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CSU Hosts UIC On Senior Day

CSU Hosts UIC On Senior Day

Feb. 4, 2010

Contact: Renee Adam

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SETTING THE SCENE: The Vikings will close out the 2009-10 regular season when the men host UIC and the women host UIC and Youngstown State on Saturday, February 6 with diving beginning at 12:00 noon. The meet will also be Senior Day for four Vikings, Brittany McCann, Jakub Dobies, Stephen Grove and Todd Winchell.

REVIEWING THE LAST TIME OUT: The men's and women's teams traveled to Rochester, Michigan for a meet at Oakland last Friday (Jan. 29), following is a recap of the meet.

MEN (13-4): Oakland 122.5, Cleveland State 95.5
Jakub Dobies and Berry Thompson combined for three individual victories, Dobies in the 100 free (46.64) and the 100 breast (56.89) and Thompson in the 50 free (21.32). The 200 free relay team of Mike Marsico, Keith Everhart, Deni Gasparin and Justin Hill also won with a time of 1:25.18.

WOMEN (12-5): Oakland 140, Cleveland State 82
Joanna Olsson and Alice Sommerville paced the Vikings combining for three individual victories. Olsson won the 200 free (1:53.98) and the 500 free (5:06.92) while Sommerville was victorious in the 100 breast (1:06.48). The final victory for CSU came in the 200 free relay, when the team of Carys Behn, Emily Splain, Whitney Hickey and Jamie Puls finished in a time of 1:40.13.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S HEAD COACH
Wally Morton (Miami, OH, '70)
AT CSU: as men's coach: 264-142-1 (29th year), as women's coach: 24-24-0 (3rd year)

THE MORTON FILE: Wally Morton is in his 29th season as the men's swimming and diving head coach and his third with the women's team. During his tenure with the Viking men, Morton's success has been backed up by a 264-142-1 dual meet record that includes nine Penn-Ohio Championships, a pair of MCC titles and one Horizon League Championship. In his second season at the helm of the women's program, the squad recorded the most dual wins since 2005-06, with swimmers earning podium finishes in three different events at the Horizon League Championships. Morton has led five swimmers to the NCAA Championships, including 2009 All-American Jakub Dobies. He has also coached swimmers that have reached the international stage, including Nedim Nisic, who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Two more of Morton's swimmers have also gone on to be Olympic Trials finalists.

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN: Head coach Wally Morton and his staff have brought in an outstanding group of talented newcomers to join the returners from last year's squad that finished sixth at the Horizon League Championships, one of the best finishes in school history. The returning squad is comprised of one senior, three juniors and six sophomores, including the holders of all six school records that were set during 2009. The freshmen are making an impact on the CSU record books as three of the newcomers, Joanna Olsson, Alice Sommerville and Michelle Ferro, have recorded 15 all-time top-10 times this season. Sommerville has the team's top times in the 50 free (23.84), 100 free (52.04), 100 breast (1:05.83) and the 100 fly (57.34) while Olsson holds the top time in the 500 free (4:54.39), 1,000 free (10:19.16), 200 IM (2:05.31), 400 IM (4:22.99) and also the 200 fly (2:03.35), setting CSU records in the 1,000 free, 200 fly, 200 IM and the 400 IM. Ferro leads the team in backstroke and breaststroke events, having top times in the 100 (58.90) and 200 backstroke (2:06.89) and the 200 breast (2:27.07). Three-time individual school record holder, sophomore Carys Behn, has the team's best times in the 200 (1:52.23) and 1,650 free (17:49.72). Kacey Cummings paces the divers with 261.45 and 285.10 points in the 1-and 3-meter boards respectively. The sqaud has also set CSU records in the 400 free and the 400 medley relays. Sommerville, Behn, Olsson and Jamie Puls recorded the 400 free relay time of 3:31.24 and Ferro, Sommerville, Olsson and Behn recorded a 3:54.34 in the 400 medley relay.

PREVIEWING THE MEN: After a season in which the CSU men's swimming and diving team earned their first All-American, placed first in eight events at the Horizon League Championships and captured Swimmer of the Meet, Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, the Vikings are prepared to expand on their success with the addition of nine talented newcomers. The newcomers join three seniors, three juniors and six sophomores to complete the 2009-10 squad. 2009 All-American Jakub Dobies has control of the breaststroke events, recording top times in the 100 breast (55.72) and the 200 breast (2:04.82) at the TYR Invitational, while also setting a team best 45.21 in the 100 free. Sophomore Mark deSwardt returns after earning all three league honors for the Vikings last season; Swimmer of the Meet, Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, swimming top times in the 500 free (4:29.34), 1,000 free (9:16.07), 200 fly (1:50.65) and the 400 IM (3:57.85) and has recorded an NCAA "B" cut time in the 1,650 free (15:27.19). Senior Todd Winchell holds top times in two events this season, the 100 back (51.92) and the 100 fly (49.97). Juniors Zvonimir Androic and Deni Gasparin round out the veterans that hold this seasons top times, with a team best 1:52.92 in the 200 back for Androic, a 1:54.56 in the 200 IM for Gasparin. Berry Thompson is one of two Viking newcomers to post a top time this season, holding a 20.89 in the 50 free, while Pierre De Waal has recorded a 1:42.27 in the 200 free. Sophomore Josh Gonzalez recorded the best score in the 3-meter board, with a score of 317.32, while Matt DiMasso has the best 1-meter score with a 273.40.

