Nov. 2, 2004
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Setting the Scene: The Cleveland State men's and women's swim teams will host St. Bonaventure for the home opener on Saturday (Nov. 6) at Busbey Natatorium at noon. Before that, the women's team will swim at Youngstown State on Friday (Nov. 5) at 5:00 p.m.
The Viking Women at a Glance: Senior Samantha Jones and sophomore Marianne Lionell anchor the women's team this season after turning in championship-caliber performances at last year's Horizon League Championship. Jones swam a first-place 57.65 in the 100 backstroke while Lionell, the 2003-04 league newcomer of the year, recorded a school-record 1:04.98 in the 100 breaststroke.
Jones swam two top times in the 200 backstroke (2:08.90) and 200 IM (2:13.23) in winning both events at UW-Green Bay last weekend. She also holds the top time in the 100 fly (1:02.41) and was the lead swimmer in the team-best 400 free relay (4:02.21). Lionell, the school-record holder in the 50 freestyle and 100 and 200 breaststrokes, leads the Vikings this season in the 50 free (24.56) and 200 breast (2:51.86).
Senior Tina Abbott and junior Kirsty McKechnie have been the Vikings top distance freestyle swimmers in the last two years and continue to be this season. Abbott paces the squad in the 200 free (2:01.45) and the 500 free (5:24.60), while McKechnie holds top marks in the 1,000 free (10:43.06) and the 200 fly (2:12.65).
Freshman Deanna Raedel has stepped up big in sprint freestyle events, holding the top time in the 100 free (55.43) and second-best in the 50 free (25.77).
Senior co-captains Marlene Przykling and Sarah Sweitzer add depth to the roster as well as leadership. Przykling in second on the team this season in the 100 freestyle (57.92) and 200 IM (2:21.73), while Sweitzer holds the second-best mark in the 200 breast. Junior Wendy Peel has been strong in a couple of events, holding second-place times in the 200 free (2:02.21) and the 200 back (2:12.70).
The Vikings returned the top swimmer in every event from last year in Jones (100 back, 200 back, 100 fly, 200 IM), Lionell (50 free, 100 free, 100 breast, 200 breast), McKechnie (200 free, 500 free, 1,000 free, 200 fly, 400 IM) and Abbott (1,650 free).
The Viking Men at a Glance: A trio of Horizon League champions anchor the Viking men's squad this season. Junior Pieter Pelser, last season's 100 and 200 backstroke champ, will be joined by senior Luke Wilkens, the 500 freestyle champion, and junior Daniel Thomasson, the 1,000 freestyle winner.
Wilkens currently holds the Vikings' top times in the 200 free (1:42.57) and the 200 fly (1:52.35) while Pelser leads the team in both the 200 back (1:54.21) and 200 IM (1:58.89) and Thomasson leads the way in the 100 free (48.09).
Seniors Todd Hostutler, Ryan Klaus and Gabriel Linton bring consistency to the roster as core members of the CSU relay teams. Additionally, Hostutler holds the second-best time in the 200 back (1:56.86), Klaus touts the second-best mark in the 50 free (22.39) and Linton carries second in the 200 breast (2:12.71).
In addition to the depth of veteran talent, the Vikings will rely on the influx of 12 newcomers to the roster. Freshman Bjorn Schantz holds the top times in both the 500 free (4:35.97) and 1,000 (9:37.57) free, while freshmen Johan Norling and Dave Duecker hold top marks in the 50 free (21.94) and 200 breast (2:11.48), respectively. Moreover, newcomers Pat Burda, Taylor Dopuch, Khaled Elgamal, Brady Lusk, Ari Markle and Mike Milliken have all contributed to the early success of the Vikings.
Previewing the Penguins: Youngstown State enters Friday's meet with a 2-3 record overall after competing against five opponents on the road. The Penguins dropped their first two decisions to Marshall (210-90) and Radford (159-140) in a double-dual meet in Huntington, W.Va. on Oct. 17, but then picked up a pair of wins over Niagara (147-93) and Vermont (154-88) a week later in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Last Friday (Oct. 29), YSU fell 151-91 at Ohio.
Senior Erin Carter picked up Horizon League Athlete of the Week honors after winning the 200 backstroke (2:12.87) and placing third in the 200 butterfly (2:14.13) and 200 IM (2:14.11) against Marshall and Radford. Seniors Jordan Dunn and Karyn Levito have also been strong for the Penguins, with Dunn winning the 1,650 free and 500 free and Levito winning the 1- and 3-meter diving events against Niagara and Vermont.
Youngstown State finished sixth last year in the Horizon League Championship last year, with Carter winning the 400 IM and Levito winning in 3-meter diving.
The Vikings hold a commanding 8-0 advantage over the Penguins dating back to the 1996-97 season. Last year, CSU downed YSU at Busbey Natatorium by a 129-107 count on Jan. 21. Cleveland State won almost every swimming event, with Marianne Lionell recording wins in the 50 free (24.50), 100 free (53.98) and 100 breast (1:07.16). Samantha Jones tallied a pair of victories in the 200 IM (2:13.81) and 100 fly (59.46) while Kirsty McKechnie won both the 500 free (5:22.77) and 1,000 free (10:51.75). Tina Abbott and Wendy Peel also added wins in the 200 free (2:02.54) and 100 back (1:03.08), respectively.
