Big Ten Network : Swimming & Diving Top Stories

Gophers earn second-straight Big Ten win of the season

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:51:00 +0000

The University of Minnesota women's swimming and diving team won 10 events en route to a 176-118 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, tonight in Iowa City, Iowa. With the win the Gophers improve to 2-0 on the dual season. Minnesota started the night with a win in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of Hannah Whitehead, Jillian Tyler, Kaylee Jamison and Alison Eggers combined for a time of 1:44.23 and 11 points. Minnesota's B relay of Castina Wabke, Paige Bradley, Kelsey Ridder and Marissa Davies added a third-place showing with a time of 1:46.57. Kristen Steenvoorden won the 1000 free in 9:54.62, while Loren Brandon finished second (9:57.02) and Lissa Tommerdahl was third (10:02.63). Like the 1000 free, Minnesota went 1,2,3 in the 200 free. Ashley Steenvoorden won event in 1:51.30, while Lauren Weis added a time of 1:52.68 for second, followed by Whitehead in third (1:53.00). After Iowa won the 100 back, the Gophers returned to a win in the 100 breaststroke as they took the top three spots. Emma Jackson won her first collegiate event of her short Gopher career when she touched the wall in 1:05.08. Bradley came in second with a time of 1:05.47, while Molly Belk added a time of 1:05.48. The Gophers added another top-three finish in the 200 fly. Annalise Colton won her first Gopher event in 2:04.87, followed by Megan Braun in second (2:06.78) and Elizabeth Weitz in third (2:07.06). Although Iowa's Christine Kuczek won the 50 free (24.09), Minnesota took the next three four spots and recorded scores for three. Jamison and Davies tied for second (24.14), while Eggers followed in fourth (24.34). Abigail Staats was fifth (24.39) but did not record points for the Gophers. Eggers led the Gophers led the Gophers in the 100 free when she clocked a time of 52.87. Staats added a time of 52.96, followed by Weis in 53.39. Jackson accomplished her second win of the evening when she also won the 200 breaststroke. Jackson chipped in a time of 2:20.67 for the win, while Belk placed third in 2:22.66. Davies won the 500 free in a time of 4:58.22. Jamison won the 100 fly in 56.47 and led the Gophers in the 200 IM with a second-place finish in 2:08.38. Minnesota closed the night with a second-place finish in the 400 free relay. Davies, Staats, Weis and Eggers added four points to the Gophers' total with a time of 3:28.29. In diving action, Kelci Bryant earned to wins in the 1- and 3-meter events. Bryant posted a score of 314.85 in the 1-meter, while adding a score of 366.60 in the 3-meter. Katie Grunawalt followed Bryant when she finished second. Grunawalt held scores of 278.17 in the 3-meter and 264.00 in the 1-meter. Minnesota hosts its only home meet of the first half of the season with the Grand Prix, Nov. 13-15 at the University Aquatic Center. Action begins every day at 9 a.m.

