Men’s Swim & Dive Makes History in 2018-19

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State men’s swimming and diving team had a season for the history books in 2018-19.

“Just an outstanding year for the men,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “We had an amazing post season, putting multiple relays in the top eight at NCAAs and winning a relay at ACCs has been really special. We keep moving forward and the next obstacle is to move up into the top 10 in the nation.”

History Made

The Seminoles finished 14th at the NCAA Championships with a total of 97 points. The performance tied the sixth best at the meet in school history, matching the showing from 2014, which also was held at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
All five relays earned NCAA automatic times for the first time since the relay qualification process was changed for the 2013 NCAA meet.
The three fastest 100 free times in school history were set this season by seniors Will Pisani (42.18), Emir Muratovic (42.26) and Kanoa Kaleoaloha (42.34).
The Seminoles took home All-American finishes in three relays for the first time since 1998.
Seven school records were broken nine times. 100 free (Pisani – 42.18), 200 free (Jakub Ksiazek – 1:34.04), 100 fly (Kaleoaloha – 44.93), 200 free relay (1:15.73), 400 free relay (2:48.51), 200 medley relay (1:23.63).

Men’s Swim & Dive Makes History in 2018-19

The 200 medley relay on the podium at NCAAs

The NCAA Championships

Florida State qualified seven individuals in addition to all five relays.
FSU was represented individually by seniors Kaleoaloha, Pisani, Muratovic, juniors Griffin Alaniz, Aidan Faminoff, Max Polianski and sophomore Joshua Davidson. Freshmen Izaak Bastian and Jakub Ksiazek along with juniors Rudo Loock and Vladimir Stefanik made the trip as relay swimmers.
Pisani, Ksiazek, Muratovic and Kaleoaloha placed fifth in both the 200 (1:15.92) and 400 (2:48.51) free relays, while Muratovic, Bastian, Kaleoaloha and Pisani took seventh in the 200 medley relay (1:23.81).
The Noles lowered the school record in prelims of the 200 free relay at 1:15.73 and matched their mark of 2:48.51 in finals that was set at ACCs in the 400 free relay.
Both fifth place finishes were the highest in school history in those events.
Pisani captured two individual All-America honorable mention swims, finishing 11th in the 50 free at 19.16 after swimming a personal best of 19.12 in prelims. He was also 14th in the 100 free with a final time of 42.55 after lowering the school record in prelims to 42.18.
Kaleoaloha picked up his first career All-America honorable mention swim by placing 12th in the 100 fly at 45.40.
Davidson scored his first NCAA points by placing 14th on 1-meter with a score of 307.15. The Tomball, Texas, native also competed on 3-meter (303.35).
Polianski qualified in the 200 fly, Alaniz earned the bid in the 200 back and Muratovic was selected to swim in the 100 free. Faminoff competed on platform.
The 400 medley relay finished in 17th place with a time of 3:06.59 and the 800 free relay took 19th at 6:19.14, where Ksiazek set the school record in the 200 free at 1:34.04 as the lead-off swimmer in the 800 free relay. The Szcecin, Poland, native took down the standard that was set by Kevin Rogers at 1:34.52 in 2014.

Will Pisani with ACC 50 free gold

The ACC Championships

For the third straight season, the Seminoles placed fifth at the ACC Championships with a total of 819 points.
The Noles took home four gold, two silver and a two bronze medals from the meet.
Pisani captured the ACC title in the 50 free at 19.21.
Kaleoaloha won a pair of gold medals, setting a new school record in the 100 fly at 44.93, erasing Pavel Sankovich’s mark of 45.00 set in 2014. The performance also set the Greensboro Aquatic Center pool record. The Aiea, Hawaii, native was also victorious in the 100 free with a time of 42.34.
The 200 free relay won gold with a time of 1:15.81, which set a new school record behind Pisani, Ksiazek, Muratovic, and Kaleoaloha. The same four set a new mark in the 400 free relay at 2:48.51 for silver.
The Noles opened the meet by setting two new school records, first taking bronze in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:23.63 behind Muratovic, Bastian, Kaleoaloha and Pisani. The four erased the mark that was set in 2014 behind Sankovich, Jared Pike, Connor Knight and Paul Murray.
Kaleoaloha won the most races (3) at the meet since Sankovich won four at both the 2013 and 2014 ACC Championships.
The 800 free relay lowered their school record to 6:18.35 behind Loock, Stefanik, Max McCusker and Ksiazek, finishing fifth. The previous mark was established in 2018 by Loock, Stefanik, Felipe Ribeiro de Souza and Pisani.
Davidson won silver on 1-meter (367.00) and bronze on 3-meter (387.55). He now has four career ACC medals, which is the most since Terry Horner collected seven in his career.
FSU had 10 championship finalists.

