Jeff Kostoff is a swimming legend, going 4:16 500 in 1983 in high school. The record stood for over 30 years. Now Jeff’s the Assistant Coach at Stanford, revving up the distance crew. With a mean crew of 500 free talent like Grant Shoults, Jeff plans to make a big dent in the NCAA final next March.
Jeff talks about fall rest, Stanford D-crew training and NCAA Champs March 2017.
MEN’S 500 FREE – 2016 Texas Invite
reported by Lauren Neidigh
Clark Smith, Texas, 4:11.30
Grant Shoults, Stanford, 4:12.
True Sweetser, Stanford, 4:12.97
Texas senior Clark Smith stayed in control of the 500 free, following up on his fast morning performance with an even faster 4:11.30 to win tonight. That’s not as fast as his 4:08.8 from this meet last season, but it’s still significantly faster than he was at last season’s NCAA championships. His teammate Townley Haas, the defending NCAA champion, also swam in tonight’s final. Haas was 5th in 4:14.36.
The Stanford men continued to impress after their big morning swims, with 3 of them earning NCAA ‘A’ cuts. All 3 of them finished in the 4:12-range, led by freshmen Grant Shoults (4:12.03) and True Sweetser (4:12.97), who took 2nd and 3rd respectively. Just outside of the top 3 was Cardinal junior Liam Egan, who finished 4th in 4:12.99. Shoults, Sweetser, and Egan were all under the previous school record. James Murphy, another Stanford freshman, also swam a best time with a 4:18.54 for 7th.
I saw the title of the article and was pumped to see Jeff swim that 500 in 1983. It was a great video but a little disappointing after seeing that title.
Jeff Kostoff would have been 17 when he set the record at the CIF Championship meet in 1983.
great interview- thanks
Thanks…Jeff and I traveled the world together when we were on the USA Nat Team. Jeff was my suite mate at the 1988 Olympics. He’s a smart guy–very funny. He made the stress of that competition a lot easier.
I would love to see some more interviews of my generation – Rick Carey, Steve Lundquist, Pablo Morales, Matt Biondi, Tom Jager, Janet Evans, Mary T, Tiffany Cohen, Mike Barrowman, and Tracy Caulkins. Todays punks don’t know these stars.
Ha!!! We’ll capture more video features of legends going forward….
Maybe go even further back before its too late:Spitz, Schollander, Deverona, etc.
I’ve got a Witchel that I coach… she said her dad swam for Stanford in the 80s and I thought holy smokes! Did he swim with Kostoff? Sure, enough… and then some… I’d love to hear about the 5x5000s@50minutes that Kostoff did.
Would love to see Mr. Kostoff (and Mr. Stewart, for that matter) get back into their suits and racing Masters. I remember swimming against (and get lapped by Jeff) my freshman year in college. True stud. Has to be one of the best coach hires across the NCAAs and might help (to my chagrin) the Cardinal’s men’s team get back to their former glory.
Best coaching hires across the NCAA? What criteria are you basing that on?
I wonder if he gives them sets he did
5×5000 @ 50:00?
Is that even possible
It’s still up in the Stanford men’s locker room. I believe it was 4×5000, and his last one was under 49
Last one was in 47 minute range (last 1000 was 927), all four were descended…49 on first one, 48 min. area on second / third. I was there with the other distance swimmers in another lane. We swam 2*5,000”s (not on the 50)!
Shoults, Sweetser, and Egan have asked to attempt that set during Christmas training
Very nice interview, Melvin.
Who wouldn’t want to train hard and swim fast for this guy?
BTW: the coat and tie was a nice touch!
He is a great coach and a great guy!