NU swimmers split with Badgers

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:53:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- After trailing for much of Friday night's meet against Wisconsin at the Norris Aquatics Center, Northwestern charged back to earn its first dual-meet victory of the season, 157-143. Wisconsin won the opening 200 medley relay in NCAA `B' provisional qualifying fashion, breaking a nine-year-old Norris Aquatics Center record with a 1:41.88. Northwestern (1-2) took both second and third in the race, with the team of Liza Engstrom (Reno, Nev./Robert McQueen), Jenny Wilson (Bethesda, Md./Sidwell Friends School), Meghan Cavanaugh (Anchorage, Alaska/East Anchorage) and Emily Wong (Nepean, Ontario/St. Joseph's) coming in second with a 1:45.46 and the squad of Ellen Grigg (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin School), Kathleen Patterson (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley), Alex Kraus (Birmingham, Ala./Vestavia Hills) and Teisha Lightbourne (Nassau, Bahamas/Peddie School (N.J.)) taking third in 1:45.95. Jenn Kocsis (Omaha, Neb./Marian) was Northwestern's top finisher in the 1,000 free, coming in second with a 10:13.22. Kassia Shishkoff (Raleigh, N.C./St. David's School) then won the 200 free for Northwestern with a 1:50.31, besting her nearest competition by an even two seconds. Wisconsin's Maggie Meyer followed with a second pool record on the day for the Badgers, winning the 100 back in 53.01 to break a 12-year-old mark set in 1997 by Stanford's Catherine Fox. Meyer led a three-way sweep of the event for Wisconsin. Wilson was Northwestern's top finisher in the 100 breast with a second-place time of 1:03.85, then Meredith King (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual), Cavanaugh and Hannah Points (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) swept the 200 fly with times of 2:03.70, 2:03.85 and 2:04.28, respectively, to bring the Wildcats back within three points in the meet, 67-64. Wong (23.23) and Lightbourne (23.80) finished 2-3 in the 50 free just before the first break of the meet. During the first swimming portion of the meet, freshman Felicitas Lenz (Altadena, Calif./Polytechnic School) won the 3-meter springboard diving event with a score of 292.65. Coming out of the break Wong earned a sprint win with a 50.57 in the 100 free while Lightbourne came in third with a 51.78. Wisconsin fought right back with a victory in the 200 back, with NU's top finisher placing third in the form of Genny Szymanski's (Haines, Alaska/Haines) 2:04.10. Wilson took second to lead the NU contingent in the 200 breast, coming in with a time of 2:18.99. Shishkoff then blew away the field in the 500 free for her second victory of the meet, winning the event by more than four seconds with a 4:54.56 over teammate Kocsis' 4:58.64. Grigg took fourth for NU with a 5:01.34 to again draw the Wildcats close to the Badgers, this time with the score 125-120 in favor of the visitors. A second-straight 1-2-4 finish by the 'Cats, this one in the 100 fly, pushed the home team into the lead for the first time in the meet. Cavanaugh led the charge with a 55.79, Marybeth Hall (Brighton, Mich./Brighton) was second with a 57.00 and Katie Eschenburg (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) took fourth with a 57.45 to give NU a 135-129 advantage. Northwestern came out of the second break of the meet and slammed the door shut on Wisconsin, going 1-2-3 in the 400 IM to take a commanding 151-132 lead. Points swam a season-best 4:23.37 to pace the Wildcats, followed by King (4:23.84) in second and Patterson (4:26.17) in third. Wisconsin took the final 400 free relay, but NU had by the time secured the meet. Wong, Lightbourne, Cavanaugh and Shishkoff took second in the event for the Wildcats with a 3:23.47, an NCAA `B' provisional cut. The 1-meter diving event took place during the second portion of the swimming program, with Lenz again coming out on top for the Wildcats, this time with a score of 262.95. Sophomore Carlin Dacey (West Roxbury, Mass./Choate Rosemary Hall) took third with a 240.08 for NU. Northwestern returns to action at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 14, against Illinois-Chicago at the Norris Aquatics Center. MEN'S RECAP (Final score: Wisconsin 153, NU 144) EVANSTON, Ill. -- Trailing heavily entering the latter stages of Friday evening's meet against Wisconsin at the Norris Aquatics Center, Northwestern staged a monster comeback to even the score entering the final relay, but the Badgers came out on top in that race to defeat the Wildcats, 153-144. Northwestern finished second in the 200 medley relay to start the meet, getting a 1:33.77 from Jan Hanulik (Cavisov, Czech Republic/Sportovni Gymnazium), Nathan Butler (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin), Chris Doman (Pittsburgh, Pa./St. Charles Prep (Columbus, Ohio)) and Brian Kerr (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids). Charlie Rimkus (Tustin, Calif./Beckman), Peter Park (Princeton, N.J./Peddie School) and Tony Mattar (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) swept the top three positions in the 1,000 free for the Wildcats in the first individual race of the evening. Rimkus' winning time was 9:34.13, while the NU sweep gave the hosts an early 20-15 lead in the meet. John Frutiger (Alma, Mich./Alma) held off a hard-charging Badger to win the 200 free in 1:41.43, followed by Hanulik in third place. Wisconsin took the top two spots in the 100 back with Varun Shivakumar (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) earning third with a 52.82 as NU's best finisher. Alex Tyler (Birmingham, Mich./Birmingham Groves) remained undefeated on the year in breaststroke events with a win in the 100 breast, swimming a season-best 57.06. Butler took third for NU also with a season-best time, turning in a 57.85. Also remaining undefeated on the year was Sean Mathews (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette), whose time of 1:49.93 in the 200 fly led a 1-2 Wildcats' sweep of the event along with Rimkus (1:52.66). Kerr was Northwestern's top finisher in the 50 free heading into the first break, coming in third with a 21.31. During the first swimming portion of the meet, Kalister Harmon (Olympia, Wash./Capital) took third on the 3-meter springboard with a 304.28. Wisconsin won the 100 free coming out of the break, but Mathews (46.36) and Kerr (46.65) came in second and third, respectively, for NU. The next event went the exact same way with the Badgers winning the 200 back and Hanulik (1:52.26) and Shivakumar (1:52.41) placing second and third. The race was a three-way heat to very end with Wisconsin's swimmer out-touching Hanulik by a mere .04 of a second. Northwestern scored big points in the 200 breast, getting Tyler's second win of the day in a time of 2:06.27. He was followed by Butler in third with a 2:08.00 and Jay Calhoun (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) in fourth with a 2:11.97. Rimkus ran away from the field to win the 500 free with a 4:35.25, nearly five full seconds faster than Wisconsin's second-place swimmer. Mathews then reeled in Wisconsin's Chuck Allison for a .28 of a second win in the 100 fly, leading a 1-3-4 charge finish for the 'Cats. Mathews trailed by .55 of a second after 50 yards, but leapt ahead with a 25.85 final split to win the event. Bryan Pinkston (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher's) was third and Doman fourth for NU. With NU trailing entering the final individual event, Tyler and Park swept the top two spots in the 400 IM to pull the Wildcats dead even with the Badgers, 140-140, entering the final relay. Tyler swam a 4:03.80 while Park had a 4:04.36 to best the nearest Wisconsin swimmer by 1.64 seconds. In the final relay, the 400 free, Mathews gave NU a slight edge on the first leg before Kerr maintained it at the halfway point. Wisconsin's Connor Andrews hit the water hard in the third leg to reverse the margin and the Wildcats were unable to chase down the leader, falling 3:02.37 to 3:03.53. Wisconsin swept the top scoring spots in the 1-meter diving event during the second half of the swimming program.

