Feb. 26, 2011
Complete Results From The 2011 Horizon League Swimming & Diving Championships
Saturday's Final Results
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Contact: Dan Carr
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Carys Behn capped off an undefeated performance at the 2011 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships by breaking two conference records on Saturday (Feb. 25). As a result, the Cleveland State women's swimming and diving team finished the league tournament in third place out of eight teams.
Behn's performance earned her the title of Women's Co-Performer of the Year, an honor she shared with Emily McClellan of Milwaukee. The junior won seven races over the last four days, breaking six conference and school records in the process.
"[Behn] was so close to winning events the last two years, and she got over the hump," head coach Wally Morton said. "Now she's just dominant. She's a superb swimmer."
Behn's first conference record of the Saturday came in the 100 free, as she won the race in 50.23, an NCAA Division I 'B' cut time. She beat the league's previous best mark of 50.52, which had actually been set earlier in the day in the preliminary round by Alyssa Danielson of Green Bay.
Her other Horizon League record on Saturday came in the 400 free relay. Teaming up with Alice Sommerville, Joanna Olsson and Alexandra Johansson, Behn helped the squad to a 3:23.89 first-place finish, another NCAA Division I 'B' cut time.
She also broke league and school records in the 200 freestyle (1:48.05) and the 800 freestyle relay (7:27.75) on Friday (Feb. 25) and the 200 free (1:31.63) and 200 medley (1:41.77) relays on Wednesday (Feb. 23), finishing in first in all four races. On Thursday (Feb. 24), Behn won the 500 free in 4:53.89, the second fastest time in CSU history.
"One of the reasons we have such a successful team is because Carys is so unselfish," Morton said. "She not only thinks about herself, but also her teammates and helps them to become the best they can possibly be."
One other Viking earned an individual award at the meet's closing ceremony. CSU's Kacey Cummings was named the Diver of the Meet after winning the 1-Meter and taking third in the 3-Meter.
"Kacey is a very quality woman, both in the classroom and athletically," Morton said. "She was able to focus and finish strong (this week), and, as a result, her hard work paid off."
Behn's and Cummings' awards were a good finish to another great day of swimming for Cleveland State, as several other Vikings turned in excellent performances.
The top four spots Cleveland State's 100 free record book were rewritten on Saturday. Sommerville finished the event in the second best time in program history, taking fourth in 51.23. Gretchen Hestley, placing seventh with a time of 51.79, claimed third in the CSU record book, while Christine Kopacko is now fourth after finishing her preliminary in 52.16. Kopacko ended the 100 free in 11th place (52.30).
Michelle Ferro broke the CSU record in the 200 breaststroke, taking seventh in 2:22.19. She eclipsed the old mark of 2:22.72, recorded by Marianne Lionell in 2003. Allison Pallija became the holder of the second spot on that list on Saturday, finishing the event in 11th place with a time of 2:23.46.
Joanna Olsson also broke a school record, albeit her own, on Saturday, placing second in the 200 butterfly in 2:02.56. She beat her previous best time of 2:03.35, set in 2009. Emily Splain took over seventh on the 200 fly list, coming in 13th at 2:09.43.
Although nobody qualified for the finals in the 200 backstroke, three CSU swimmers made the school record list with fast swims in the consolations. Nikki Kolis' 11th-place time of 2:07.41 is the eighth best ever, while Whitney Hickey's 13th-place showing of 2:07.80 ranks ninth. Ferro took over 10th place on the CSU list with a 15th-place time of 2:08.26.
The only other event of the day for the Vikings was the 1,650 freestyle. Ashley Rossi represented Cleveland State in the event, finishing in ninth at 17:38.59.
"We really had a spectacular meet, by any definition," Morton said.
Cleveland State scored 625.5 points over the four day tournament to finish third out of eight teams. Green Bay won with a score of 788.5, more than 100 points better than second place Milwaukee (685). Wright State (558), UIC (453), Youngstown State (308.5), Valparaiso (126) and Butler (93.5) rounded out the field.
"Our women's program has come so far," Morton said. "The first year that I had the team we were second to last (in the conference championships), and they've moved up to one of the premiere programs. They certainly had an opportunity, if things had fallen a little differently, to end up in second place."
This concludes Cleveland State's regular season, the most successful ever for the women's program. The team won a school record 15 dual meets in the 2010-11 campaign, the most by any men's or women's team since Cleveland State added swimming and diving to its athletic program.
