Coach looking to rebuild tradition

A team that once won six National Championships and 23 Big Ten titles only finished 32nd overall in last year's NCAA's. But that has not discouraged first year IU men's swimming coach Ray Looze in the least. Looze accepted the job looking ahead to the future of the program.\nLooze said he knows the IU swimming and diving program is full of tradition and greatness, and he said he hopes to return the program to what it used to be.\nSo far this season, Looze is delivering that promise with a 6-1 record (4-1 in the Big Ten). But he said that there are still many tests left this season including dual meets against Purdue and Kentucky, the Big Ten Championship and the NCAA Championship in March. \nLooze said he is still optimistic that he will have seven to eight swimmers competing at the NCAA's but said his team still lacks depth. \nLooze is trying to fill in that lack of depth with a talented freshman class. Looze is excited to announce that four student-athletes have already signed letters-of-intent to attend IU beginning in the fall of 2003. \n"I look for kids that have a feel for the water when recruiting," Looze said. "I am looking for athletes similar to basketball players. Kids with big hands and feet, long arms and legs always make good swimmers. I also look for work ethic and perseverance in and out of the pool."\nJoining the Hoosiers squad next year will be Jesse Cleaver (Huntington, Ind.), Matthew Jensen (Valencia, Calif.), Matt Maley (Mount Vernon, Ohio) and Ryan McNeill (Yorba Linda, Calif.) \n"The four swimmers we signed should all be able to score at the Big Ten meet as freshmen," Looze said. "We could have the top recruiting class in the Big Ten."\nCleaver is the top graduating swimmer from Indiana. In 2002, Cleaver earned Indiana High School Swimming Coaches Association All-State honors after placing third in the 200-yard free and fourth in the 500-yard free at the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Swimming and Diving meet in 2002. He was also recognized by Prep Sports as one of its swimmers-of-the-year for 2002. Looze said Cleaver will swim the distance freestyles and butterfly events at IU. \nJensen was a three-time Most Valuable Player at Chaminade College Prep in West Hills, Calif. and was named to the Southern California All-Star Team in 2002. Looze said Jensen will add immediate depth to the butterfly and IM events next year.\nAt the 2002 Ohio High School Athletic Association meet, Maley placed third in the 100-yard butterfly and tenth in the 100-yard freestyle. Looze said Maley will be able to be the key third swimmer in the butterfly events along with sophomore Murph Halasz and Cleaver. \nMcNeill is the 2002 CIF District IV Champion and record-holder in the 100-yard fly and 500 freestyle. He was an All-Division finalist at the 2002 CIF Southern Sectional placing sixth in the 500 free and eighth in the 100 fly and was also named the Orange League Most Valuable Swimmer in 2000 and 2002.\nMcNeill not only did well in the pool but also in the classroom ranking among the top 10 percent of his graduating class and a member of the National Honor Society. He received the Valencia High School Distinguished Scholar award and won the Valencia School Scholar-Athlete award in 2002. Looze said that McNeill will add to the distance freestyle events and butterfly events. \nBut Looze said his freshman class for next season is not complete yet. He said he is still hoping to add middle distance freestyle events and breaststrokers. Looze did say that one distinct advantage he has over other coaches at other programs is the fact that IU has a beautiful campus with top academics and athletics and one great basketball team. \nIU diving coach Jeff Huber has also been busy recruiting for next year's team. Adding to the Hoosier's roster for the fall 2003 will be Taylor Roberts (Aurora, Colo.).\n"He is different than other coaches because he looks for recruits with ambition and honesty," junior All-American diver Marc Carlton said. "How much the kid really wants to do it and how much he is willing to sacrifice is important to Jeff."\nHuber said Roberts will add immediate impact to an already talented squad. Last year as a junior, Roberts was the Colorado Class 5A State Champion where he set a new state record of 521.60 (11 dives) and was a 2001 and 2002 Winter Nationals qualifier. Roberts was also an elite level gymnast and competed at the U.S. Nationals. \n"I think Taylor is really excited and feels it is a tremendous opportunity to come here," Huber said. "He is extremely talented and should do a nice job for us"