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

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

Pelser, Jones Named Men's And Women's Swimmers Of The Week

Pelser, Jones Named Men's And Women's Swimmers Of The Week
Posted: Dec 07, 2004

Dec. 7, 2004

Cleveland State swimmers Pieter Pelser and Samantha Jones have been named the Horizon League Men's and Women's Swimmers of the Week for Dec. 7, the league announced today. Pelser receives the award for the first time this year, while Jones has been honored for the second time.

Pelser set two Cleveland State records for both the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke at the Miami Invitational over the weekend. The Krugersdorp, South Africa native led off the first-place 400 medley relay with a school-record 100 backstroke time of 49.71 and cruised to first place in the 200 back in a school- and meet-record time of 1:47.84. He also took first in the 100 backstroke in 49.88 and tied the season-best league mark in the 200 IM with a time of 1:54.57.

"Pieter has been doing very well lately," men's head coach Wally Morton said. "Sometimes, I think it's tough for him to be so far away from home, but I think he is really excited about swimming well this year."

Jones set four Horizon League season-best times in winning a pair of events at the Miami Invitational. The Pietermaritzburg, South Africa native won the 100 backstroke in a league-best 57.60, improving on the previous top time by a full second (58.60) and won the 200 backstroke in a time of 2:04.20. Jones added league-bests in the 200 IM prelims (2:09.90) and 100 butterfly prelims (58.61) in addition to helping the 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay teams to league season-best times.

"Sam put a lot of pressure on herself this weekend," women's head coach Mike Lehto said. "She swam quite a few events at Miami and still had some outstanding times, but I think she wants to be even better than she was."

It is the fifth and sixth time this season that a member of the Cleveland State men's or women's swim teams has been named swimmer of the week and the second time a pair of Vikings have won it in the same week. Bjorn Schantz and Marianne Lionell were both honored on Nov. 16, while Jones received her first award of the season on Nov. 9 and Luke Wilkens claimed the honor on Nov. 2.

Cleveland State will remain idle until their training trip to Florida International on Jan. 9.