ROSE-HULMAN'S SMITH; TRINITY'S VAN DER KAR HIGHLIGHT SOUTHERN COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING TEAM

SUWANEE, Ga. – Rose-Hulman's Institute of Technology's Matt Smith and Trinity University's Ryan Van Der Kar highlight an impressive list of past standouts named to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference’s 15th Anniversary men’s swimming and diving team.

Smith was selected as the league's best in the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. The 2002 SCAC Tri-Swimmer-of-the-Year, Smith became the league's first swimming and diving national champion when he won the 100 breaststroke at the 2003 NCAA Division III Championships. He owns the top three times in SCAC championship competition for both the 100 and 200 breaststroke and his eight individual conference titles ties for the fifth-most in league history. Smith was a four-time All-American at Rose-Hulman, just the fourth athlete (and first swimmer) in school history to earn that many honors.

Van Der Kar is the only swimmer in SCAC history to earn Swimmer-of-the-Year honors three times (2002 (tri), 2003, 2004). He was recognized to the all-anniversary team for the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley, and is the only swimmer in league history to hold the top time in three different championship events (1,650 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley). Van Der Kar earned 11 individual conference titles in his four years in the league - the all-time SCAC record - and was a two-time All-American (2001, 2003) while at Trinity.

Also making the 15th anniversary team were Evan Kennel, Nate Moch and Daniel Garrison of DePauw University, Chad Jones of Rhodes College, Matt Martelli of Sewanee-University of the South and Zach Coburn and Dylan Stentiford of Trinity.

Kennel, the 2005 SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Year, earned an anniversary team nod for both the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley. Kennel won five individual conference titles in his career and was an honorable mention All-American in 2003 - the first of his three consecutive trips to the NCAA Championships. Moch, the most decorated diver in SCAC history, was named the league's Diver-of-the-Year all four years at DePauw and finished first in both the 1-meter and the 3-meter events at every conference championship meet he attended. His eight individual conference titles ties for the fifth-most in league history and the former Tiger earned All-American honors in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Garrison, honored for his performance in the 100 freestyle, was the 2000 SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Year and won five individual titles between 1999-2001. He still owns conference championship meet records for the 100 freestyle and the 100 butterfly and was an All-American in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Named to the all-anniversary team for his performance in the 1,650 freestyle, Jones became the first Rhodes swimmer to win a SCAC individual championship when captured the 1,650 title at the 2002 conference meet. He duplicated the feat the following season and remains to this day the only Rhodes' individual champion (man or woman) in the history of the SCAC championships.

Sewanee's Martelli was selected to the anniversary team for the 100 butterfly - an event he won three straight years from 2002-2004. A 2004 All-American, Martelli is Sewanee's only representative to the team.

Rounding out the team is Coburn and Stentiford of Trinity. Coburn earned a nod on the team with his performances in the 100 backstroke - an event he won three times. The 2001 SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Year and a three-time All-American, Coburn still owns the all-time record in the 100 back. During SCAC championship competition, he posted four of the five top times in the history of the event. Stentiford won the 200 and 500 freestyle four consecutive years (1999-2002), culminating with his senior campaign when he was named SCAC Tri-Swimmer-of-the-Year. Stentiford is the league's all-time record holder in both the 200 and 500 free - the two events in which he received all-anniversary recognition. In the SCAC era, he is the only swimmer to win two different events for four consecutive years.

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference will be announcing 15th Anniversary teams in all 18 sports during the 2005-06 academic year. The SCAC was formed in 1991 after a reorganization of its predecessor, the College Athletic Conference (CAC). The CAC dates to 1962 with four charter members: Centre College, Southwestern @ Memphis (now Rhodes College), Sewanee-The University of the South, and Washington & Lee (Va.) University. Washington (Mo.) University joined the CAC later that same year.

The SCAC was formed to provide an association through which the member institutions may encourage organized competition in intercollegiate sports among teams representative of their respective student bodies. Members of this conference share a commitment to priority of the overall quality of academic standards and quality educational experiences.

The SCAC’s 15th Anniversary teams were selected in each sport through balloting by present coaches and administrators. Athletes who participated in conference competition between the fall of 1991 through the spring of 2005 and had been named to at least two All-SCAC teams were eligible for selection.

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