American honors. Vogt s resume boasts several national-level coaching stints prior to 2008 that include serving as head coach at both the 2006 Pan Pacific Open Water Championships and the 2007 Pan American Games, as well as serving as assistant men s coach at the 2007 Pan Am Games. Her position on the 2007 Pan Am Games men s staff marked the first time a female coach was named to a U.S. men s team staff at an international competition. She also was an assistant coach at the USA Swimming National Select Open Water camp in 2006 and 2007, as well as at the 2005 and 2006 Open Water World Championships. While coaching the U.S. team at the 2006 Pan American Open Water Championships, she guided the men and women to wins in the 5K and 10K, as the U.S. earned the overall team award as well. She has coached age group and senior swimmers that qualified and won medals at the World University Games, Open Water National Championships, Open Water World Championships, U.S. Senior National Championships, Junior Pan Pacific Games, World Championship Trials, and U.S. Olympic Trials. Prior to coaching at North Carolina, Vogt coached at the Carteret Currents Swimming Club in North Carolina. Vogt has also coached club teams in Virginia and Mississippi. Vogt swam for North Carolina for four years in the distance freestyle (competing as Catherine Frock) and helped lead UNC to an ACC Championship during her freshman year. Her top ACC individual finish was a fifth place in the 1650y freestyle in She graduated from UNC in 2000 with degrees in education and psychology. She was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll and Dean s List at UNC from Catherine is married to Matt Vogt, who is a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. 44

7 Coaches Profiles hongping li Head Diving Coach 10th Year Hongping Li, an NCAA champion and two-time Olympian who has been one of the most successful NCAA coaches of the past decade, is in his 10th year as USC s head diving coach. He was named to the position on July 1, Li, the 2002 and 2006 NCAA and and Pac10 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 Li has had sustained and broad success since joining the USC staff. He has directed six men s and women s divers to a combined 26 AllAmerican honors and five NCAA titles. In 2008, Steven Starks, as a freshman, was an NCAA point scorer on platform and was a three-time Pac-10 finalist, including a secondplace on platform. Then-freshman Christine Petrilli was third on both 1-meter and springboard at the Pac-10 Championships while senior Kim Popp was also a two-time Pac-10 finalist on the same boards. Also in 2008, Li worked for the USOC at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as part of the administrative staff that bridged cultural and language gaps between U.S. and China coaches and athletes. In 2007, Kenny Jenkins became the sixth USC diver to garner AllAmerican honors under Li with a fifth place on platform at the 2007 NCAA Championships. Both Jenkins and fellow senior Michael Hilde scored individually at the NCAA Championships in both the 1-meter springboard and platform. Also, Popp reached the NCAAs for the second year in a row and scored for the first time with a 12th-place finish on platform. In 2006, Blythe Hartley won her fourth and fifth career NCAA titles with wins on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard while Hilde made his 45

8 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. All-American debut on 3-meter. Hartley, who also earned her 12th (a maximum for a diver) All-American honor with a final appearance on platform, was named NCAA Women s Diver of the Year for the second time. Her five career NCAA titles is tied for second among NCAA women divers. She also won her seventh and eighth career Pac-10 titles (a Pac-10 record). Hilde won his second career Pac-10 platform title (Troy s fourth in a row in the event). In addition to Hilde, Jenkins qualified for his first NCAA Championships, marking the third straight year USC has had two men at the NCAAs. It was the seventh year in a row USC featured at least one All-American diver under Li. In 2005, Hartley won her third career NCAA title while Ray Vincent earned his third consecutive All-American honors on the platform. Hartley was named 2005 NCAA and Pac-10 women s diver of the year after winning the NCAA 3-meter title and her fifth and sixth career Pac-10 titles a few weeks earlier. She went on to win her second career World Championship gold medal on 1-meter in July, 2005, in Montreal. Vincent also won a Pac10 title on platform and Troy s men s diving contingent was the highest scoring unit of the meet. In 2004, Vincent earned All-American honors on the platform, continuing Li s streak of having Trojans earn All-American honors each year he s been at USC. Additionally, Hartley represented Canada at the 2004 Olympics (winning bronze on synchronized platform) while Li s club diver Rachelle Kunkel made the U.S. team placing 9th on 3-meter springboard. Li was also an assistant coach on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving team. In 2003, three of Li s divers earned AllAmerican honors. 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, Hartley was a 46 Hongping Li s USC Highlights 2002 and 2006 NCAA Women s Coach of the Year 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 Pac-10 Women s Coach of the Year Li has directed USC divers to five NCAA titles and a combined 26 All-American honors Under Li, Trojan divers have won a combiend 17 Pac-10 titles and have been named both Pac-10 Diver of the Year and Newcomer Diver of the Year five times

9 Coaches Profiles 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. 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, 46, 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. 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 Li led the Nadadores to the 1998 Junior National Championships team title as well as every Western National team title since He served as an assistant coach at Mission Viejo from , helping the club to consecutive junior team titles from 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 and received a bachelor s degree in physical education in 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 14-year-old daughter, Amanda. 47