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Swim Teams Honor Seniors On Saturday

Swim Teams Honor Seniors On Saturday
Posted: Jan 20, 2009

Contact: Julie Farr DeLima

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Jan. 20, 2009

SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State men's and women's swimming and diving teams host their final home duals of the season on Jan. 24. The men host Wright State while the women host Wright State and Youngstown State. The events are set to begin at 2:00 p.m. in the Robert F. Busbey Natatorium. The team will also honor its eight seniors during the meet - Volkmar Baur, Katie Bellew, Kristine and Sandra Bunker, Heather Dietz, Marko Milenkovic, Kristina Nagy and Nedim Nisic.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings hosted their second of three-straight home meets in January with a dual against Oakland. Below is a brief recap of the most recent Viking action.

MEN (8-4) - Oakland 173.5, CSU 118.5 (Jan. 16 in Cleveland Ohio): In its most recent action, a dual meet against Oakland on Jan. 16, the Vikings claimed seven wins, including four straight late in the meet, but it wasn't enough for the dual victory. Five different athletes recorded a win for CSU, including two each by Mark deSwardt (1,000 free and 500 free) and Marko Milenkovic (200 breast and 200 IM).

WOMEN (6-7) - Oakland 172, CSU 120 (Jan. 16 in Cleveland Ohio): In its most recent action, a dual meet against Oakland on Jan. 16, the Vikings showed a total team effort winning six individual events, setting one new school record and recording four other all-time Top-10 times.

MORTON ON THE CSU WOMEN & THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION: "I have been pleased with the women's swimmers and the work ethic they have exhibited both in practice and in meets," head coach Wally Morton said. "We had a number of best times and one school record last Saturday. Our intention is to continue to work on the process of being serious athletes competing at the Division I level. "We swam Wright State in the fall and did not perform well. They are a formidable opponent and are one of the favorites to win the conference. Our goal in the meet for both Youngstown State and Wright State is to enjoy swimming against excellent competition with the goal of winning."

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN: Head coach Wally Morton and his staff worked hard in the off-season to bring in additional talent to compete alongside CSU's capable returning athletes and improve on last year's seventh-place finish at the Horizon League Championships. The 2008-09 squad includes five seniors, one junior, three sophomores and eight freshmen. The newcomers continue to live up to expectations and carry the load. Freshmen have the team's top times in 14 of the 17 individual events they swam this year, and in both diving events. Carys Behn has the team's top times in five of the six freestyle events including the 50 (24.39), 100 (53.11), 200 (1:52.52, school record), 500 (5:04.53, school record) and 1,000 (10:28.06, school record) while sophomore Erin Green has the top time in the 1,650 (18:20.90). Freshman Maria Culjak has recorded two of the three top times in the backstroke events. Culjak swam a 1:00.10 in the 100 and 2:08.52 in the 200 for the best times of the season. Whitney Hickey has the team's best time in the 50 backstroke (28.38). Rachel Arzadon has been the team's best breaststroker, leading in the 50 (32.12), 100 (1:09.27) and 200 (2:29.58) events. Three different swimmers hold the team's top times in the butterfly events. Splain has the best 50 butterfly time (27.04), followed by Behn in the 100 (58.85) and senior Katie Bellew in the 200 (2:10.06). Behn also holds the team's top time in the 200 IM (2:11.75) while Kristine Bunker has the top time in the 400 IM (4:55.30). In the diving events, freshman Kacey Cummings has recorded season-bests in both the 1-meter (256.50) and 3-meter (268.12) events this season.

MORTON ON THE CSU MEN AND WRIGHT STATE: "We have great respect for Wright State," head coach Wally Morton said. "They will give us some excellent competition. It is our last home meet and we will be honoring our seniors. Our goal is to have fun with the meet and continue to improve on our performances."

