Oct. 31, 2005

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SETTING THE SCENE: The Viking swimming and diving teams hit the road this weekend for a pair of dual meets in southwestern Ohio. CSU makes a stop in Dayton on Friday (Nov. 4) for a Horizon League match-up against Wright State beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Vikings then continue south to Cincinnati on Saturday (Nov. 5) when they battle Xavier beginning at 1:00 p.m.

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN'S TEAM: CSU has added significant depth to this season's team, as head coach Mike Lehto has backed his seven returning swimmers with seven freshmen. Several of the newcomers have already contributed to the early-season success of the team. Freshman Jen MacLauchlan has admirably stepped in to help fill the void left by backstroker and 2005 Horizon League Swimmer of the Year Samantha Jones, leading the team in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. Freshman Katie Bellew paces the squad in both the 100 and 200 butterfly, while freshman Sandra Bunker has been one of the team's top swimmers in distance freestyle events. Meanwhile, the veterans have continued to turn in strong outings. Junior Marianne Lionell, the school-record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyles and the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, has her sights set on the Swimmer of the year honors as the team's top sprinter and breaststroker. Seniors Kirsty McKechnie and Wendy Peel have added leadership as well as fast times in distance freestyle, backstroke and IM events. The Vikings head into this weekend with a 1-1 mark in dual meets following a strong 118-86 win over Canisius on Oct. 29.

PREVIEWING THE MEN'S TEAM: The CSU men's squad is primed for another run at the Horizon League Championship. Last year's Horizon League Male Athlete of the Year Pieter Pelser and Diver of the Meet Thatcher Carr lead a Viking team that features one of the deepest rosters that head coach Wally Morton has had in his 25 years at the helm. Pelser remains a force in the league in backstroke and individual medley events, while Carr continues to wow the competition on both the one and three-meter boards. Sophomore Dave Duecker has been one of the Vikings strongest swimmers of late, recording top marks in the 200 fly, 200 IM and both breaststroke events, while junior Bjorn Schantz continues to out-pace his competition in distance freestyle. CSU touts at 2-1 dual meet mark this season after taking down Canisius, 125-79, on Oct. 29 following a tough, 125.5-117.5, loss to Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 28.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW:
Men: Miami (Ohio) 125.5, Cleveland State 117.5
The Cleveland State men's swimming and diving team made things interesting in the final events in their meet against Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 28, but the Vikings were unable to make up the deficit as they fell, 125.5-117.5 to the Redhawks at Busbey Natatorium. Playing to the same tune as last year's 126-117 Viking win, the meet would come down to the final event of the night. Cleveland State put up a hard charge in the 400 freestyle relay, with the team of Daniel Thomasson, Adam Wroblewski, Pieter Pelser and Bjorn Schantz claiming first, but Miami would claim second and third place to hold on to their advantage.

Men: Cleveland State 125, Canisius 79
Women: Cleveland State 118, Canisius 86
The CSU swimming alumni in attendance witnessed the current Viking squads put on a show at Busbey Natatorium on Saturday (Oct. 29) afternoon, as the men's and women's teams cruised to victories over Canisius. The men's team claimed a 125-79 win while the women registered a 118-86 decision. Both teams claimed wins in every event which they competed in on the day, including several first-time winners. Freshmen Katie Bellew, Sandra Bunker and Jen MacLauchlan notched wins for the women's team while newcomers Volkmar Baur, George Chesney and Marko Milenkovic claimed wins on the men's team.

