Nov. 27, 2006

Contact: Josh Rattray

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MEET 7

at Miami (OH) Invitational

Date: Nov. 30, 2006 - Dec. 2, 2006

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Site: Oxford, Ohio

SETTING THE SCENE: After swimming just once in the last three weeks, the Cleveland State men's and women's swimming and diving teams will travel to the Miami Invitational on Nov. 30 in Oxford, Ohio. The three-day tournament, which begins with distance events on Thursday, runs through Dec. 2 and is the last event for both Viking squads for the calendar year.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK: The Viking men hosted No. 14 Ohio State on Tuesday (Nov. 21) at the Busbey Natatorium while the women have been idle since Nov. 11. Here is a look at last week's meet against the Buckeyes:

                Men - Ohio State 161, CSU 79  (Nov. 21, 2006, Busbey Natatorium)

                Senior Bjorn Schantz won the 200 and 500 free and the Vikings set four new top times, but the Buckeyes had too much depth for CSU to keep up in the dual meet score. Schantz swam a league top time 1:39.75 in the 200 free and also posted a 4:34.42 in the 500. Sophomores Marko Milenkovic (46.40 in 100 free) and Nedim Nisic (51.08 in 100 fly) also added team top times.

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN'S TEAM: The CSU women `s squad is loaded with  both young and experienced swimmers, including 10 returning letterwinners on the roster. However, seven of those 10 are freshmen and sophomores still adjusting to collegiate swimming. Marianne Lionell is the team's only senior and is currently CSU's top swimmer in five events (50 and 200 free, 100 and 200 breast and 200 IM).

Sophomore Katie Bellew holds the school record in the 100 fly (:57.50) and is the also the team's top swimmer in the 200 fly (2:08.92). CSU's sophomore twins, Kristine and Sandra Bunker, also return after each posted a solid freshman campaign. Kristine will add depth to the Viking sprint corps (50 and 200 free, 100 and 200 fly) while Sandra is the team's top returning distance swimmer, leading in the 1,650 free (18:16.80) and 1,000 free (10:55.35). Along with Lionell, junior Lesley Jones is among the team's top sprint swimmers, leading the team in the 100 free (56.20) and is second in the 50 free (25.52).

The Vikings have lost sophomore Jen MacLauchlan for the fall semester to illness, but her return should spark the Vikings in both sprint swims and backstroke events. Once redshirt freshman Lauren Bullard and true freshman Meagan Seaman are able to dive, the duo will give the squad a chance to capture diving points.

LEHTO ON THE CSU WOMEN: "In a way this time off has been nice because it has given us a chance to get healthier and focus on ourselves rather than on the competition. Our goal for Miami is simply to just perform well and swim our best times."

PREVIEWING THE MEN'S TEAM: The CSU men's squad takes aim at defending its Horizon League championship with 15 returning letterwinners from last year. Headlining the returnees is senior Bjorn Schantz, last year's Horizon League Swimming Athlete of the Year. Schantz, who was also named the Men's Outstanding Swimmer at the league championships, is currently at the top of the league leaderboard in the 200 and 1,000 free and is second in the 500 free. Schantz holds school records in the 200 (1:39.15) and 500 (4:24.65) and his time in the 500 was also good for the Horizon League Championship record. He was also the anchor leg of CSU's championship 800 free relay team that also posted a school-record time.

Several Vikings provide support, including sophomores Marko Milenkovic and Nedim Nisic. Milenkovic is among the team's top sprinters, holding a team-best time of 46.40 in the 100 free. Nisic is the team's top option in the butterfly, posting team-best times in both the 100 (:51.08) and 200 fly (1:52.08).

Sophomore Stef Potgieter, along with Milenkovic and junior Dave Duecker, leads the team in the breaststroke events. Potgieter's time of 2:04.36 is the best 200 breast time in the league. Despite losing two-time league diving champion Thatcher Carr to graduation, the Vikings still have two talented divers that can defend the league title. Senior Chris Dalman has placed first in every diving event save one (three-meter vs. Ohio State) this year. He currently is tops on the league leaderboard in both the one-meter (365.00) and three-meter (375.45) and he holds the CSU one-meter dive record with a score of 415.40 on Feb. 4 last year against UIC. Junior Dan Baiko also returns and the two divers together give the Vikings a huge edge in diving points.