PREVIEWING THE MEN: A conference contender for the last 35 seasons with 18 championships since 1974, the CSU men enter the 2008-09 season poised to make a run at its second Horizon League title in four seasons. All the pieces are in place including Nedim Nisic, a 2008 Summer Olympian, and Jakub Dobies, a two-time NCAA Championship competitor. In addition to eight freshmen, the Vikings return three sophomores, three juniors and three seniors. CSU's talented returning class picked up where it left off last season and is enjoying the addition of its talented freshman class. The Vikings' considerable depth is visible in the 2008-09 top times list. Heading into the final home meet of the season, seven different athletes are listed with top times in the swimming events this season. In the freestyle events, junior Jakub Dobies leads the way in the 50 (20.70) and 100 (45.88) while Todd Winchell has recorded the top 200 time (1:43.36). Freshman Mark deSwardt is listed at the top of the 500 (4:27.12), the 1,000 (9:18.19) and the 1,650 (15:20.75). In the backstroke, senior Nedim Nisic leads the team in the 50 (23.31) with junior Todd Winchell heading the 100 (51.33) while freshman Colin Hanner has the team's top time in the 200 (1:53.44). Dobies has also recorded the Vikings' top time in the 50 (25.78) and 100 breaststroke (55.92) while senior Marko Milenkovic is tops in the 200 (2:05.36). Grove has the team's top time in the 50 fly (22.95) while Winchell has the team's top 100 fly (48.80, school record) and deSwardt leads the 200 (1:51.38). In the IM events, deSwardt leads the Vikings in both the 200 (1:55.60) and 400 (3:59.43). Freshman Matt DiMasso leads the diving events, with season-best scores in both the 1-meter (252.90) and 3-meter (233.02) events.

ARZADON EARNS SPOT AMONG CSU's BEST: Freshman Rachel Arzadon has been keeping pace with the top breaststrokers in CSU history all year, but in last week's dual with Oakland she bettered the team's (and her) best times of the season in both the 100 and 200 to etch her name firmly into the all-time Top-10 lists. Arzadon won the 200 breast in 2:29.58, swimming the ninth-fastest time in school history. She also improved her own No. 9 time in school history in the 100 breast, dropping her time to 1:09.23 in a third-place finish. In the next-to-last event of the evening, she added a second-place finish in the 200 IM (2:22.69) for good measure.

MORE WINS FOR deSWARDT: After picking up two individual wins in CSU's dual win over Xavier on Jan. 10, Mark deSwardt kept his eyes on the prize and recorded two more victories in a dual with Oakland on Jan. 16. The freshman kept up his outstanding season with a win in both the 500 (4:37.28) and the 1,000 free (9:27.25). He also paired with the 400 free relay team, swimming the anchor leg for the second-place team and tied for third overall in the 200 free (1:44.96).

BEHN BREAKS THIRD SCHOOL RECORD: Freshman Carys Behn has been a force all year and used the Vikings' most recent competition to set her third school record. On Jan. 16 against Oakland she set a new mark in the 1,000 free (10:23.19) with a second-place finish. Her new record broke the old mark of 10:27.39 set by Kirsty McKechnie in 2005. In addition to her school record swim, Behn also won the 100 free (53.23) and the 100 fly (58.85) and was the leadoff leg of CSU's winning 400 free relay which posted a season-best time of 3:37.15.

THREE PODIUM FINISHES FOR GROVE: Junior Stephen Grove, the Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Month for October, was solid in last week's dual against Oakland. He helped the Vikings get started by swimming the third leg of the second-place 200 medley relay. Individually, he won the 50 free in 21.10 and logged a third-place finish in the 100 fly (50.90).

BELLEW BETTERS BREASTSTROKE TIME: Senior Katie Bellew, the school record-holder in the 100 fly, had an outstanding dual meet against Oakland on Jan. 16. She won the 200 fly in 2:13.51 and also swam her season-best time of 2:32.59 to finish second in the 200 breast. In the next-to-last event of the night, she followed up those swims with a third-place finish in the 200 IM (2:22.94).

