SWIMMING / THERESA MUNOZ : Trojans Act Out Daland’s Script Perfectly

Before Coach Peter Daland announced his retirement at the USC swimming banquet last week, he was telling a dramatic tale of how the Trojans defeated No. 1-ranked and eventual NCAA champion Stanford in a dual meet this season.

Daland explained that 10 days before the meet he got a “brain wave.” He and assistant Ed Bartsch fashioned a lineup that would overcome the Cardinal, if every USC swimmer finished in the predicted place.

Each Trojan was given a copy of the predictions, and sure enough the meet came down to the 400 freestyle relay, a race the Trojans were “supposed” to win.

As Daland told it, USC anchor Robert Pufleb was keeping pace with Stanford’s Brian Retterer until the last turn, when Pufleb’s stroke “fell apart.”

“You could see the wheels turning,” Daland said. “Pufleb knew he had to win for us to win the meet . . . and with this nightmare of a stroke he went into a wild sprint . . . and won the race.”

Moments later, in mid-sentence, Daland shocked the assembled swimmers, parents and alumni with his retirement announcement.

While it might seem odd to be surprised that a 71-year-old man would retire after 35 years and a 318-31-1 record, one must understand that Daland has the vigor of a much younger man.

Texas women’s Coach Mark Schubert and Michigan Coach Jon Urbanchek, two of the top candidates to replace Daland, have connections to the Southland.

Schubert, 43, the head women’s coach of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, coached at Mission Viejo from 1972-85.

Urbanchek, 55, coached at Anaheim High from 1963-77 and at Cal State Long Beach from 1978-82, and his wife, Melanie, received her PHd. from USC in 1984.

Both coaches have also expressed an interest in returning to California.

Urbanchek plans to retire here, and Schubert interviewed for a vacant club coaching job in Clovis last fall.

Among the other candidates for the USC job: Stanford women’s Coach Richard Quick, Arizona men’s and women’s Coach Frank Busch, Princeton Coach Rob Orr, Harvard Coach Mike Chassen, USC assistant coach Ed Bartsch--whom Daland recommended for the job--and USC women’s coach Darrell Fick.

After his record-setting blitz earlier this month, Australian Kieren Perkins is being compared favorably to former Soviet Vladimir Salnikov, one of the greatest distance swimmers of all time.

Perkins, 18, became the first man since Salnikov to hold world records in the 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle events all at the same time.

Salnikov held all three marks from 1982-85.

Perkins broke the 400 and the 1,500 marks at the Australian Olympic trials in Canberra, eclipsing German Uwe Dassler’s 1988 400 record of 3:46.95 with a 3:46.47, and erasing the 14:50.36 mark in the 1,500 by Germany’s Jorg Hoffman with a 14:48.40.

Hoffman set that mark Jan. 13, 1991 in what is called “the greatest race ever swum.”

Hoffman raced Perkins stroke for stroke, edging him at the wall by 0.22 seconds. Their rematch in Barcelona in July should be one of the swimming highlights of the Olympic Games.

Perkins’ 7:46.40 in the 800 was set in February in New South Wales. It lowered the record 7:47.85 he set in August at the Pan Pacific Games in his first world-record performance.

In an extraordinary display of range, Perkins also won the 200 freestyle at the Australian trials with a 1:48.92.

Sven Hackmann, who was suspended March 24 by the German Swimmers Union because of a positive anabolic steroid test, is still being recruited by USC, according to a source close to the program.

Hackmann, 21, of Hamburg was visiting the Southland in December with his San Fernando Valley-based girl friend when he re-injured his elbow and received--he claims without his knowledge--an injection that included steroids.

At a training camp, Dec. 16-Jan. 8 at the University of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Hackmann tested positive.

It is believed that USC officials believe Hackmann’s story, in part, because former Trojan sprinter Bjorn Zikarsky attended the camp in Flagstaff with Hackmann and swears by him.

“We were expecting drug tests, and Sven in no way acted nervous or weird about it,” said Zikarsky by phone from Germany.

“He is one of those who was very upset about East Germans and West Germans on drugs. He always said that once they have been caught they should not swim at all. And when the drug testers showed up in Flagstaff, they came the last week of camp, he said: ‘It is about time they’re here.’ In no way was he saying: ‘Oh, no.’ ”

Swimming Notes

The U.S. Olympic team held its first camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., earlier this month. . . . Between $150,000 and $175,000 was raised at Swim With Mike, USC’s 12th swim-a-thon. The funds will provide six physically challenged students with full scholarships next year. . . . Mike Mason signed a national letter-of-intent with USC. The breaststroker from San Marino High competes on the Canadian national team. . . . Alexis Larsen of Pacific Palisades, Chad Hundeby of Irvine and Sarah L. Anderson of San Ramon have been selected to participate in the International Training Distance Camp, June 13-28 in Honolulu. Swimmers from Australia will also take part.

Upcoming: Thursday-Saturday: Community College Championships, Belmont Plaza, Long Beach.