MORTON ON THE CSU MEN: "The Miami Invitational is a very prestigious event in a great facility. We are looking forward to swimming some good times This is more of an individual meet where we are focusing on finding out what events we are the best at.  It also gives us a chance to rehearse the events for the league championship."

WELCOME TO MIAMI: The three-day Miami Invitational will serve as the season's best precursor to the Horizon League Championships. The tournament will begin with distance events on Thursday evening with the prelims on Friday and the finals on Saturday. Swimmers are allowed to enter as many events as they like, making the meet very fast-paced and compact with short recovery times. Additionally, men's head coach Wally Morton graduated from Miami in 1970.

LORDS OF THE RINGS: The members of last year's Horizon League champion men's squad will receive their league championship rings at halftime of the Cleveland State men's basketball game on Wednesday (Nov. 29) against Kent State at the Wolstein Center. The men's golf team, which also won a league championship in 2006, will also receive rings in the ceremony.

`BJORN' TO SWIM: Bjorn Schantz, the reigning Horizon League Swim Athlete of the Year, has won eleven individual events in the season's first seven meets, including five  in the 500 and four in the 1,000 free. The Loddekopinge, Sweden native currently owns the league's top marks in the 200 free (1:39.75 on Nov. 21) and is second on the league leaderboard in the 500 (4:32.58 on Nov. 11) and 1,000 free (9:28.49 on Nov. 11). Schantz also swims the anchor leg of the 400 free relay team that currently stands third in the league (3:08.09 on Nov. 11) and leads the team with 96.75 dual meet points (excluding Cleveland City College Meet).

...BUT THAT'S NOT ALL: Schantz, an international business major who owns a 3.9 GPA, was named the Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Oct. 24 after winning the 500 and 1,000 free against on Oct. 21 against Valparaiso.

LIONELL THE LEADER: Marianne Lionell now holds the team's top times in five events after posting a 25.18 in the 50 free in her first place swim on Nov. 11. The Sodertalje, Sweden native is also the leader in the 200 free (2:00.09), 100 breast (1:07.82), 200 breast (2:32.80) and the 200 IM (2:18.52). The time in the 200 IM came on Nov. 10 at the Cleveland City College Meet.

`DALMAN-ATING THE COMPETITION': Chris Dalman has been named Horizon League Male Diver of the Week four times in the last five weeks. The senior from Auburn, Washington holds the  league's top scores in both diving events and is undefeated in 11 trips off the one-meter boards and has placed first 10 of 11 times in the three-meter dive. Dalman's diving prowess, along with solid performances by Dan Baiko, has given the Vikings a big lift in dual action, as CSU has outscored its opponents 221-82 in diving events.

BELLEW IS SO FLY: Katie Bellew won her first three fly events of the season against Valparaiso (Oct. 21) and UW-Green Bay (Oct. 28) and currently owns the team's top time in the 200 fly (2:12.38 on Oct. 28). She also is second on the team in the 200 breast (2:35.71 on Oct. 21) and the 200 IM (2:18.52 on Nov. 10).

SUPREME NEDIM: Nedim Nisic posted a team-best time of 51:08 en route to second place in the 100 fly on Nov. 21. He also owns CSU's top mark in the 200 fly at 1:52.08 (Nov. 11). Nisic has won the 200 fly four times and the 100 fly twice and is also also third on the team in the 100 free (47.79).

Women's Head Coach:

Mike Lehto (Cleveland State `85)

At CSU: 88-93 (13th Year)

Overall: Same

Lehto, the winningest women's swimming coach in Cleveland State history, has mentored the Vikings to five straight seasons at .500 or better. Under his tutelage, Samantha Jones became the school's first Horizon League Female Swim Athlete of the Year in 2005.

Men's Head Coach:

Wally Morton (Miami (OH) `70)

At CSU: 226-128 (26th Year)

Overall: Same

Morton has led the Vikings to 12 conference championships and 22 winning seasons in his 25 years at the helm of the men's program. Morton, who also serves as CSU's Director of Aquatics, has led the Vikings to five straight seasons of 10 or more dual meet victories and for four straight years a Viking has claimed the league's Male Swim Athlete of the Year Award.

UP NEXT: Both the Viking men and women are idle for the month of December and return to action at their Holiday Invitational at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla. on Sat., Jan. 6, 2007.