Men's Recap

The Ohio State University men’s swimming and diving team finished second at the third annual Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational, which concluded on Sunday.  Ohio State’s total of 1074 points was just 94 points behind defending Big Ten champion Minnesota’s winning score of 1168.5. Last year, the Buckeyes were second to the Gophers by more than 400 points.

“I am so pleased with the attitude and the effort that this team is putting forth,” Bill Wadley, head men’s swimming coach, said. “It is exciting to be a part of this team and they keep on getting better. I am very thankful for what they have accomplished so far.”

Highlighting Sunday’s events were the Buckeye divers, who took the top two spots in the platform. Junior Wes Wieser broke his own pool record with a score of 398.70 to capture first. Freshman Sean Moore followed with a second-place finish of 380.80 points.

Ohio State opened the swimming finals with a second-place finish by sophomore Mark Neiman in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Neiman swam a NCAA “B” qualifying time of 15:32.69, which was also a season-best. Junior Ryan Stoneburg finished fourth in the event, while freshman Thomas O’Neill took fifth and sophomore Stefan Sigrist was seventh.

Senior Daniel Novak earned third place and a NCAA “B” cut in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:46.96, which was also a career-best. Classmate Matt Voelker recorded a time of 45.10 in the 100 freestyle to finish fourth for the Buckeyes.

“Novak’s swim was an excellent swim. It was special to see him swim so well,” said Wadley.

The Scarlet and Gray had three swimmers place in the 200 breaststroke, including a second-place finish by Daniel Malnik. The sophomore swam a season-best and NCAA “B” qualifying time of 2:00.65. Elliott Keefer and Felipe Travesso earned fifth and sixth places, respectively.

Sophomore Niksa Roki earned a fifth-place finish in the 200 butterfly in a time of 1:48.88. Junior Matthias Sigrist finished seventh (1:49.96), while freshman Quincy Lee took eighth (1:50.92).

The Buckeyes closed out the meet with a third-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The squad of Voelker, Joel Elber, Andrew Bretscher and Andrew Olson touched the wall in a time of 3:01.56.

After taking a month off from competitive meets, the men return to McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion to host Wright State on January 11 beginning at 5 pm.

Men’s Swimming
Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007
Columbus, Ohio
 
Team Scores: 1. Minnesota 1168.5; 2. Ohio State 1074; 3. Denver 429; 4. Notre Dame 401; 5. Michigan State 300.5; 6. Iowa 250; 7. Indiana 64; 8. Alabama 55; 9. Purdue 49; 10. Hawaii 44; 11. Arizona State 36; 12. Miami 20; 13. South Carolina 16
 
Event Winners: 1650 freestyle – 1. Holmes (Minn.) 15:23.43; 2. Neiman (OSU) 15:32.69; 200 backstroke – 1. Plummer (Minn.) 1:45.00; 3. Novak (OSU) 1:46.96; 100 freestyle –1. Worsley (Denver) 44.66; 4. Voelker (OSU) 45.10; 200 breaststroke – 1. Roberts (Minn.) 1:58.12; 2. Malnik (OSU) 2:00.65; 200 butterfly – 1. Wold (Minn.) 1:47.12; 5. Roki (OSU) 1:48.88; 400 freestyle relay – 1. Minn. 2:57.55; 3. Ohio State (Voelker, Elber, Bretscher, Olson) 3:01.56; Platform – 1. Wieser (OSU) 398.70.

 

Women's Recap

The Ohio State University women’s swimming and diving team finished in second place at its own Swimming and Diving Invitational, which concluded Sunday McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Minnesota won with a total of 1,296 points. Ohio State was second with 691.5 points and Iowa third with 455 points. A total of 15 teams sent swimmers  and/or divers to the event.

Two more Buckeyes made NCAA “B” qualifying standards Sunday, giving the Scarlet and Gray swimmers a total of eight NCAA qualifying times during the three day meet.

“We did really well and I am very pleased with how we competed in this invite,” Jeanne Fleck, Ohio State swimming coach, said. “We are the fastest we have ever been at this time of year. We are a better team this year than we were last year. I am proud of how our young team stood up and raced Minnesota, one of the best teams in the Big Ten and the nation. They were not scared and they did what they needed to do to get better.”

Minnesota’s Yuen Kobayashi opened the swimming events by smashing the pool record in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:06.36, breaking her 2006 record by more than 12 seconds. Ohio State freshman Katelyn Brix finished third in a personal best and NCAA “B” qualifying time of 16:46.23. Sophomore Haley Mitchell also scored for the Buckeyes in the event, taking sixth in a time of 17:14.21.

Denver’s Kelsey Totura stopped Minnesota’s swimming streak of 13-consecutive wins over three days when she won the 200 backstroke in 1:57.23. Sophomore Jill Lockhart from Ohio State was eighth in 2:03.79 and Mitchell scored again for the Buckeyes with a 15th-place finish. 

Seniors Linda Lund-Kristiansen and Annie Rennebohm each scored in the 100 freestyle with eighth and 10th-place finishes, respectively. Minnesota’s Stacy Busack won in a meet record time of :49.26.

In the 200 breaststroke, Minnesota’s Jillian Tyler won in pool record time of 2:10.44 and Ohio State sophomore Megan Alexander took sixth in 2:19.88. Sophomore Colleen Schweitzer (11th), and freshman Rachel Borden (15th) also scored in the event for Ohio State.

Ohio State placed four swimmers – freshmen Samantha Cheverton, Anita Beck and Brix and the sophomore Lockhart – in the championship final of the 200 butterfly and came away scoring a total of 56 team points. Cheverton was fourth in an NCAA “B” qualifying time of 2:00.05 and she was followed by Beck, Lockhart and Brix in fourth, fifth and eighth, respectively. Minnesota’s Molly Belk won in meet record time of 1:58.86.

“I’m really happy with how the team and myself are improving,” Cheverton said. “We keep getting faster and faster. Being from Canada, it is fun to be a part of the NCAA collegiate atmosphere.”

In the final swimming event of the evening – the 400 freestyle relay – the Ohio State team of Lund-Kristiansen, Rennebohm, Beck and Cheverton placed fourth in 3:27.92. The Minnesota quartet won in meet record time of 3:20.76.

Women’s Swimming
Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational
Day 3: Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007
Columbus, Ohio
 
Final Results: 1. Minnesota 1,296; 2. Ohio State 691.5; 3. Iowa 455; 4. Denver 451; 5. Michigan State 325.5 6. Illinois 257.5; 7. Bowling Green 214.5; 8. Purdue 73; 9. Miami 51; 10. Hawaii 42; 11. Arizona State 42; 12. Alabama 33; 13. Indiana 29; 14. Notre Dame 16; 15. South Carolina 15.
 
Event Winners: 1,650 freestyle – 1. Kobayashi (Minn.) 16:06.36; 3. Brix (OSU) 16:46:23; 200 backstroke – Totura (Den.) 1:57.23; 8. Lockhart (OSU) 2:03.79; 100 freestyle – Busack (Minn.):49.26; 8. Lund-Kristiansen (OSU) :52.38; 200 breaststroke – Tyler (Minn.) 2:10.44; 6. Alexander (OSU) 2:19.88; 200 butterfly – 1. Belk (Minn.) 1:58.86; 3. Cheverton (OSU) 2:00.05; 400 freestyle relay – 1. Minn. 3:20.76; 4. OSU (Lund-Kristiansen, Rennebohm, Beck and Cheverton) 3:27.92; 10-meter platform – 1. Viola (Miami) 291.20.