By Stephanie Sabaduquia
All seven league teams head to Indianapolis, to compete for the 2014 Men’s and Women’s Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships, which begin Wednesday. IUPUI will host the four-day event at the IU Natatorium, Wednesday-Saturday.
The Denver men’s and women’s teams were picked the preseason favorites to claim the league titles in their inaugural season in the league.
The championships can be followed via the live stats link on the Swimming and Diving Championships page and on Twitter @summitchamps.
Swimming and Diving Team Previews
Denver
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: M – 1st | W – 1st
2013 Championship Finish: M – N/A | W – N/A
Championship Titles: M – N/A | W – N/A
Denver is set to compete in its first swimming and diving championships as both the men’s and women’s teams were picked as the preseason favorite … The Pioneer men’s team is led by Dylan Bunch, Kyle Milberg and Jeremiah Zgliczynski … Bunch earned a league-high three Swimmer of the Week awards and holds the fastest league time in four events, 200 free (1:38.26), 500 free (4:20.31), 1,000 free (9:01.88) and 1,650 free (14:54.60) … His 1,650 free time currently ranks fifth in the nation, while his 1,000 free is ninth … His 500 free and 1,650 free times are the league’s all-time fastest … Milberg, a Swimmer of the Week selection, is a top the league in five events, 50 free (20.42), 100 back (47.88), 200 back (1:43.15), 100 fly (47.95) and 200 IM (1:47.66), and is second in the 100 free (45.38) … Zgliczynski is in the league’s top-5 in five events, ranking first in the 400 IM (3:47.07), second in the 1,000 free (9:15.28), 1,650 free (15:16.23) and 200 IM (1:48.72), fourth in the 200 breast (2:03.22) … His 400 IM time is the fastest time in league history … Ross Edfort garnered a league-best four Diver of the Week honors and leads the league in the one-meter dive (348.00) … Leading the Denver women’s squad are Samantha Corea, Bridgette McNally and Johanna Roas, all collecting a pair of Swimmer of the Week awards … Corea holds the fastest league time in five events, 50 free (22.72), 100 free (50.15), 100 back (53.44), 200 back (1:53.78) and 100 fly (52.72) … Her times in the 50 free, 100 back, 200 back and 100 fly are all-time league bests, while her 200 back time is currently 10th in the nation … McNally leads the league in the 200 free (1:49.57), 500 free (4:47.92), 200 IM (2:01.80) and 400 IM (4:13.36) and is second in the 200 back (1:57.21) … She holds the all-time league record in the 400 IM … Roas ranks in the top-three in a trio of events, second in the 100 back (54.46) and third in the 50 free (22.93) and 100 free (50.56) … Clara Jenck clocked a league-record in the 1,650 free (16:31.88) … Dana Gau and Cathleen Badillo each claimed a Diver of the Week award … Gau is second in the three-meter dive (266.95) and third in the one meter (273.25), while Badillo is second in the one meter (274.28).
Eastern Illinois
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: M – 4th | W – 6th
2013 Championship Finish: M – 4th | W – 6th
Championship Titles: M - None | W - None
The Panthers’ men’s squad is led by senior Colin McGill and freshman Harris Thompson, who both rank in the top-six in two events … McGill is fourth in the 100 back (50.50) and tied for fifth in 100 free (46.17), while Thompson is fourth in the 1,650 free (15:59.23) and sixth in the 1,000 free (9:47.33) … On the women’s side seniors Kate Paige and Olga Livshits lead the way … Paige can be found in the league’s top-10 in two events, third in the 100 fly (56.90) and ninth in 200 fly (2:11.25) … Livshits is 11th in the 100 back (58.90) and 14th in the 200 back (2:09.08).
IUPUI
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: M – T-2nd | W – T-2nd
2013 Championship Finish: M – 3rd | W – 2nd
Championship Titles: M - None | W - None
IUPUI is led by a pair of juniors in Tony Carroll and Adam Ferguson … Carroll, a two-time Swimmer of the Week honoree, is ranked in the league’s top-six in five events, fourth in the 100 free (46.00), sixth in the 200 free (1:41.12), 500 free (4:35.34) and 200 back (1:52.34) and tied for sixth in the 100 back (51.22) … Ferguson holds three times in the league’s top-10, fifth in the 200 breast (2:05.15) and ninth in the 100 breast (58.09) and 50 free (21.24) … Cody Watts, a Diver of the Week selection, posted the second-best score in the one-meter (313.90) and three-meter (335.02) dives… On the women’s side, the Jaguars are also led by two juniors, Lexi Laird and Margaret Barber … Laird was named Swimmer of the Week twice this season and holds four top-seven league times, third in the 100 back (54.82), fifth in the 200 back (2:01.30) and seventh in both the 50 free (23.91) and 100 free (52.24) … Barber, a Swimmer of the Week selection, is third in the league in the 1,650 free (17:16.48), fourth in the 1,000 free (10:26.27), fifth in the 500 free (4:58.73) and 10th in the 200 free (1:54.35) … Natalie Trout is also in the league’s top-10 in four events, fourth in the 1,650 free (17:18.57), sixth in the 1,000 free (10:27.20), seventh in the 200 fly (2:10.20) and eighth in the 200 IM (4:33.61) … Jennifer Oleksiak, the only 2013 women’s event champion returning, will look to defend her title in the 200 breast as she currently ranks ninth in the league (2:22.32).
