Feb. 5, 2011
Contact: Dan Carr
CHICAGO, Ill. - The Cleveland State women's swimming and diving team defeated UIC, 137-106, on Saturday (Feb. 5) to become the winningest team in program history. The Vikings have won 15 dual meets this season, breaking the record of 14 set by last year's squad.
"Congrats to the women," head coach Wally Morton said. "They are now the winningest team in the women's program's history. It is a tremendous accomplishment and it sets us up very well for the upcoming conference championships."
Joanna Olsson and Alice Sommerville led a very balanced squad that won nine of the day's 13 events. Olsson won the 1,000 free (10:39.46), the 200 IM (2:11.90) and the 200 fly (2:08.24), going a perfect 3-0 for the day. Sommerville also won both the individual events in which she swam, taking first in the 100 free (52.10) and the 50 free (23.94).
Kacey Cummings swept the diving events, winning the 1-meter with a score of 263.25 and the 3-meter with a score of 272.25.
The best team performance of the day came in the 200 free, where Carys Behn (1:53.81), Nikki Kolis (1:57.93) and Christine Kopacko (1:58.27) 1-2-3'd UIC.
"This was an all-around team effort," Morton said. "It wasn't just the winners, it was also the depth swimmers who took second and third and earned the points that made the difference today."
The Vikings also did well in both relays. The team of Gretchen Hestley, Behn, Alexandra Johansson and Kopacko won the 400 free relay in 3:31.97. CSU nearly won the 400 medley relay as well. The team of Johansson, Allison Pallija, Sommerville Hestley touched in at 3:56.15, just four-tenths of a second behind the winning UIC unit (3:56.11).
"The team got on the bus at 6:45 this morning, rode to Chicago, got off the bus and swam very well against a good UIC team," Morton said. "I'm impressed with how we competed."
Next up for the Vikings is the 2011 Horizon League Championships. The team will have two weeks to train for the event, which will be at the Cleveland State Busbey Natatorium from Feb. 23-26.
