The Syracuse swimming and diving team is one unit. It is a single, solitary group working together in unison to achieve glory for the name of the university for which it plays.

Well, in theory, at least.

In reality, there’s a slight chasm between the divers and the swimmers. Sure, their efforts are all aimed toward the same goal – scoring points for their team and, ultimately, winning. But the two teams barely interact – except during meets like tomorrow’s dual meet at Seton Hall – and each team feels the other is unsupportive.

These two teams don’t even meet during practice because they are held at separate venues. While the swimmers work out in Archbold Gymnasium, the divers practice in the Women’s Building.

These same-team athletes are more than just separated from one another, they’re borderline segregated.

‘Just because we practice in different spots, it really does affect (chemistry),’ said diver Tony Campagna, who added that although hardly together, divers do get along with some swimmers. ‘The way everything is run, even if there was a chance for some really positive camaraderie, it really makes it difficult for it to be there.’

At meets where the swimming and diving teams compete in the same pool, like Syracuse’s home meets, the diving competition starts the meet. When this happens, the swimmers are just beginning to warm up by the time the diving events finish.

‘The fact that we’re done before the swimming competition starts is sad because you don’t have the other kids there pulling for you,’ diving coach Jeff Keck said. ‘The problem with the sport is we really belong with gymnastics. The only thing we have in common with the swimmers is that we’re diving into the water.’

Whether pairing the two sports is logical or not, it happens, and each team’s success depends upon the other’s. Diving accounts for about 33 points, depending on how well the divers score. It takes at least 122 points to win a meet.

In venues with separate diving and swimming pools – like at Connecticut, where SU competed Saturday – the final event is always the 1-meter dive. Against UConn, the men’s team needed a victory in that event to clinch the win. Syracuse diver Dewey Schultz earned first place, winning the meet for the Orangemen.

The swimmers cheered as the divers led the men to victory, but this scene was foreign to the diving squad.

‘It’s gotten better when I compare this year to last year,’ Schultz said. ‘(But) the respect we get isn’t enough sometimes.’

This year, winning scores have regularly come out of diving events, at least from the men.

‘We’re very strong in men’s diving,’ Keck said. ‘These three guys (Schultz, Campagna, Rick Rodriguez) actually are pretty strong. There really aren’t too many other teams around that would be a lot better than us. I wish we were better on the women’s side, but we really don’t have enough kids at this time to be really competitive.’

Despite their strength, the divers don’t feel appreciated.

‘We deserve more respect,’ Schultz said. ‘We bust our balls, too, in practice. The swimmers don’t understand.’

But Keck points out there is a lack of respect on both sides.

‘If you watch the divers,’ Keck said, ‘they really don’t appreciate how tough it is to be a swimmer.’

While the idea of a swimming-diving feud is not new turf for any team, the younger players tend to worry about it the most.

Rodriguez, the lone senior among the divers, downplays the lack of respect. While the issue has annoyed him in the past – especially during his first year on the team, when he was the only male or female diver on Syracuse – he says this year the swimmers seemed to be more appreciative.

‘It’s definitely gotten better since my first year,’ Rodriguez said, ‘They’re actually making an effort because this year we have a lot better chances than we’ve had in the past. Our contribution is worth a lot more than the past few teams we’ve been on.’

Published on January 29, 2004 at 12:00 pm