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Dobies, Grove and Gasparin Head to Last Chance Meet at Ohio State

Dobies, Grove and Gasparin Head to Last Chance Meet at Ohio State
Posted: Mar 03, 2008

March 3, 2008

Contact: Gene Natale, Jr.

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Meet 15
at Ohio State Last Ditch NCAA Qualifier
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2008
Time: Noon
Site: McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion (1,750), Mike Peppe Natatorium, Columbus, Ohio

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State will send three swimmers to compete at the Ohio State Last Ditch NCAA Qualifier, held March 8, 2008 at noon at Ohio State's McCorkle Aquatic Pavillion in Columbus, Ohio.

THE THREE AMIGOS: Following the Horizon League Championships, it became clear that three Vikings in particular were close to qualifying to the NCAA Championships. Jakub Dobies may have the best chance of the three "on-the-bubble" swimmers to make an appearance at the national meet, as the sophomore has achieved provisional qualifying times in both the 100 (54.03) and 200 (2:00.43) breaststroke. There were 41 swimmers selected to swim the 100 breaststroke at last year's championship, and Dobies currently ranks 20th in the nation with his season-best time. Of those 41, Dobies was the 13th-seeded swimmer going into the meet with his school-record time of 53.77. Dobies finished 28th overall (54.39), but had he finished in the top 16, he would have become CSU's first All-American swimmer. Dobies will attempt to improve his chances to make a return trip this Saturday. He will be joined in his quest to qualify for the national championship by sophomore Stephen Grove and freshman Deni Gasparin. Grove had an outstanding week at the league championships, having a hand in five school records. Perhaps the most impressive record set by Grove last week was his showing in the 100 butterfly. With his time of 48.86, he broke a 22 year old school record. The previous record holder, Harold Wagner (48.89), was an NCAA championship qualifier for the Vikings as well as a United States Olympic Trials qualifier in the late `80s. Deni Gasparin has made school history despite being a Viking for less than two months. The freshman from Zagreb, Croatia has the school's second best times in both the 100 (55.34) and 200 breaststroke. His best time in the 100 breast is only .14 from a provisional qualifying mark, while his best 200 breast time (2:01.02) is .42 from provisional qualification.

MORTON ON THE CSU MEN: "We feel that all three (Dobies, Grove, Gasparin) have the ability to compete at the national level, and we want to give them every opportunity to participate in the greatest meet in history, the NCAA Championship. This is an outstanding opportunity for these three young men."

SIX OF 12, NOT BAD: The Vikings had six swimmers in the top-twelve point scorers for the league championship meet. Jakub Dobie was in a three-way tie for first place with 57 points and was followed by Deni Gasparin (fourth, 53 points), Stephen Grove (seventh, 51 points), Dave Duecker (10th, 48 points), Todd Winchell (10th, 48 points), and Nedim Nisic (12th, 46 points). No other school had more than four swimmers in the top 12.

ONE FOR THE AGES: Jakub Dobies has set three school records this season, in the 50 free (20.70, broken by Stephen Grove on Feb. 21), 100 free (44.62), and 200 breaststroke (2:00.43). He also holds the school record in the 100 breaststroke (53.77, set last season). Last year he was the first Viking since Harold Wagner (100 fly, 1987) to swim at the NCAA Championship, where he competed in the 100 breaststroke, finishing 28th overall (54.39). Dobies also has the second-best 200 IM time (1:49.82).

...AND AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Dobies excelled at the Horizon League Championships, winning the 100 breast (54.31) and 200 IM (1:53.34 in prelims, 1:49.82 in finals), and swimming on three winning relays. He also was runner-up in the 100 free (45.52). Each relay he was a part of (200 free, 200 medley, 400 free) set school, league, and meet records. He ended the week tied with Green Bay's Alex Hill and Wright State's Nathan Demchuk for the overall lead in points at the championship meet (57).

...MORE ON DOBIES: Dobies has set two NCAA "B" qualifying marks this season. His 100 breast time of 54.03 is currently the 20th best time in the nation. His 200 breast time of 2:00.43 is a Horizon League record and the 37th best nationally.

MORTON ON DOBIES: "We feel Jakub's time in the 100 breaststroke is on the bubble to qualify for the national championship. Because we had the league championship moved from the fast waters of Cleveland State, he was not able to improve his time last week, and he will have a chance to do that this weekend."

NEW, YET STRANGELY FAMILIAR: Freshman Deni Gasparin won newcomer of the year honors at the Horizon League Championships. His award marks the second straight year a Viking has received the honor, as Jakub Dobies received the accolade last season. Gasparin won the 200 breast (2:01.02) on the championship's final day, setting a new Ocasek Natatorium record in the process. He also was runner-up in the 100 breast (55.34), third in the 200 IM (1:51.21) and swam on the three record-setting Viking relay teams (200 free, 200 medley, 400 medley, all league champions). He also swam on the fifth-place 800 free relay (3:01.04).

