Men swimmers taken national fourth

The Clarion University Men's Swimming and Diving team finished fourth at the NCAA Division II National Championships with 288 points, with four juniors leading the way. Clarion trailed only Oakland, MI, Drury, and Cal-Bakersfield.

Andy Smearman (Altoona) and Erick Fringer (York/Spring Grove) led in the pool, along with divers Ken Bedford (Butler) and Andy Ferguson (Jamestown, NY).

Smearman, the 1996 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Swimmer of the Year, earned seven All-American honors, finishing fifth in the 400 IM (4:02.08), fifth in the 200 breastroke (2:04.66), and sixth in the 200 IM (1:52.67), all new Clarion record times. The 200 free relay also set a school record. Smearman is now a 17-time All-American.

Fringer also earned seven All-American honors, placing ninth in the 200 butterfly (1:53.13), tenth in the 200 freestyle (1:42.03), and was part of the third place 200 medley relay (1:33) and the sixth place 200 free relay (1:24.84), both setting Clarion records. He is now a nine-time All-American.

Bedford, the 1996 Division II Diver of the Year, won the 3-meter diving with a total of 535.95 points and was third on one-meter with 444.75. He is a six-time All American, the maximum at Division II.

Ferguson placed second on 3 meter with 490.65 points and second on one meter with 487.40 points. He is also a six-time All-American.

Diving coach Dave Hrovat, in his seventh year at Clarion, was named the NCAA Division II Men's Diving Coach of the Year for the second straight year and sixth time overall.

Also scoring in the pool and earning All-American honors were John Williams (Mifflinville/Central Columbia), Charlie Bock (Coatsville), Jeff Reed (Horsham), Matt Hershock (Millersville), and diver Brian Ginocchetti (W. Wyoming).

"I'd like to say what a great job Mark Van Dyke does with the swimmers and Dave Hrovat with the divers," says head coach Bill Miller. "We would not be able to continue our tradition without their great efforts. They deserve a lot of credit."

The men's swimming team has placed in the top five at the NCAA championships in 11 of Miller's 19 seasons. The team has also won the PSAC 15 times under Miller and 23 titles in 27 years. This year's dual meet record was 7-2, making Miller's 19 year total 140-34.