Feb. 4, 2012
Contact: Tim Ertle
Follow CSU on TWITTER
Follow CSU Swimming and Diving on TWITTER
CSU Athletics on YouTube
Video has no source Url in width="269" height="217">
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The day started with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem sung by siblings Matt and Alex DiMasso and ended with CSU on top of UIC, 145-98, to cap a perfect season at home for the Vikings women's swimming and diving team. The victory also sent the seniors - competing at home for the final time in their careers - out a winner on Senior Day.
With the win, Cleveland State improves to 12-4 on the year. The Vikings finish a perfect five-for-five against Horizon League opponents. UIC concludes the regular season at 7-5-1 overall and 3-2-1 in the league.
Seniors Rachel Arzadon, Carys Behn, Kacey Cummings, Emily Splain and Liz Victor - with the encouragement of Whitney Hickey - helped the Vikings finish 7-0 at home.
Cleveland State won nine of the 13 events on Saturday with two victories each from Behn, Joanna Olsson and Alice Sommerville.
Kacey Cummings started the day with a victory in the 3-meter diving event. She was awarded a 288.90 - her top score in that event - to finish ahead of UIC's Kristi Carling (247.88) and Whitney Johnson (241.95) - both of whom have been named the league's `Diver of the Week' within the last two weeks.
Behn took the 200 (1:53.24) and 500 (5:08.14) free events. Olsson was a winner in both the 200 IM (2:09.17) and 200 fly (2:08.78) while Sommerville won the 50 (23.86) and 100 (52.22) free events.
Alexandra Johansson was a winner in the 200 back (2:06.37) with CSU freshmen Hayley Smith (2:08.47) and Rachel Grove (2:09.85) each scoring as they took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 200 back.
Cleveland State took the final event of the afternoon, the 400 free relay, when Johansson, Sommerville, Behn and Jamie Puls covered the distance in 3:29.68 - almost five seconds faster than UIC's top quartet. Sommerville swam second and had a 51.91 split while Behn, swimming third, was the only other swimmer to break the :52 mark when she was clocked at 51.92.
Emily Splain had a third place finish in the 200 fly which Olsson won. The CSU senior touched in 2:15.85, one spot ahead of teammate Hannah Morris (2:24.16). She was also fifth in the 200 free, a race won by Behn. UIC's Emily Gniatczyk was second with a 1:54.69 but CSU had the next three swimmers to touch. Gretchen Hestley was third with a 1:57.11, Amanda Pallija took fourth with a 1:58.61 and Splain swam a 1:59.25.
Arzadon was sixth in the 200 breast (2:31.70) and seventh in the 200 IM (2:18.51).
Victor was fourth in the 3-meter diving event with a 211.43, one spot ahead of Alexandra DiMasso (204.30). Later in the meet, Victor was fifth in the 1-meter diving event with a 173.85.
The Vikings will now amp up their training for the Horizon League Championships which begin on Feb. 22 in Brown Deer, Wis. Last year, Cleveland State took third place.