Illinois dominates in-state foe Southern Illinois

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:07:00 +0000

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team won its second meet in as many days, defeating host Southern Illinois, 154-89 at Dr. Edward J. Shea Natorium. The Orange and Blue swiped seven of 13 events to improve to 5-1 on the year, while the Salukis fall to 3-1. The Illini swept both relays as the team of CeCe Marizu, Amy Johnson, Brittany McGowan, and Kristen Manias took first place in the 400 medley relay (4:55.64), while Meghan Mason, Erin Lamb, Anna Johnson and Manias won the 400 free relay (3:32.53). "The depth of our team gave us a big advantage over Southern Illinois," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "Even if they (Southern Illinois) won an event, we were right behind them in second and third place. It was good to see a lot of people stepping up throughout the lineup." Manias picked up her third victory of the day in the 50 free (24.25), while Marizu won her second event in the 200 back (2:05.94) and Jen Ivarson placed first in the 200 fly (2:05.94). On the boards, Lauren Wismer took first place in the one-meter with a score of 274.87 and also won the three-meter with a score of 286.42. Britni Fisher grabbed second-place finishes in both the one-meter (259.34) and three-meter (253.25) dives, while Tessa Adams placed third in the one-meter (227.99). ""The divers did extremely well today, going one-two on the three-meter and one-two-three on the one-meter,"" Novitsky said. ""It was good to have strong finishes on the boards."" The Orange and Blue will take a few weeks off before heading to Oxford, Ohio, to compete in the Miami Invitational beginning Friday, Dec. 4.

