Niedzialek Wins 200 Back as CSU Closes Weekend

Niedzialek Wins 200 Back as CSU Closes Weekend

AKRON, Ohio – Sophomore Dominik Niedzialek won the 200 backstroke to highlight the second and final day for the Cleveland State University men's and women's swimming & diving teams Saturday at the Akron Zips Classic inside Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium.

The CSU men finished in third place with 603.5 points while the women took sixth place with 191 points.

Niedzialek, who broke the school record as a freshman in the 200 back, won the event Saturday in 1:48.21. He was in fourth place at the halfway mark but rallied to win by splitting 54.26 in the back half. Classmate Timothy Kubacki took the bronze in 1:49.43.

Niedzialek also took runner-up honors in the 100 back in 50.32 seconds. Freshman Matthew Martin was eighth (52.00) while senior Jason van der Touw was 11th (52.25).

Kubacki was CSU's top finisher in Saturday morning's 400 IM as he finished in 4:04.75. Freshman Jack Krusinski was eighth in 4:05.90. Kubacki took 11th in the 200 free (1:44.03) while van der Touw was CSU's top finisher in that event, taking fourth in 1:41.25.

Martin was the Vikings' top finisher in both butterfly events Saturday. He took fourth in the 100 in 49.97 seconds while junior Dominic Poletta was eighth (51.40) and freshman Bob Lenart was ninth (51.55). Martin added another top-five individual finish in the 200 fly, taking fifth in 1:52.07. Sophomore Liam Halpin was 10th in the same event in 1:56.34.

Krusinski posted a pair of top-three individual finishes in the breaststroke events. He began by taking runner-up honors in the 100 in 57.15 seconds. Junior Tyler Stevenson was sixth (58.49) while seniors Jared Stergar (59.39) and Addison Kaufmann (59.89) were both among the top 12. Krusinski then took bronze in the 200 by touching the wall in 2:04.77. Stevenson (2:11.68) and Stergar (2:11.96) were again both among the top 12.

Van der Touw led five Vikings among the top 20 in the 100 freestyle as he took seventh in 46.85 seconds. Senior Sean Mulvin was 10th (47.32), junior Jack MacDonald was 14th (47.48), Poletta was 16th (47.50) and junior Erwan Mahoudo was 19th (47.64).

Van der Touw led off two of CSU's top-finishing relays Saturday. He was followed by Krusinski, Martin and Poletta in the 200 medley relay that took fourth in 1:33.22. In the 400 free relay, he was followed by Mulvin, MacDonald and Mahoudo as the group took fourth in 3:06.59.

In the opening event of the day, the 200 free relay, CSU took second behind Poletta, MacDonald, sophomore Ryan Sedlak and junior DJ Arslanian (1:24.13).

Sophomore Alec Bowie was CSU's top finisher in the mile, taking 10th in 16:29.94.

On the women's side, senior Molly McNamara contributed a pair of top-10 individual efforts in the butterfly events. She was eighth in the 100 fly in 56.84 seconds and took seventh in the 200 in 2:04.10. She also swam the third leg of CSU's fastest 200 medley relay. Freshman Riley Drummond led off and was followed by sophomore Libby Smith while junior Gabriella Marinelli anchored the quartet that finished eighth in 1:47.34.

Drummond was CSU's top finisher in the 200 backstroke, taking 16th in 2:08.15. She also added a top-20 finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.01. Smith was the top Viking in the latter event, taking 15th in 1:07.59 while classmate Gracyn McQueary was three spots back in 1:07.86.

Smith and McQueary also posted top-20 efforts in the 200 breaststroke in 2:28.37 and 2:28.43, respectively.

Marinelli was the top Viking finisher in the 200 freestyle and 100 free. She was 16th in the 200 in 1:56.08 while sophomore Irena Weclawiak was two spots back in 1:56.91. Marinelli finished the 100 in 54.00 seconds while Weclawiak was again two positions behind (54.09).

Freshman Lexie Kostelnik (17:57.95) and junior Chuchu Yang (59.89 seconds) posted top-20 efforts and were the top Vikings in the 1650 freestyle and 100 backstroke, respectively. Freshman Agnes Bahr was CSU's top finisher in the 400 IM (4:40.66).

Marinelli, Weclawiak and senior Claudia Zido swam on both of CSU's top freestyle relays Saturday. McQueary swam the anchor leg on the 200 free relay while sophomore Alana Cartwright swam the anchor on the 400 free relay. The quartets finished in 1:39.46 and 3:37.61.

Cleveland State's next action will come next Saturday, Oct. 20, when the women's program hosts Horizon League foe Youngstown State.