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Swimming Wraps Up Fall Season At Akron Invite

Swimming Wraps Up Fall Season At Akron Invite
Posted: Dec 02, 2003

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Contact: Kevin Zeise

Dec. 2, 2003

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland State men's and women's swimming and diving teams will conclude competition for the fall semester at the Akron Invitational this weekend in Akron, Ohio. The invitational runs from Thursday (Dec. 4) through Saturday (Dec. 6), and will pit the Vikings against teams from Akron, Ohio, Ball State and St. Bonaventure, among others.

About the Viking Men
The Vikings (5-2, 1-0 HL) fell to Ohio State,137-96, on Tuesday (Nov. 25) in Columbus, Ohio. Warren Vickers (Durban, South Africa) picked up a win for the Vikings in the 100 freestyle (45.81), while Luke Wilkens (Bloemfontein, South Africa) and Gabriel Linton (Nora, Sweden) also chipped in with wins. Wilkens won the 500 freestyle in 4:37.79, with Linton winning the 100 breaststroke in 58.57.

About the Viking Women
The CSU women (3-4, 0-1 HL) dropped a 147-81 decision to Ohio State on Tuesday (Nov. 25) in Columbus, Ohio. Marianne Lionell (Sodertalje, Sweden) and Tina Abbott (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) picked up wins for the Vikings, with Lionell winning the 100 breaststroke (1:06.55) and Abbott winning the 500 freestyle (5:29.83).

About the Akron Invite
Ten women's and eight men's teams will compete at the Akron Invitational this weekend, with most of the schools hailing from Ohio. Cleveland State will get a chance to avenge its earlier season loss to St. Bonaventure, as the Bonnies join both the men's and women's fields. Ball State, Duquesne, Ohio and Xavier, along with Illinois State, Akron and Tulane's women's teams round out the Division I opponents the Vikings will face.

Psyching Them Out
In the psych sheet for the Akron Invitational, it's clear the Viking men will be the team to beat. Of the 18 swimming events, a Viking has the fastest entry time in 16 of them. In only the 400 individual medley and the 500 freestyle do the Vikings not hold the top entry. However, in both of those events, senior Warren Vickers holds the second-fastest entry time.

Climbing The Charts
Warren Vickers' leadoff time of 44.90 in the 400 freestyle relay on Nov. 15 against Eastern Michigan is one of just 14 sub-45 second times to be posted in the nation through Nov. 24. Vickers ranks 10th in Division I in the 100 freestyle with teammate Lyle Wilkens 40th in the same event, while a host of other Vikings are listed among the nation's best. Pieter Pelser (Krugersdorp, South Africa) is ranked 17th in the 100 backstroke and 19th in the 200 backstroke through the first six weeks of the season, while Vickers has also posted the 30th-fastest time in the nation in the 50 freestyle. In addition, the men's 400 freestyle relay team currently holds down the 26th-fastest time in the nation.

...And Within The League
The Vikings hold the top time in the Horizon League in nearly every event on the men's side in the latest top times update from the league office, released on Monday, Nov. 24. Warren Vickers and Luke Wilkens currently hold down the top time in three events each. Pieter Pelser has the fastest mark in the two backstroke events, while the Vikings have the best time in three of the four relays they've competed in at this point in the season. In all, a Viking swimmer, relay or diver holds the league's top mark in 14 of the 21 events that will be contested at the Horizon League Championships in late February. The next top times update will be released around Dec. 9.

The Women Aren't Bad, Either
In the women's top times update, also released on Monday, Nov. 24, Marianne Lionell leads in the 50 freestyle and both breaststroke events, while Samantha Jones has the league's best time in the 100 backstroke. Kirsty McKechnie joins in by holding the league's standard in the 400 individual medley.

Swimmer of the Week
Warren Vickers' performance in the win over Eastern Michigan earned him Horizon League Swimmer of the Week honors for the week ending Nov. 16, the league office announced on Nov. 18. Vickers joins Pieter Pelser on the men's side and Marianne Lionell for the women in earning league honors this season. Lionell and Pelser were both named on Nov. 4 after setting school records during the season-opening weekend on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Watch For Falling Records
Pieter Pelser grabbed another pair of school records on Nov. 15 against Eastern Michigan. Pelser re-set his own marks in both the 100 backstroke and the 200 backstroke against the Eagles. Pelser first set the 100 back record in the season-opener against Miami, and originally captured the 200 backstroke record at last year's Horizon League Championships. Marianne Lionell, meanwhile, has already claimed the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke records this season for the women's team.

Counting Down The Wins
Men's head coach Wally Morton has compiled 193 wins in his 23 seasons as head coach, including his 5-2 mark this season. Morton is the winningest head coach in the history of Cleveland State swimming and diving.

Up Next
Cleveland State will hit the road for their annual winter training trip in early January. The Vikings have a meet scheduled against Florida International and Houston's women for Jan. 11.