VIKING SENIORS: The trio of Jakub Dobies, Stephen Grove and Todd Winchell have guided the men's squad to a record of 45-16 over the past four seasons, including a 13-win season for the first time in 13 years during their final season at CSU. They have also led the squad to a pair of second place finishes at the league championships and a fourth place finish last season. Brittany McCann has led the women's team to 27 victories over the past four years, including a school record 12 wins this season with two duals left. The quartet has combined for 72 individual victories during their time as Vikings, including eight Horizon League first place finishes and have set five CSU records in the process.

- SENIOR RECAPS -

JAKUB DOBIES:
Jakub has won 40 individual events as a Viking en route to becoming the first All-American for CSU and the Horizon League when he finished 13th in the 100 breast at the NCAA Championships as a junior. Dobies has qualified for the NCAA Championships every year while at CSU and is the current holder of three school records (100 free, 100 & 200 breast). He is a six-time individual event winner at the league championships, winning the 100 breast and the 200 breast as a freshman, the 200 IM and 100 breast as a sophomore and the 100 breast again as a junior. He was also part of four CSU record setting relays, the 200 & 400 free and the 200 & 400 medley, two of which won league titles during his junior season (200 free and 200 medley). He holds Horizon League records in the 100 and 200 breast along with the 200 medley and 200 free relays. He has been honored by the league during his accomplished career, earning Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, Athlete of the Year as a sophomore and Swimmer of the Week accolades seven times during his four seasons.

Coach Morton on Jakub:
"Kuba is the most accomplished CSU Swimmer at the National Division I level. His three straight years of qualifying and participating in the most qualitative Swimming Meet in the World (DI NCAA's) is amazing. Achieving All-American status last year defines his excellence not only at CSU but in the Horizon League."

Stephen Grove:
Stephen has won 15 individual events while at CSU and currently holds school records in the 50 free and the 100 fly. Grove has earned first place honors at the league championships twice, winning the 50 free as a sophomore and the 100 fly as a junior. He was also part of four CSU record setting relays, the 200 & 400 free and the 200 & 400 medley, two of which won league titles during his junior season (200 free and 200 medley). Out of the pool, Grove was named to the Second-Team Academic All-District by ESPN the Magazine as a sophomore and earned Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Month accolades as a junior.

Coach Morton on Stephen:
"An outstanding scholar and athlete at the highest level. He defines the term 'student-athlete'. He is the unquestioned leader on the men's team as demonstrated by his actions."

Brittany McCann:
Brittany has provided quality depth in breaststroke and freestyle events during her four years as a Viking, providing leadership to a young CSU team as the lone senior on the roster. She has recorded top five times for the team during her freshman, junior and senior seasons, including the third fastest times in the 500 & 1,000 free and 400 IM as a freshman and the 100 breast as a sophomore.

Coach Morton on Brittany:
"Brittany has been a joy to coach as she brings out the best in everyone. She is dedicated to swimming yet sees the big picture as a great student and volunteers her services to others. Her leadership has made her team better every year."

Todd Winchell:
Todd has won 17 individual events during his time as a Viking, including a Horizon League title in the 100 back as a sophomore. He currently holds three all-time top-10 times for CSU including the second fastest time in the 100 fly. He is a member of the record setting 200 & 400 medley relay teams that finished first and second respectively at the league championships during his junior season. Winchell has been honored by the league during his career, earning Swimmer of the Week honors once as a junior.

Coach Morton on Todd:
"I have seen many swimmers over my past 36 years at CSU improve, but none more than Todd. He continues to get faster every year and has been rock solid in his contributions to the team both in dual meets along with the Horizon League Championships."

SCHOOL RECORD SEASON: For the first time since the women's program was created in 1972-73, the CSU squad has recorded its first ever 12-win season. During the 1982-83 season, the Vikings had a 10-2 record, the most wins up until this year. With the 12-4 record as of Jan. 23, head coach Wally Morton has led his squad to just the fourth .750 or better season, and the first in the past 23 years.

RECORD SEARCH: With a victory over UIC on Saturday (Feb. 6), the men's team would tie the school record for most dual meet victories in a season, currently 14 held by the 1996-97 squad.

DOUBLE WIN SEASONS: For the first time since 1972-73, when CSU started a women's swimming and diving team, both the men's and women's teams have double digit wins in the same season. The women reached 10 wins with their 24-12 victory over Syracuse at the San Juan Sprint Invitational (Jan. 9) and the men recorded their 10th win against Valparaiso (Nov. 14). The last time the two teams were close to accomplishing 10 win seasons was during 2005-06 when the women had nine wins and the men recorded 11.

DOBIES EARNS WEEKLY HONOR: After posting two individual victories and a second place finish at Oakland (Jan. 29) senior Jakub Dobies earned Horizon League Swimmer of the Week honors for the third time this season and the fourth of his career. Dobies won the 100 breast in 56.89, just 1.38 seconds off the NCAA "B" standard and also won the 100 free (46.64). His second place finish came in the 200 free (1:42.48) when he was out-touched by just eight one-hundredths of a second. The men's team has now won swimmer or diver of the week honors nine times, the most out of all Horizon League schools.

HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP NOTE: Viking swimming and diving fans will be able to watch live coverage of all final events at the upcoming Horizon League Championships (Feb. 24-27) by logging onto www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv.

NEXT UP: The Vikings will have two and a half weeks to prepare for the Horizon League Championships (Feb, 24-27), which will be held at Flames Natatorium on the campus of UIC.