Kuba Kotynia has one milestone left to accomplish: get to the NCAAs.

The star senior on the Syracuse swim team has won dozens of races. He has placed high in the Big East championship. He owns two school records. But in his and the SU swimming and diving program’s final season, the team’s best swimmer wants more.

‘My main goal for this year is to make NCAA finals,’ said Kotynia.

With a berth in the NCAAs, his individual accomplishment would provide one last exhibition of relevancy for a dying program.

Kotynia, a native of Lodz, Poland, wasn’t quite fast enough his freshman and sophomore seasons. Last season, he recorded ‘B’ consideration qualifying times in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke at the Big East championship. At the Nike Cup in late November, Kotynia recorded another NCAA ‘B’ qualifying mark in the 200-yard breaststroke, touching the wall at 1:58.24.

But Kotynia knows that when swimming in Division I, a ‘B’ isn’t always a passing grade. That doesn’t always cut it if a swimmer’s goal is to swim in the NCAA Championships. An ‘A,’ on the other hand ? that’s an automatic berth.

‘I’d like to get under 1:57 in the 200 (meter breaststroke),’ Kotynia said. ‘And that time should give me a shot at NCAAs.’

If Kotynia were to record a time below 1:57, it wouldn’t guarantee him a spot at the NCAAs. This is because a guaranteed spot at the NCAAs can only be achieved when a swimmer records a time below 1:54.25 –– the ‘A’ standard.

With the ‘B’ time Kotynia currently has from the Nike Cup, he has a chance to make the cut for the NCAAs, depending on how many swimmers make the ‘A’ cut.

Kotynia and fellow senior swimmer Brian Zimmerman know that Kotynia may very well need to break 1:57 to actually punch his ticket to the annual championship meet. Zimmerman thinks that because of Kotynia’s extra hours in the pool, he now has the chance to be in national contention.

‘He’s been really close (to qualifying for the NCAAs), so I think he can easily be a top contender at Big East’s,’ Zimmerman said. ‘And also possibly make it to NCAA’s.’

As for the breaststroke, the event in which Kotynia has the best chance of making the NCAAs, Zimmerman said Kotynia is one of the best due to his nature to begin races with a powerful start.

The reason for Kotynia’s continued improvement in the breaststroke is his adjusted training regimen. This year, Kotynia has increased his practicing of the specific breaststroke race. He has spent more hours in the pool and less on ‘general workouts.’ Thirty percent of his practice time is spent on his breaststroke, he said.

Kotynia has two more chances to produce an ‘A’ qualifying time ? against Villanova and Providence on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5, and at the Big East championship from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19.

Right now, Kotynia is in a good position to reach his goal. He is right on the bubble, currently 17th in the country with his time of 1:58.24 in the breaststroke race. Sixteen swimmers make it to the NCAAs.

‘He is ranked at the top nationally at this point in the season,’ SU swimming and diving coach Lou Walker said.

For Kotynia, the swimmer who is aiming for one final accomplishment in the program’s final year, he has one final spot to jump, even if Walker says Kotynia is at the top nationally. If Kotynia reaches 16th or above, he is in. And Zimmerman thinks he has the drive to do it.

‘One thing that Kuba is, he is very determined,’ Zimmerman said. ‘He’s been faster this season than he has been in any other.’

sebail01@syr.edu

Published on January 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1