Omaha
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: W – T-2nd
2013 Championship Finish: W – 3rd
Championship Titles: W – None
Omaha is led by the trio of Natalie Renshaw, Maddie Hutt and Morgan Stepp ... Renshaw, a Swimmer of the Week honoree, can be found in the league’s top-10 in six events, including four in the top-five … She is second in the 200 free (1:51.09), fourth in the 100 free (50.61), fifth in the 50 free (23.53) and 100 back (56.75), seventh in the 200 IM (2:07.96) and eighth in the 200 back (2:06.14) … Hutt is fourth in the 100 (1:04.49) and 200 breast (2:18.57), while Stepp is fourth in the 200 (2:06.99) and 400 IM (4:30.11).
South Dakota
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: M – 5th | W – 5th
2013 Championship Finish: M – 6th | W – 5th
Championship Titles: M – None | W – None
Leading the way for the South Dakota men are a trio of Summit League Swimmer of the Week selections, Colin Krysl, Jacob Knowles and Ian Ford … Krysl holds the league’s fifth-best 200 fly time (1:51.15) and is seventh in the 100 fly (50.25) … Knowles ranks fifth in the 100 breast (56.95) and sixth in the 200 breast (2:05.44), while Ford is fourth in the 200 back (1:51.06) and fifth in the 100 back (51.20) … Two-time Diver of the Week, Dustin Gens is the only returning men’s individual champion from a year ago and looks to defend his title in the three-meter dive … On the women’s side, the Coyotes are led by Greysen Hertting, Linay McCrady and Samantha Schuttinger … Hertting captured a league-best 10 Diver of the Week honors and is currently tops in the league in the one-meter (294.82) and three-meter (277.80) dives … McCrady is in the league’s top-10 in four events, seventh in the 400 IM (4:33.07), ninth in the 500 free (5:04.15) and 1,650 free (17:33.51) and 10th in the 1,000 free (10:36.67), while Schuttinger, a Swimmer of the Week, is seventh in the 200 free (1:53.52).
South Dakota State
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: M – T-2nd | W – 4th
2013 Championship Finish: M – 2nd | W – 4th
Championship Titles: M - None | W - None
Leading the South Dakota State men’s squad are Wil Hogue, Matt Carpenter, Connor Florand and Clark Kocourek … A Swimmer of the Week honor, Hogue is third in the 50 free (20.75) and seventh in the 100 free (46.25), while Carpenter is fifth in the 1,000 free (9:46.91) and 1,650 free (16:10.20) and seventh in the 200 back (1:54.59) … Florand, a two-time Diver of the Week selection, holds the top league score in the three-meter dive (335.90) and ranks third in the one meter (312.35) … Kocourek earned three Diver of the Week honors and is third in the three-meter dive (333.32) fourth in the one meter (309.15) … The Jackrabbit women’s squad is led by two-time Swimmer of the Week Andrea Budahl and Emily Campbell … Budahl ranks second in the 200 fly (2:07.63), fifth in the 1,000 free (10:26.40), sixth in the 1,650 free (17:22.20) and eighth in the 500 free (5:02.64) … Campbell can be found in the league’s top-five in three events, second-best in the 200 breast (2:16.01), third in the 100 breast (1:03.79) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:07.21) … Olivia Olesiak capture two Diver of the Week awards and ranks fourth in the three-meter dive (254.35) and ninth in the one meter (236.00).
Western Illinois
Summit League Preseason Poll Rank: M - 6th | W – 7th
2013 Championship Finish: M – 5th | W – 7th
Championship Titles: M - 8 | W - 1
Western Illinois’ men’s team is led by Chris Neaveill, Matt Abercrombie and Doug Ogilvie … Neaveill, a Swimmer of the Week selection, ranks third in the league in the 100 fly (49.21) and 200 fly (1:50.37) and eighth in the 100 free (46.45) … Abercrombie is fourth in the 400 IM (4:05.52), seventh in the 1,000 free (9:48.89) and 1,650 free (16:13.39) and 10th in the 500 free (4:37.66) … Doug Ogilvie, the 2013 Summit League Diver of the Year, collected a Diver of the Week award and is fifth in the one-meter dive (305.85) and sixth in the three meter (289.73) … For the Western Illinois women, Julia Rassmussen and Megan Popp lead the squad … Rassmussen is ranked sixth in the league in the one-meter dive (243.60) and 17th in the 100 free (53.30) … Popp is 13th in the 1,650 free (17:46.53), 15th in the 1,000 free (10”44.13) and 19th in the 500 free (5:12.30).
ABOUT THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
In its fourth decade of Division I athletics, The Summit League offers 19 championship sports and has a combined enrollment of over 120,000 at eight institutions, including three located in top 60 U.S. metro populations and two land-grant universities. Member institutions include: Denver (University of Denver), Fort Wayne (Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne), IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis), North Dakota State University, Omaha (University of Nebraska Omaha), the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Western Illinois University. Previously known as the Mid-Continent Conference, The Summit League rebranded in 2007 and has since produced eight NCAA Champions, 62 All-Americans and 50 Academic All-America selections.
Follow The Summit League on Twitter @thesummitleague, @summithoops and @summitchamps
