Feb. 9, 2002
CLEVELAND, OH - Blame it on a case of the jitters. Say it was the pressure of performing well on Senior Day. Or just call it what it truly was: a fantastic finish between two great swim teams. In the end, Cleveland State's women's team outlasted Illinois-Chicago, 121-115, to win the regular season finale Friday.
Taking first in eight of 11 swimming events, the Vikings trailed 111-110 after Georgian Peric (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) won the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:31.65. The senior co-captain made the most of her final performance in Robert F. Busbey Natatorium, also winning the 200-yard IM (2:15.09) and swimming on the winning 400-yard medley relay team (4:08.26).
Also doing her best to put the Vikings in a position to win was the team's other co-captain, senior Audrey Gray (South Euclid, Ohio/Brush). Gray, a two-time Horizon League swimmer of the week this season, won the 50-yard freestyle with a 25.28 and took second in the 200-yard backstroke behind teammate Samantha Jones (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa/Pietermaritzburg) with a 2:11.77. Gray's best performance, though, came in the meet's final event.
Swimming stroke-for-stroke with UIC, Gray swam the opening leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay. Hitting the water second for CSU was Helene Vorster (Senekal, South Africa/Oranje Girls School).
The fabulous freshman, fresh off winning the 200-yard freestyle earlier in the afternoon (in 1:56.77), touched in just ahead of her UIC opponent, sending another freshman, Tina Abbott (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands/First Baptist Christian School) into the pool.
Abbott, who had taken second in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a 10:52.49, swam a strong leg and handed the race, and the last hope of winning the meet, to sophomore Jen Catton (Tecumseh, Ontario/Belle River).
Catton did not disappoint. With both teams, the coaching staffs and the crowd in the stands on their feet and screaming, Catton swam her strongest race in weeks and finished :00.02 seconds ahead to give Cleveland State the relay and the meet victory.
The win puts the Vikings at 9-5, matching their best record in eight seasons under coach Mike Lehto.
The team will use the next few weeks to rest and prepare for the Horizon League Championships in Chicago on the weekend of February 27-March 2.
Road trip anyone?