Penn State women impressive in home debut

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:57:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK Pa. - The Penn State women's swimming & diving team opened its home schedule on Saturday with impressive wins over Colgate (92-21) and West Virginia (74-39). The Nittany Lions (3-0) won six events on the day, led by a pair of victories from freshman Amy Modglin (Fort Myers, Fla.). Modglin continued the sensational start to her collegiate career by winning the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:00.41, a full 3.5 seconds ahead of senior Daphne Skelos (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) in second. She also won the 400 IM (4:23.22), almost two seconds ahead of the second place finisher (also Skelos). Facing her old team, senior Stephanie Roop (Dowington, Pa.) won her third event of the season. She finished the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 16:55.42, almost 10 seconds faster than Colgate's Erica Derlath. The West Virginia transfer has already won three different freestyle events (500, 1,000 and now 1,650) this season. In addition, fellow senior Kailey Morris (Baltimore, Md.) posted a win in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:02.19. The Lions won both relays as freshmen Paige Whitmire (Lederach, Pa.) and Merritt Krawczyk (Kingwood, Texas) teamed with senior Michelle Myers (Boalsburg, Pa.) and sophomore Samantha Palser (Chester Springs, Pa.) to finish atop the 400 medley relay (3:48.92). Three of those four also swam to a dominating 400 freestyle win (3:25.49). Senior Lindsey DeForrest (Wycombe, Pa.) was the one change as she replaced Krawczyk. In diving action, junior Megan Marco (Lebanon, Pa.) was victorious in the one-meter with a score of 257.25. For the complete rundown of Penn State finishes, please see below. The Nittany Lions return to action next weekend at Virginia Tech as they face the Hokies. The meet will span two days with Friday's action set for 6 p.m. while Saturday will begin at 11 a.m.

Indiana women beat Michigan in dual meet

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:55:00 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas. – The Indiana women's swimming and diving team (2-1) wrapped up dual meet competition Saturday morning and finished with a 251-174 victory over Michigan. The Texas Longhorns came away with a 222-162 win over the Hoosiers. Kate Fesenko posted a season best and NCAA B cut in winning the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:55.56. Ashley Jones was fourth in 2:02.07, with Donna Smailis fifth (2:02.33), Taylor Wohrley 10th (2:04.09) and Kim Tracey 12th (2:09.49). Brittany Barwegen also improved upon her season best in the 200 butterfly, taking third with an NCAA B cut of 1:59.83. Amanda Smith was eighth (2:06.95), with Tracey 12th (2:08.38), Ashley Jones 13th (2:08.73) and Nikki White 14th (2:17.18). Allysa Vavra led the Hoosier contingent in the 200 breaststroke, placing second in 2:17.90. Amilee Smith touched the wall eighth (2:23.12), with Katelyn Ishee ninth (2:26.19) and Ashley Specht 10th (2:26.19). Afton Robertson rounded out the group in 12th (2:30.45). Cassie Luhrsen took fourth in the 1,650 free with a time of 17:08.16. Vavra was sixth (17:25.83) and White seventh (17:31.25). Laura Head took eighth in 17:38.78, followed by Ashley Kranz in 10th (18:07.62). In the 100 free it was Brittany Strumbel in seventh in 51.82. Margaux Farrell was just behind in 51.91, with Courey Schaefer 10th (52.62). Smailis took 14th (56.36), followed by Wohrley in 15th (58.24). The swimming portion of the meet ended with the 400 free relay as Farrell, Smailis, Strumbel and Fesenko combined to finish second in 3:26.00. Schaefer, Amanda Smith, Wohrley and Luhrsen were fifth (3:33.88). Taking sixth were Head, Kranz, Justine Jones and Mitsch (3:42.30). Amy Korthauer took the platform diving title with a score of 279.90, followed by Heidi Mahnken and Gabby Agostino in a tie for third (246.65). Amy Cozad posted a fifth-place finish with 245.15 points, while Nicole Brehm placed 11th (189.85).

