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Dobies And Winchell Try For NCAA Qualifying Times

Dobies And Winchell Try For NCAA Qualifying Times
Posted: Mar 03, 2010

March 3, 2010

Contact: Renee Adam

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SETTING THE SCENE: The senior duo of Jakub Dobies and Todd Winchell will participate in the Ohio State Last Ditch meet on Sunday (March 7) in hopes of recording qualifying times for the NCAA Championship that will take place March 25-27. The meet will begin at 12:00 noon in the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the Ohio State campus.

REVIEWING THE LAST TIME OUT: The men's team brought home a second place finish at the Horizon League Championship last week (Feb. 24-27), which took place on the UIC campus.

MEN (14-4): Cleveland State; 2nd place - 675 points
After combining for six league titles, four NCAA "B" cuts, two CSU records, one conference record and two UIC pool records, Mark deSwardt and Jakub Dobies led the Vikings to a second place 2010 Horizon League finish. deSwardt won the 1,000 free (9:13.40, UIC pool record), 1,650 free (15:18.84, B cut, UIC pool record) and the 400 IM (3:53.91, B cut, CSU record) and Dobies was victorious in the 200 IM (1:49.09, B cut, CSU record, Conference record), 100 breast (54.11, B cut) and the 200 breast (2:01.17). Josh Gonzalez was the final Viking to win an individual event, claiming the 3-meter board with 303.30 points. Two Viking relays took home first place honors, the 200 free relay (1:21.28, B cut) and the 200 medley relay (1:29.29, B cut). Steve Grove had top five finishes in all three of his individual events, 100 fly (3rd, 48.85), 50 free (4th, 20.69) and the 100 back (5th, 51.71) while Todd Winchell finished fourth in both the 100 fly (48.98) and the 100 back (51.36).

MEN'S & WOMEN'S HEAD COACH
Wally Morton (Miami, OH, '70)
AT CSU: as men's coach: 265-142-1 (29th year), as women's coach: 26-24-0 (3rd year)

THE MORTON FILE: Wally Morton is in his 29th season as the men's swimming and diving head coach and his third with the women's team. During his tenure with the Viking men, Morton's success has been backed up by a 265-142-1 dual meet record that includes nine Penn-Ohio Championships, a pair of MCC titles and one Horizon League Championship. In his second season at the helm of the women's program, the squad recorded the most dual wins since 2005-06, with swimmers earning podium finishes in three different events at the Horizon League Championships. Morton has led five swimmers to the NCAA Championships, including 2009 All-American Jakub Dobies. He has also coached swimmers that have reached the international stage, including Nedim Nisic, who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Two more of Morton's swimmers have also gone on to be Olympic Trials finalists.

RECAPPING THE MEN: Following a record setting dual meet season, the men's swimming and diving team continued their excellence at the Horizon League Championship, finshing second taking home nine league titles. During the meet the Vikings set two school records, eight NCAA "B" Cuts, 17 of the 19 top times this season, and brought home Diver of the Meet honors. The trio of seniors Jakub Dobies, Stephen Grove and Todd Winchell and sophomore Mark deSwardt led the Vikings this season combining for 11 of the team's best times. deSwardt controlled the distance free events this season, setting top times in the 500 free (4:29.34), 1,000 free (9:13.40) and the 1,650 free (15:18.84) while also setting CSU records in the 200 fly (1:49.12) and the 400 IM (3:53.91). Dobies recorded a team best in the 100 (54.11) and 200 breast (2:01.17) and set a school record in the 200 IM (1:49.09). Grove made an impact on the top times list during the league championship, setting top times in the 50 free (20.66) and the 100 fly (48.85). Winchell recorded the best 100 back time as the leadoff in the 400 medley relay (50.71), while Junior Zvonimir Androic is the final veteran to hold top times this season, holding a team best 1:51.19 in the 200 backstroke. The only freshmen to record top times are Berry Thompson in the 100 free (44.98) and Pierre De Waal in the 200 free (1:41.39). 2010 Diver of the Meet, Josh Gonzalez holds the top point total in the 3-meter board (317.32) while his teammate Matt DiMasso has the top point total in the 1-meter event (273.40).

FIRST MEN'S RECORD SET: Sophomore Mark deSwardt was the first Viking on the men's side to set a CSU record this season, recording a 1:49.12 in the 200 fly against UIC (2/6). deSwardt's time tops the previous best by two one-hundredths of a second that was set by Luke Wilkens in 2004. The record marks the third for deSwardt, as he already holds school records in the 1,000 free (9:01.46) and the 1,650 free (15:02.06).

...RECORDS CONTINUE TO FALL: Two additional men's records were set at the Horizon League Championship (2/24-27), with Mark deSwardt setting a top time in the 400 IM (3:53.91) and Jakub Dobies recording a CSU best in the 200 IM (1:49.09). deSwardt, who was second in the record books going into this season, broke Dave Duecker's record of 3:56.45 that he set during the 2007-08 season. Dobies also held the second fastest time going into his final season as a Viking, and was able to best Warren Vickers seven year old record of 1:49.79.

CLIMBING THE RANKS: Following a record setting dual meet season, CSU continues to make an impact on the College Swimming Mid-Major poll as the men improved to the number six spot with 224.4 points. The monthly poll was released on February 16, at the conclusion of the regular season for the Vikings. The only other Horizon League school in the top 25 is Milwaukee, with the men's team ranking 13th with 218.1 points.

