Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Cleveland State University

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

Vikings Set to Host Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships

Vikings Set to Host Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships
Posted: Feb 21, 2011

Feb. 21, 2011

Contact: Dan Carr

Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

SETTING THE SCENE: The 2010-11 Horizon League men's and women's swimming and diving champions will be decided this week at Cleveland State, as the Vikings host this year's league championships at The Busbey Natatorium from Feb. 23-26. Both CSU squads enter the championships following very successful dual meet seasons. The women's team set a program record for wins in a season with 15 victories. The Viking men finished with 12 wins, including going 4-0 against Horizon League competition for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. The men will be attempting to win their first conference title since 2005-06 while the women are trying for their first ever Horizon League championship.

LAST TIME IN THE WATER: Both CSU swimming and diving teams ended their respective regular seasons at UIC on Feb. 5. Below are recaps of that meet:

Men (12-3-1)
CSU 127, UIC 114 (Feb. 5, Chicago, Ill.)

Mark de Swardt won three races, Berry Thompson won two and the men's team capped off a perfect 4-0 league season with a 127-114 win at UIC. de Swardt took first in the 1,000 free (9:20.11), 500 free (4:33.95) and 200 fly (1:49.24) while Thompson won the 50 (21.00) and 100 (45.91) freestyles.

Women (15-4)
CSU 137, UIC 106 (Feb. 5, Chicago, Ill.)
The Viking women won nine of the day's 13 events to capture their school record 15th dual meet win of the season. Joanna Olsson went 3-0 on the day, taking the 1,000 free (10:39.46), 200 IM (2:11.90) and the 200 fly (2:08.24). Alice Sommerville won the 50 (23.94) and 100 (52.10) freestyles while Kacey Cummings swept the 1-meter (263.25) and 3-meter (272.25) dives.

PREVIEWING THE MEN: The men's team is entering this year's conference championships full of confidence after posting the team's first perfect dual meet record against Horizon League teams since 2003-04. Mark de Swardt leads a balanced group of swimmers that expect to win CSU's first conference championship since the 2005-06 season. The junior's best times lead the conference in five events this season: the 1,650 free (15:23.90), 1,000 free (9.18.49), 500 free (4:29.05), the 400 IM (4:00.89) and the 200 fly (1:51.08). de Swardt has also won 25 individual events this year. Sophomore Berry Thompson has emerged as one of the team's top sprinters, having been honored as the conference swimmer of the week three times this fall. His wins in the 50 free (20.88) and 100 free (45.70) at Green Bay set Phoenix pool records. Justin Kermack has led the squad in the butterfly events, setting a CSU record in the 200 fly (1:48.65) in the Vikings' home finale. Senior Deni Gasparin and freshman Brian Ferro have combined to win 12 breaststroke events while senior Zvonimir Androic has led the team in the backstroke events with five wins. Junior Josh Gonzalez, a three-time Horizon League Diver of the Week selection this year, won the 1-meter (303.65) and 3-meter (328.15) dives on Jan. 22, recording the best scores of his career.

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN: After winning a school record 15 dual meets, the Vikings have every reason to believe that the program's first Horizon League championship could come this season. Joanna Olsson and Alice Sommerville have set five CSU relay records and have combined to break one Horizon League and four individual school records. Both were on the 400 free relay squad that set the conference record (3:24.51) at the Northwestern TYR Invitational. Olsson also broke the Horizon League record in the 400 IM that weekend and set new school marks in the 500 free and 200 IM, while Sommerville broke the CSU record in the 100 fly in the opening meet of the season. Juniors Carys Behn and Kacey Cummings have also been strong this year. Behn was a member of all five record-breaking relays and has won 12 individual events while Cummings is a four-time conference diver of the week selection this season The Vikings have also benefited from a strong freshman class, highlighted by Alexandra Johansson and Christine Kopacko. Johansson was a member of the record-setting 200 free, 400 free, 800 free and 400 medley relays while Kopacko helped set a new CSU mark in the 200 medley.

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S HEAD COACH
Wally Morton (Miami, OH, '70)
At CSU: As men's head coach, 277-145-2 (30th Year); As women's head coach, 41-28 (4th Year)

With 14 seasons of double-digit victories under his belt, and over 300 wins overall, Wally Morton has had nothing but success during his lengthy tenure with Cleveland State.In each of the past 10 years he has led the men's team to 10 or more dual meet victories, and the squad has posted winning records in 24 of his 30 seasons as head coach of the men's swimming and diving team. Morton has compiled over 275 victories including a second place finish at the Horizon League Championship last year. His successful tenure includes 14 Penn-Ohio Championships, a pair of Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC) titles, and a Horizon League title. For the past four years, Morton has also added the women's program to his head coaching resume and the team has improved in each of his four seasons, culminating with 15 dual meet victories this year, the most wins in school history.

FOURTH IN THE (MID-MAJOR) NATION: The men's team has been ranked fourth by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America in its most recent Division I mid-major poll, released on Dec. 20. The Vikings, with 229.8 points, trail first place Navy (253.6), Princeton (250.7), and Cal State Bakersfield (230.1). The only other Horizon League team ranked is Milwaukee, who is 11th with 224.4 points. Denver (243.3) rounds out the top five.

WOMEN SET CSU WIN RECORD: A 137-106 win over UIC on Feb. 5 gave the women's swimming and diving team 15 dual meet wins on the season, a new record. The team broke the previous mark of 14, set by last year's squad. The 15 wins are the most in Cleveland State swimming history by either the men or women. The men's record for most wins in a season is 14, set by the 1996-97 team and equalled in last year's campaign.

