February 18, 2008

By MIKE KERN
Philadelphia Daily News

[email protected]

THIS IS GOING to be quite a week for Villanova junior Bill Sepich. What is believed to be an unprecedented week. Not so much for what he might or might not accomplish as an athlete. But rather for being there. Or better yet, for making it there. Not once, but twice.

Starting Wednesday, the South Jersey native will swim for the Wildcats at the Big East championships, which are being held at East Meadow, N.Y., on Long Island. His speciality is the 100-yard backstroke, but he'll also take part in at least two relays.

Then late Friday afternoon he'll hop over to the upper west side of Manhattan, about 30 miles away, where the following day he's running the 1,000 meters for the track and field team in the Big East indoor meet.

Conference officials have told the school they don't know of anyone else who has ever done such a double.

"In some conferences they don't have qualifying times, or [the standards] are a lot easier [to reach]," Sepich said. "Ours are pretty hard."