March 14, 2007

Contact: Josh Rattray

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Cleveland State Swimming and Diving

NCAA Championships

Dates: March 15-17, 2007

Location: University Aquatic Center- Minneapolis, Minn.

SETTING THE SCENE: Freshman Jakub Dobies and senior Chris Dalman will compete in the NCAA Swimming Championships from March 15-17 at the University Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Dobies, who qualified in the 100 breaststroke, is the first CSU swimmer to advance to the national meet since 1987, and Dalman is the Vikings' first diver since 1977. Dobies and Dalman are the only two athletes from the Horizon League competing in the NCAA Championships.

CSU SWIMMING AND THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Jakub Dobies is the first Viking swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Swimming Championships since Harold Wagner qualified for the NCAA's in the 100 fly by clocking a then-school record 48.89 in 1987.

CSU DIVING AND THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Chris Dalman is the first diver in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships under the Zones qualifying format. The last CSU diver to advance to the NCAA's was Rob Barrick, who accomplished the feat in 1976 and 1977.

ANOTHER GREAT YEAR FOR THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State, the 2006 Horizon League champion, placed second at the Horizon League Championships with 700.5 team points. The Vikings went 11-3 in dual meet competition, with their only three losses coming to Notre Dame, Ohio State and Wright State.

CSU AWARD WINNERS: Cleveland State took home its share of hardware from the Horizon League Championships, claiming league diver of the year (Chris Dalman), newcomer of the year (Jakub Dobies) and diving coach of the year (Rich Karban). 

NOT A BAD DEBUT: At the beginning of this semester in January, Jakub Dobies enrolled at CSU and suited up in his first meet on Jan. 13. At this point, the Viking coaching staff had never seen him swim. Dobies put on a show in his debut, breaking the school record in the 100 breast with a time of 55.29.

HEAD COACH

Wally Morton (Miami (OH) '70)

Dual Meet Record At CSU: 230-129 (26th Year)

Overall: Same

Morton has led the Vikings to 12 conference championships and 23 winning seasons in his 26 years at the helm of the men's program. Morton, who also serves as CSU's Director of Aquatics, has led the Vikings to six straight seasons of 10 or more dual meet victories and he has mentored the Horizon League Male Swim Athlete of the Year four of the last five years.