Joshua Davidson

International & National Meets

Following the NCAA Championships, Pisani traveled north to the 2019 Canadian Trials where he qualified for the World Championship team behind a third place finish in the 100m free (49.43). He also brought home gold in the 50m fly (23.57), silver in the 50m free (22.3) and bronze in the 100m fly (53.21).
McCusker competed at the 2019 Irish Open where he won bronze in the 50m fly (34.45) and took sixth in the 50m free (23.48). He also added a pair of 11th place finishes in the 100m free (51.17) and 200m free (1:52.68).
Muratovic competed at the 2018 European Championships for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 50m free (23.19) and 100m free (50.95).
Pisani was a part of Team Canada for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships where he earned second swims in the 100m fly at 52.94 placing 13th. He placed 15th in the 50m free at 22.66.
Bastian represented the Bahamas at 2018 Central America and Caribbean Games where he placed seventh in the 100m breast (1:02.91) and 200m breast (2:18.12). Bastian also competed at the 2018 Youth Olympics where he advanced to semifinals of the 50m breast with a time of 29.03, finishing 16th.
Davidson earned a spot in the 1-meter final at the 2018 Winter Diving National Championships, placing eighth with a tally of 641.90. Thatcher also competed at the meet finishing 18th on 1-meter (268.00) and 19th on 3-meter (304.35).
Faminoff competed at the 2018 Canadian Nationals in December where he finished 10th on platform with a score of 323.80.

Kanoa Kaleoaloha and Neal Studd at the Golden Nole Awards

Outside of the Pool

Senior Daniel Bis was the IDEA grand winner over the summer of 2018 for computer science research. The grant was funded by the The Hillis Foundation.
Sophomore Patrick Butkovich took home the Impact Award from the Golden Nole Awards for his outstanding volunteer efforts. Following Hurricane Matthew, Butkovich began volunteering for the American Red Cross and after his first trip to Panama City, he organized an effort of 40 student-athletes to go and help clean up areas affected by the storm in late March.
Sophomore Paxton Rhoads was involved in a variety of organizations including, SAAC Council, 71st Student Senate and vice chair of the finance committee, honors program, Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society, Garnet and Gold Key Honor Society, and the Amplify Movement.
A SAAC committee member, Pisani also served the season as the community service liaison for the team. He was also selected as an ACC Top 6 for Service winner.
Kaleoaloha was selected as the Golden Nole Award winner for 2018-19 for swimming and Thatcher was chosen for diving.

Season Awards

On April 13, the FSU swimming and diving teams hosted their annual awards banquet and celebrated the season. The following awards were given to student-athletes:
Swimming MVP – Kaleoaloha
Diving MVP – Davidson
Rookie of the Year – Ksiazek
Hardest Worker – Nate Stadler
Most Improved – Alaniz
Coaches’ Award – Pisani

Other Notes

The Seminoles were recognized in every CSCAA poll this season, marking 16 straight. FSU finished at No. 22 in the final poll which was released on Feb. 13.
25 swims made it into the FSU All-Time Top 10 list.
FSU faced four ranked opponents this season head-to-head, recording an overall record of 4-5, 1-1 ACC.
Stefanik, Thatcher and Rhoads were chosen to be team captains for the 2019-20 season.

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Florida State University Athletics

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