BACK-TO-BACK: The 15 victories mean that the women's team will finish with back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since having four straight winning years in a row from 1986-87 to 1989-90. CSU went 9-3, 8-6, 8-5 and 8-7 in those seasons, respectively. This will also mark the first time the women have ever finished consecutive seasons with double digit wins.

WOMEN EARN ACADEMIC RECOGNITION: In addition to being good in the water, the women's swimming and diving team has proven it is equally good in the classroom, earning the 12th highest team GPA in the nation among Division I schools this past Fall. The Vikings earned a team GPA of 3.46, the highest of any Horizon League women's team last semester.

HORIZON PERFECTION: A 127-114 win over UIC on Feb. 5 allowed the men's swimming and diving team to finish the season with a perfect conference mark for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. The Vikings were 4-0 in the Horizon League this year, including wins over Valparaiso (131-69), Green Bay (147-96) and Wright State (191-107).

10 OF 10 (PLUS): With the victory over UIC on Feb. 5, the men's team finished its regular season with 12 wins, marking the squad's 10th consecutive year with double digit dual meet victories. The Viking men have also clinched their 13th straight winning season. Cleveland State has finished every year since 1998-99 with more wins than losses, the longest such streak in program history. The second longest stretch is 10 seasons of winning records, set from 1973-74 to 1982-83.

2010-11 HORIZON LEAGUE HONORS: Cleveland State's swimmers and divers were honored by the Horizon League nine times this season, with nine different Vikings being selected for athlete of the week awards. Below is the complete list of Vikings who earned the honor this season:

Alice Sommerville - Oct. 18 (swimmer of the week)
Berry Thompson - Oct. 18 (swimmer of the week)
Josh Gonzalez - Oct. 18 (diver of the week)
Carys Behn - Oct. 26 (swimmer of the week)
Berry Thompson - Oct. 26 (swimmer of the week)
Mark de Swardt - Nov. 2 (swimmer of the week)
Deni Gasparin - Nov. 9 (swimmer of the week)
Josh Gonzalez - Nov. 23 (diver of the week)
Berry Thompson - Nov. 23 (swimmer of the week)
Joanna Olsson - Nov. 23 (swimmer of the week)
Kacey Cummings - Dec. 7 (diver of the week)
Matt DiMasso - Dec. 7 (diver of the week)
Mark de Swardt - Jan. 18 (swimmer of the week)
Josh Gonzalez - Jan. 18 (diver of the week)
Alice Sommerville - Jan. 18 (swimmer of the week)
Kacey Cummings - Jan. 18 (diver of the week)
Kacey Cummings - Jan. 25 (diver of the week)
Kacey Cummings - Jan. 31 (diver of the week)

SWIMMING SWEEPS JANUARY HONORS: Juniors Mark de Swardt and Kacey Cummings were named Cleveland State's Athletes of the Month for January. de Swardt went undefeated in January, going 3-0 in individual races against Notre Dame (Jan. 14), Oakland and Xavier (Jan. 15) and Wright State (Jan. 22). He was named the Horizon League Swimmer of the Week after winning the 1,000 free against Notre Dame in 9:18.49, the fastest time in the league this season. Cummings earned Horizon League Diver of the Week honors three times in January, and her 281.70 score in the 1-meter at Bowling Green on Jan. 26 leads the conference.

VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS: Both CSU swimming and diving teams were ranked in the latest TYR/College Swimming Coaches Association of America Mid-Major Poll, released on Feb. 15. The men are ranked fifth with 229.8 points, trailing Navy (first, 253.6), Oakland (239.8), Princeton (238.7) and California State-Bakersfield (230.3). The women are ranked 20th with 228.1 points, just behind fellow Horizon League team Milwaukee (19th, 228.2). This is just the second ranking in the mid-major poll for the women in program history.

FAST STARTS: Alasdair Shillito and Gretchen Hestley joined the swimming and diving teams this semester and have not wasted any time helping the Vikings win. Shillito helped the 200 medley relay team to victory on Jan. 22 and also won the 100 back. His time in the 100 back against Oakland (51.84) is the fourth best in the Horizon League this season.Hestley has helped relay teams to two first place finishes this month and her time in the 200 free on Jan. 22 (1:56.08) ranks as the 10th best in that event in CSU history.

TAKING A DIVE: While Josh Gonzalez and Kacey Cummings have been leading the Vikings in the diving events all year, they've recently taken their performances to a new level. Gonzalez swept the diving competition against both Oakland and Wright State, with his scores in the latter being personal bests (303.65 - 1-meter, 328.15 - 3-meter). Cummings has been named the Horizon League Diver of the Week four times this year, including earning the honor three consecutive times in January. Her 281.70 score in the 1-meter dive at Bowling Green is the best in the conference this season.

NEXT UP: While this weekend will mark the end of the season for the Cleveland State swimming and diving teams, several individual swimmers will have the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships with strong performances in the Horizon League Championships. The women's national championships will be held in Austin, Texas from March 17-21, while the men's championships will be held from March 24-26 in Minneapolis, Minn. In addition, Josh Gonzalez and Kacey Cummings have both qualified for the NCAA Zone C Diving Qualifiers, which will be held from March 10-13 in Columbus, Ohio.