Every season, some college team makes a big mid-season splash by landing a newcomer (usually an international swimmer – many countries finish their school year’s in December) that changes the collegiate landscape. Last year, it was Auburn and Marcelo Chierighini, who turned out to be the number-two sprinter on a loaded sprinting team.
This year, the big difference-maker could be Venezuela’s Cristian Quintero, who will join the USC program as soon as his physical clears, head coach Dave Salo confirmed Friday. If everything works out, and he’s able to compete for the Trojans this season, then this is a massive boon for the USC program and would likely move them up in the next edition of our Power Rankings.
He’s got long course bests of 49.75 in the 100 free and 1:49.27 in the 200 free; as well as a 3:52.51 that earned him a bronze at the 2011 Pan Am Games. He also earned medals in the 200 and 400 at the 2010 Youth Olympics, which included bettering standout freshmen Steve Schmuhl, Chad Bobrosky, and Cal sophomore Jeremy Bagshaw.
Not only is Quintero immediately a potential individual scorer as a freshman, but he takes a ton of pressure off of Vlad Morozov and Dmitri Colupaev in the Trojan freestyle relays. His 100 and 200 times convert to a 43.1 and a 1:34-mid, respectively. Those are very strong marks for a recently-19 year old, and one would expect that he would only improve at USC working with Salo.
Remember that at the semester, the Trojans will also begin benefiting from the services of Army transfer Brock Redondo, who is a big-potential distance swimmer.
If any other college teams have made mid-season additions to their rosters (big, small, or otherwise), please email them to me at [email protected]
Vladimir Sidorkin from Drury is not on the roster this year and appears to be swimming at Gator Swim Club now. If he’s eligible this year, he’d be a junior, and that would help Florida’s sprints out quite a bit. If they could get a backstroker, they’d be set.
I Heard Chad had mono during the Youth Olympics, and currently Chad has faster long course times in both the 200, and the 400.
Andrea kropp to USC 🙂
Patricia – Yep! She won’t begin competing until next year though. Check out the interview we did with her where she made the announcement, if you’re interested.
http://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/swim-talk-national-teamer-andrea-kropp-announces-decision-to-transfer/
Very similar long course times to freshman Chad Bobrosky.
Interesting that you say that – because he finished 1 spot ahead of Bobrosky at the Youth Olympics in 2010 in both the 200 and the 400.