DOBIES EARNS RECOGNITION: All-American Jakub Dobies was honored for his accomplishments at the NCAA Championship last season, receiving his All-American ring and plaque during the CSU men's basketball game on February 13. Dobies became the first Division I swimming All-American for both CSU and the Horizon League after finishing 13th in the 100 breaststroke (53.13) at the NCAA Championships as a junior.

DESWARDT NEAR PERFECT IN 1,000 FREE: Sophomore Mark deSwardt has posted a record of 17-1 in the 1,000 free in dual meet action over the past two seasons, and has earned back-to-back Horizon League titles in the event. His only second place finish came at Ohio State (Nov. 24) this year when he finished behind Mark Neiman, who is currently 16th in the nation in the 1,000 free.

DOBIES DOMINATES: For the first time in his four years at Cleveland State Jakub Dobies earned the Horizon League crown in all three of his individual events that he swam, the 200 IM, 100 breast and 200 breast. As a freshman Dobies won the 100 and 200 breast, as a sophomore he took home first place honors in the 200 IM and 100 breast and claimed the 100 breast crown as a junior.

...AND HOPES TO CONTINUE NCAA STREAK: Jakub Dobies has his sights set on qualifying for the NCAA Championship for a fourth-straight season. He is the first Viking since Harold Wagner (100 fly, 1987) to swim at the NCAA Championships, finishing 28th in the 100 breast as a freshman, 22nd as a sophomore to earn Mid-Major All-America honors, and 13th as a junior to become the first CSU and Horizon League All-American swimmer.

SECOND SWEEP FOR DESWARDT: Sophomore Mark deSwardt was victorious in all three of his individual events for the second season in a row, as he defended his titles in the 1,000 free (9:13.40) and the 1,650 free (15:18.84) and won the 400 IM (3:53.91), setting a CSU record. As a freshman deSwardt won the 1,000 free (9:08.01), 1,650 free (15:02.06) and the 500 free (4:26.00). deSwardt joined Dobies and Brian Anderson from UIC as the only swimmers to win all three of their individual events on the men's side this season.

200 MEDLEY GETS FOUR-PEAT: With the first place finish by the 200 medley relay team, Jakub Dobies and Steve Grove became four-time Horizon League champions in the event. The duo has been on every 200 medley relay team that has won a league crown since their freshman seasons, setting the Horizon League Championship record as juniors (1:27.58).

WINCHELL FINISHES STRONG: During his final Horizon League Championship, Todd Winchell was part of three Viking relays that set top-three times in the CSU record book. The winning 200 medley relay (1:29.29) and the second place 400 medley relay (3:17.38) both recorded the second fastest times in school history, while the 800 free relay (6:43.26) became the first relay in four years to break the top five, setting the third fastest time.

GONZALEZ GOES FOR GOLD: In his first Horizon League Championship meet, Josh Gonzalez was victorious in the 3-meter diving event, winning the league title with 303.30 points. He continued his success at the meet, placing fifth on the 1-meter board with 267.35 points. The last CSU diver to win the 3-meter event was in 2008 when Dan Baiko swept both the 1- and 3-meter boards.

...AND WINS LEAGUE HONORS: Following his performances at the league meet, Josh Gonzalez was chosen as the Horizon League Diver of the Meet. He became the fifth CSU diver to earn the award under diving coach Rich Karban, joining Dan Baiko, Chris Dalman, Thatcher Carr (two-time winner) and Chris Jones.

"B" CUTS ALL AROUND: The Vikings set eight NCAA "B" cuts at the league meet last week (Feb. 24-27), four relays and three individual events, the second most by any Horizon League team with UIC setting nine "B" cuts. The relay teams that recorded "B" cuts were the 200 free relay (NCAA "B" Cut: 1:21.57, CSU's Time: 1:21.28), 200 medley relay (1:29.94 - 1:29.29), 400 medley relay (3:17.63 - 3:17.38) and the 400 free relay (3:17.63, 3:00.88). Jakub Dobies set an individual "B" cut in the 200 IM (NCAA "B" Cut: 1:49.33, Dobies Time: 1:49.09) and Mark deSwardt recorded times in the 400 IM (3:56.12 - 3:53.91) and the 1,650 free (15:35.63 - 15:18.84).

GROVE GETS TOUGH: Steve Grove certainly left his impression on the Cleveland State swimming program following his final performance at the Horizon League Championship last week, reaching the finals in all three of his individual events and was part of four out of the five CSU relays, including the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay which took home league titles. Not only is all of that a feat in itself, but he did it all with a broken hand! Despite his injury, he finished third in the 100 fly (48.85), fourth in the 50 free (20.69) and fifth in the 100 back (51.71). In the winning relays he swam the lead off leg in the 200 free and the third leg in the 200 medley, leading both to NCAA "B" Cuts.

LAST DITCH NOTE: Viking swimming fans will be able to follow the action live during Sunday's meet with live stats. The live stats link will be available at www.csuvikings.com.

NEXT UP: Viking qualifiers for the NCAA Division I Championships will begin competition at the Ohio State University from March 25-27.