MORTON ON GASPARIN: "Deni is a nationally ranked 100 and 200 breast swimmer. He had a cramp on the last day of the league championship that prevented him from possibly swimming even faster in the 200, and we want him to have every chance to make it to nationals."

GROVE THE WORLD BEATER: Of the six school records set at the league championship, sophomore Stephen Grove had a hand in five of them. After helping the 200 free and 200 medley relay teams win in record-setting fashion, he set a school record in the prelims of the 50 free (20.41), winning the event with a time of 20.71 in the final heat. Later in the second day he swam on the record-setting 400 medley relay team (3:18.55). Grove then set yet another school record on the third day of competition, this time in the 100 fly (48.86). He finished second overall, and broke a record that had been in place for 21 years, the only Viking record that had been more than eight years old. The previous record holder, Harold Wagner, (48.89) swam at the NCAA Championships for the Vikings in 1987.

MORTON ON GROVE: "Stephen had a spectacular championship meet, especially with the 50 free and 100 fly. The previous record-holder in the 100 fly, Harold, was an NCAA qualifier and Olympic Trial qualifier."

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Senior diver Dan Baiko has thus far duplicated Chris Dalman's season of a year ago, winning league diver of the week honors five times, winning both the one and three-meter boards at the league championships, and being named diver of the year. Baiko also set an Ocasek Natatorium record in the one-meter dive, scoring 322.65 in the win. While Dalman became the first CSU diver in 32 years to make the trip to the NCAA Championships last year, Baiko's season ended at the Zone C qualifying round a year ago (22nd in the three-meter, 260.75). Baiko will have another opportunity to make it to nationals at this year's Zone C qualifying round from March 14-16.

DUECKER NEVER BETTER: After flirting with the school record in the 400 IM the past four years (coming within .5 of the previous record, 3:59.20, last season), senior Dave Duecker finally broke through at the Horizon League Championships, shattering the old record by three seconds and setting a new mark of 3:56.45. Duecker was finished second in the event by only two-tenths of a second to swimmer of the year Nathan Demchuk (of Wright State). Duecker was also second in the 1,000 free (9:27.38), and fifth in the 200 fly (1:50.74), and was on the fifth place 800 free relay (Winchell, Gasparin, Nisic, 6:49.66).

W FOR WINCHELL: Sophomore Todd Winchell also was a member of the three record setting Viking relays at the league championships. Individually, he won the 100 back (50.31), was fourth in the 100 fly (49.30), and sixth in the 200 back (1:52.54).

JONES LED THE WAY: Lesley Jones recorded season best times in the 50 free (eighth, 24.41) and 100 free (ninth, 53.02) at the league championships. She had the best showing at the championship meet by any on the women's team, leading the Vikings with 20 points scored throughout the week.

LEADING SEVERAL CATEGORIES: Katie Bellew finished 2008 with the Vikings' top times in the 100 fly (59.17), 200 fly (2:12.61), 200 breast (2:28.50), and 200 IM (2:18.34). She also scored nine points at the league championships, second-best on the team.

DOUBLE BUNKER: Twin sisters Kristine and Sandra Bunker led the team in several events in 2008. Sandra has the Vikings' top times in the 50 (30.84), 100 (1:01.96) and 200 back (2:14.90). Meanwhile, Kristine topped the Vikings in the 400 IM (4:50.10) this season.

SIMON SAYS: Senior Trisha Simon finished 13th (197.65) in the one-meter dive at the league championship, and dove 60 points better than she did at the championship a year ago (15th, 131.35) in her first semester as a diver. Simon only started diving in January of last season, and had a background in gymnastics before picking up diving.

SHE'S GOING THE DISTANCE: Freshmen Erin Green and Frances Carrion became the eighth and ninth-best swimmers in school history in the 1,650 free in 2008. Both times (18.03.89 and 18:04.85) were achieved at the league championships.

RAEDEL BROUGHT HER BEST: Senior Deanna Raedel swam her best times at the league championships, including a 2:30.20 in the 200 breast (12th overall) and a 1:08.95 in the 100 breast (13th overall).

MEN'S & WOMEN'S HEAD COACH:
Wally Morton (Miami (OH) '70)
At CSU (as Men's Coach): 241-133-1 (27th Year), (as Women's Coach): 4-10-0 (1st Year)
Overall: Same as above

Wally Morton has led the Vikings to 12 conference championships and 21 winning seasons in his 27 years at the helm of the men's program. Morton has guided the Vikings to seven straight seasons of 10 or more dual meet victories, and a Viking has won the male swimmer of the year award in four of the last six seasons. Morton has taken over as the head women's coach this season, his first at the helm of both the men's and women's programs. Morton also serves as the school's director of competitive aquatics, and has been with CSU for 32 total years.

UP NEXT: Dan Baiko will attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championships at the Zone C Diving NCAA preliminary round, held from March 14-16 at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.