ON TOP OF THE LEAGUE AGAIN: Several CSU swimmers currently find themselves in a very familiar place: at the top of the Horizon League top times list. In fact, eight Cleveland State swimmers hold 19 top times or scores in the league so far this season, including:

LAST SEASON AGAINST THE RAIDERS:
Men: Wright State 122, Cleveland State 115
The Cleveland State men's team came within a hand's reach of topping the reigning Horizon League champion last season, falling in a 122-115 decision to Wright State at Busbey Natatorium. The Raiders took home the win in a closely contested battle that wasn't decided until the final event of the night. CSU held a slim 111-109 advantage heading into the 400 freestyle relay, producing a winner-take-all dual between both school's A teams. Wright State jumped out to an early lead in the first leg but the Vikings closed the gap in the next two before the Raiders' Alex Dolgov edged-out Bjorn Schantz in the final length for the win. The Raiders would then go on to hold off the Vikings in the Horizon League Championship for their third-straight title.

Women: Wright State 142, Cleveland State 81
Marianne Lionell tallied a pair of wins for the Vikings, while Kirsty McKechnie and Samantha Jones added one apiece, but the Raiders held on for a 142-81 win last season at Busbey Natatorium. Lionell swam to a win in the 100 freestyle in a swift 52.48 and added a win in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:25.20. McKechnie produced a strong showing in the 1,000 free with a time of 10:31.50, while Jones scored a win in the 200 IM with a time of 2:11.15. Wright State would finish the season as the runner-up to UW-Green Bay in the Horizon League Championship.

FRESH IS BETTER: With half of the roster comprised of freshmen, the Cleveland State women's team features one of the the most youthful squads in the Horizon League. But the youth doesn't seem to be playing a factor in the performance. Three of the league's top times are held by CSU freshmen, with Jen MacLauchlan holding top marks in the 100 backstroke (1:00.42) and 200 backstroke (2:09.96) and Katie Bellew touting the top time in the 100 fly (1:00.31). Additionally, MacLauchlan, Bellew and Sandra Bunker have each registered two wins each in just two meets so far this season.

CARR TAKES ANOTHER LAP: Following a semester unlike any other in CSU swimming and diving history, senior Thatcher Carr will once again be wowing the crowds at Busbey Natatorium and every other pool he visits after earning an extra year of eligibility for the 2005-06 season. In his first two meets this season, he has not scored below 300 in four events and holds the top league marks this season in the one-meter (338.50) and the three-meter (370.90) springboards. Carr was the Horizon League's top diver last season despite only competing in the spring semester, earning the Horizon League Diver of the Meet award and setting school records with a one-meter score of 410.93 and a three-meter mark of 614.45.

LEHTO GETTING IT DONE: Women's swimming head coach Mike Lehto is back for his 12th season and is the all-time winningest coach in women's swimming history with 77. He coached the 2004-05 squad to an even 7-7 record, the fourth-straight season they have finished at or above .500, and a fifth place finish at the Horizon League Championships. Under his tutelage, Samantha Jones became the school's first Horizon League Female Swim Athlete of the Year award after winning the 100 and 200 backstroke championships.

WALLY WORLD: Cleveland State men's head coach Wally Morton certainly become synonymous with the Viking swimming program. Morton, entering his 32nd season with the team and 25th as its head coach, currently holds a 210-123-1 career record after passing 200 dual meet victories last season. He has to his credit nine Penn-Ohio Championships, a pair of MCC titles and 22 winning seasons. He helped to guide last season's team to a 10-4 dual meet record and a second-place finish in the Horizon League Championship while, for the third straight season, a Viking took home the league's Male Swim Athlete of the Year award, with Pieter Pelser claiming the honor last season.

ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP AT BUSBEY: The 2005-06 season will culminate when Cleveland State hosts the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships at Busbey Natatorium from Feb. 22-25. Noted as one of the fastest pools in the nation, the natatorium has been the site of championships of all shapes and sizes during its history, including four Midwestern Collegiate Conference championships and the 2003 Horizon League Championship. It has been the site of the Penn-Ohio Conference Championships 17 times, the Eastern Intercollegiate Championships 11 times and the NCAA Championships five times.

LOOKING AHEAD: While the Cleveland State men's team will have to wait until Nov. 16 for their next competition, the Viking women will head to Youngstown State on Nov. 9 for a 6:00 p.m. contest with the Penguins.