Feb. 24, 2012
Contact: Tim Ertle
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Brown Deer, Wis. - When you scanned the results of the Horizon League Swimming and Diving finals on Friday (Feb. 24) night, you noticed that the Cleveland State Viking women's swimming and diving team was well represented at the top. That's why the Vikings have themselves in good position after three days of competition and head into the final day tomorrow just five points behind Milwaukee.
Milwaukee leads the field with 509.5 points and Cleveland State has 504.5. Green Bay is third with 429, and UIC is fourth after racking up 361.5 points. Wright State is fifth with 259.5 points and Youngstown State is sixth with a score of 229. Valparaiso (104) and Butler (97) round out the field.
"We're right there behind Milwaukee," head coach Wally Morton said. "We're really doing it with our depth. I look at swimmers like Emily Splain, a senior who is having just a terrific meet. We had some younger swimmers step up, and they're playing a big part in the team success and that's why we have a chance to win this meet tomorrow."
Joanna Olsson got things started with a second place finish in the 400 IM, touching in 4:24.79. Freshman Megan Splain placed seventh with a time of 4:33.04. Hayley Smith took ninth with a 4:35.13 and Hannah Morris tied for 14th (4:40.39) to add 2.5 points.
Cleveland State had a one-two finish in the next race, the 100 fly. Alexandra Johansson won the title with a league and championship time record of 54.77, just .01 ahead of teammate Alice Sommerville. That duo paired with seventh place finisher Emily Splain (57.26) to add 49 points to the team score in one event.
Carys Behn, the league's performer of the meet last season, took second in the 200 free with a season-best time of 1:49.67, just shy of her league record time of 1:48.05 which was set at last year's league meet. Christine Kopacko took ninth in the same event and earned nine team points with her time season-best time of 1:52.84.
Sommerville came back and took third in the 100 breast, clocking in at 1:02.62. Allison Pallija added five team points with a time of 1:06.16.
Two more Vikings placed in the 100 back as Johannson took third with a 55.70 and Smith placed eighth when she touched in 57.60, continuing to impress in her first league meet.
The night ended on a high note when the quartet of Olsson, Emily Splain, Behn and Kopacko set a new school, championship and league record time of 7:26.29 in the 800 free relay. Cleveland State set the record of 7:27.75 at the league meet last year.
Swimming trials begin tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. EST with the 1,650 free. Other events scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 25) include the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 3-meter diving and the 400 free relay.
Video of the finals - which are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST - can be streamed live on the Horizon League Network via www.HorizonLeague.org.