Previewing the Bonnies: The St. Bonaventure men's team enters Saturday's contest with a 2-1 record after taking wins against Duquesne (114-81) and Shippensburg (134-67) before falling to Pittsburgh last Friday (185-57). The women's squad opened the season by winning at Duquesne (124-81) and versus Shippensburg (118-81) before dropping their last two meets against Buffalo (154-146) and Pittsburgh (188-55).
The St. Bonaventure men's team placed second in the Atlantic-10 Championship last season, finishing behind a dominant Massachusetts team. The women's squad earned a similar fate, finishing runner up to first-place Richmond.
Daniel Thomasson won two events last season in Olean, N.Y., claiming both the 500 and 1,000 freestyle, but the Vikings came up just short in points at 139-105. Warren Vickers added a pair of wins in the 100 and 200 free while Pieter Pelser and Niall McGrane posted top times in the 200 back and 200 fly, respectively.
Marianne Lionell recorded two wins for the women's team against the Bonnies last year, swimming to top times in the 50 free and 100 breast. Samantha Jones tallied a first-place time in the 100 back, while Kirsty McKechnie swam to a meet-best time in the 500 free, but the Vikings fell to SBU, 119-91.
Men's Team Breaks Records, Defeats Phoenix: The men's swim team broke a pair of UW-Green Bay pool records and posted top times in every swimming event on the day as CSU picked up a strong 135-90 win over the Phoenix on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Senior Luke Wilkens set a Phoenix Sports Center Pool record of 1:52.35 in the 200 butterfly and picked up a second win in the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:42.57. Sophomore Bjorn Schantz picked up a pair of wins, swimming the 500 freestyle in a pool-record 4:35.97 and finishing the 1,000 free in 9:37.57. Junior Pieter Pelser scored two top times as well, winning the 200 IM (1:58.89) and the 200 backstroke (1:54.21).
Junior Daniel Thomasson added a win in the 100 freestyle (48.09) and finished second to Wilkens in the 200 free (1:45.14). Freshmen Johan Norling and Dave Duecker also posted top times, with Norling swimming the 50 free in 21.94 and Duecker edging senior Gabriel Linton in the 200 breaststroke, 2:11.48 to 2:12.71.
Additionally, CSU finished 1-2 in the 400 medley relay with the "B" team of Pelser, Linton, senior Ryan Klaus and Norling edging the "A" team of senior Todd Hostutler, Duecker and freshmen Ari Markle and Mike Milliken at 3:30.72 to 3:37.66.
"I'm very happy with the showing we had," men's head coach Wally Morton said. "I wasn't sure what to expect from our freshmen, but they stepped up big in their first dual meet. I really am impressed with their performance."
Freshmen Brady Lusk and Khaled Elgamal added to the success of the first-year Vikings. Lusk placed third in the 1,000 freestyle (10:08.10) and Elgamal took third in the 500 free (4:55.08).
Women's Team Strong Against UW-Green Bay: The women's team recorded five wins in a competitive showing versus the Phoenix on Saturday (Oct. 30).
Senior Samantha Jones tallied a pair of victories, swimming the 200 IM in 2:13.23 and the 200 backstroke in 2:08.90. Junior Kirsty McKechnie swam a best 10:43.06 in the 1,000 free and a second-best 2:12.65 in the 200 butterfly, while sophomore Marianne Lionell took first in the 50 free (24.56) and second in the 200 breastroke (2:51.86).
Freshman Deanna Raedel earned her first win of her collegiate career, posting a best 55.43 in the 100 freestyle.
"I'm pleased with the way we swam here," women's head coach Mike Lehto commented. "We knew coming in that Green Bay was one of the top teams in the league, but we really gave them a good battle. It's good to open up the season with a strong showing like this against a tough opponent."
Better Lehto than Never: Women's head coach Mike Lehto is in his 11th season with Cleveland State, compiling a 69-73 career record as the winningest Vikings' mentor in history.
Last season, Lehto guided the squad to its third-straight season at .500 or better, compiling a 7-6 dual meet mark. Under his guidance, the Vikings broke six school records, won two Horizon League Championship events and featured the school's first league newcomer of the year (Marianne Lionell) since 1999.
With every top swimmer from last season returning, this year has the potential to be one of the program's finest. "This could be the most talented team that I've coached during my tenure here," Lehto commented. "We have to continue to work hard in practice and remain focused throughout the year so that, when the championship rolls around, we will be swimming at our best."
Wally World: Cleveland State men's swimming has certainly become synonymous with head coach Wally Morton. Morton enters his 24th season at the helm of the Vikings with a school-record 198 dual-meet wins under his belt, as well as nine Penn-Ohio Championships, a pair of MCC titles and 21 winning seasons.
Morton led the Vikings to their third-straight 11-win season and saw CSU swimmers claim nine titles in the Horizon League Championship. In his fourth and final year under Morton, Warren Vickers was named the league's Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. Additionally, Chris Jones was named diver of the meet in his senior season, while diving coach Rich Karban was tabbed as Diving Coach of the Year.
Cleveland State's goal remains the same year in and year out: to continue the tradition of producing top caliber student-athletes for this season and for years to come. This 2004-05 edition of the Vikings is no exception, featuring a core of veteran leadership complimented by the youth of a deep recruiting class which will strive for success both in the pool and the classroom.