PAIR OF WINS FOR MILENKOVIC: Senior Marko Milenkovic was one of two double winners for the Vikings in a dual against Oakland on Jan. 16. He won the 200 IM (1:55.63) in his fastest time of the season and also picked up a victory in the 200 breast (2:06.15).

FRESHMAN FINDS STROKE: Freshman Maria Culjak was expected to be a big contributor to the Vikings' program and the backstroker has come on strong in the second half of the season. Last weekend in a dual against Oakland, Culjak swam two of the seventh-best times in school history with a pair of podium finishes. She won the 100 back in 2:08.52 and finished second in the 100 back (1:00.10), swimming both in the Vikings' (and her) best times of the season. In addition, she swam as a member of CSU's winning 400 free relay in the best time of the season (3:37.15).

WINCHELL EXPLODES IN LAST TWO DUALS: Junior Todd Winchell has had a solid last couple of weeks, winning four events in the Vikings' last two duals. On Jan. 10 against Xavier he won the 200 free in 1:43.36, swimming a team (and his) best time of the season. During the meet he also won the 100 fly (51.21) and swam the third leg of CSU's winning 200 medley relay. In CSU's most recent competition, a dual against Oakland on Jan. 16, he won the 100 fly in 50.02 (his fastest dual time of the season) and placed second in the 100 back (52.23). In the leadoff leg of CSU's second-place 200 medley relay tam, he swam a team and personal best time of the season with a time of 24.03 in the 50 back.

THIS WEEK'S HONORABLE MENTIONS: • Senior Kristine Bunker swam her season-best time in the 500 free on Jan. 16 (5:24.32, 4th). • Freshman Derek Butts swam his season-best time in the 50 back (26.27) on Jan. 16 as the leadoff leg of one of the Vikings' 200 medley relay teams. • Sophomore Frances Carrion swam her season-best time in the 200 free on Jan. 16 (2:05.18). • Freshman Heather Dietz recorded the best 1-meter dive of her career on Jan. 16 (188.45 points, 3rd). • Sophomore Erin Green swam her season-best time in the 100 breast on Jan. 16 (1:10.13, 4th). • Freshman Whitney Hickey swam her season-best time in the 200 freestyle on Jan. 16 (1:59.19, 3rd). • Junior Brittany McCann swam her season-best time in the 200 breast on Jan. 16 (2:43.95). • Freshman Pieter Ritz swam his season-best time in the 1,000 free on Jan. 16 (10:03.06, 3rd). • Senior Liz Victor recorded the best 1-meter dive of her career on Jan. 16 (169.95 points, 4th). • The women's 400 free relay of Carys Behn, Whitney Hickey, Maria Culjak and Emily Splain won the event against Oakland on Jan. 16 in a season-best time of 3:37.15.

2008-09 HORIZON LEAGUE HONORS: The Cleveland State Vikings have been honored three times by the Horizon League this season. The following CSU athletes have earned Swimmer of the Week honors. Carys Behn - Oct. 22 Mark deSwardt - Oct. 29, Nov. 19, Dec. 10 Vikings athletes have also earned academic honors from the league. This season, the following swimmers have been named Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Month. Stephen Grove - October

MEN'S & WOMEN'S HEAD COACH: Wally Morton (Miami, OH, '70) AT CSU: (as men's coach): 249-137-1 (28 years); (as women's coach): 10-17 (2nd year) Morton, who is in his second season as the head coach of the women's program and his 28th season as the head men's coach, has led the Vikings to 12 conference championships and 24 winning seasons in his 27 years at the helm of the men's program. Morton, who also serves as CSU's Director of Aquatics, has led the Vikings to seven straight seasons of 10 or more dual meet victories and one of his men's swimmers has earned the league's Male Swim Athlete of the Year award in five of the last six seasons.

NEXT UP: The Vikings wrap up the regular season on the road with dual meets at Valparaiso and Chicago. On Friday, Feb. 6, CSU heads to Valparaiso for a 1:00 p.m. meet and on Saturday, Feb. 7 will travel to Chicago for a 1:00 p.m. start. The Horizon League Championships begin Wednesday, Feb. 25.