Illini women beat Iowa State in home opener

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:09:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team defeated Iowa State, 173-122 in front of a packed crowd of 763 in its home opener earlier today at the ARC pool, highlighted by the second annual Splash Bash event prior to the meet. With the win, the Orange and Blue improve to 4-1, while Iowa State falls to 2-1, as the Illini took 10 of the 16 events and freshman Lauren Wismer broke the Illini's three-meter diving record. "Having over 700 fans here was fantastic and I couldn't be happier with all of the work that was put into it," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "A special thanks goes out to the sponsors, WDWS, News-Gazette, and WHMS and the Pool Sharks. It was nice to see people taking advantage of the event and we hope they'll come back for our next meet." After re-writing the record book in the one-meter dive at Nebraska just a few weeks ago, Wismer shattered the three-meter dive record with a score of 304.8 and also finished second in the one-meter dive with a score of 268.43. "It was great for (Lauren) Wismer to set the new record in front of such a big home crowd," Novitsky said. "This was a good confidence builder and I'm proud of her for the hard work she's put in." Teammate Britni Fisher also had a solid day on the boards, setting a new personal best in the one-meter dive with a score of 277.65, while finishing second in the three-meter (287.93). In the swimming events, the Illini claimed the top three spots in five different events, including the 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free, 200 fly, and 200 breast. Kristen Kloeckener placed first in the 200 free with a time of 1:54.79, while April McKee swam to first in the 500 free (5:06.97) and Amy Forsberg finished on top in the 1000 free (10:34.00). Jen Ivarson posted a first-place finish in the 200 fly with a time of 2:05.87 and Erica Lynn led the way in the 200 breast (2:23.45). Kristen Manias captured two event titles in the 50 free (24.56) and 100 free (52.88) and Amy Johnson placed first in the 100 breast with a time of 1:06.02. "I am very pleased with the outcome today," Novitsky said. "We kept our focus and competed against a very good team." The Fighting Illini will take a week off before returning to action on Friday, Nov. 6 when they travel to Illinois State for a meet beginning at 5 p.m.

Iowa men, women take down Missouri St.

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:55:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The University of Iowa men's and women's swimming and diving team hosted the Missouri State Bears this afternoon at the Field House Pool. The Hawkeye women started out on top and continued to dominate throughout the meet, defeating the Bears 188- 112. The Hawkeye men also defeated the Bears 188.5- 109.5 The Hawkeye men opened the competition with an intense battled for first place in the 200 medley relay. Iowa's team of junior Max Dittmer, senior Matt Ryan, freshman Byron Butler and sophomore Duncan Partridge had the crowd on their feet early after being neck in neck with Missouri State before Partridge touched the Bears relay out. The men posted a time of 1:33.12. "It was nice to kick of the meet with a relay like we did," said Head Coach Mark Long. "It's not so much about the time as it is the race and they really stepped up today." Senior Nick Divan continued the winning streak for the Hawkeye men, taking first in the 1,000 free with a time of 9:37.83. Sophomore Paul Gordon captured the top spot in the 200 free (1:41.17) and later went on to win the 100 free 45.43. Junior Sean Hagan finished first in the 100 breast recording a season best time of 57.75. Butler earned two first place finishes in the 200 fly (1:54.82) and the 200 back (1:51.06). Divan claimed another first place finish in the 500 free with a time of 4:41.25, followed by freshman Pawel Gilski in second place (4:43.38). A victory in the men's 100 fly gave Gordon his third individual win of the day. Gordon finished the event in 49.60 and continued to anchor the Hawkeyes first place 400 free relay team to conclude the meet. Gordon teamed up with freshman Jordan Huff, Partridge and sophomore Ryan Phelan to win the relay with a time of 3:04.18. The Hawkeye divers had a strong day of diving. Senior Frank Van Dijkhuizen won the one-meter diving event and took second place in the three-meter event. Van Dijkhuizen earned the top spot in the one- meter with a score of 331.95. He scored 313.65 score for the second place spot in the three-meter. Senior Mike Gilligan finished third in the one-meter with a score of 247.35. Freshman Mary Sue Lemay took second in the one-meter with a score of 203.63 and senior Brittnay Logan took fifth (175.12). In women's swimming action, junior Verity Hicks and senior Christine Kuczek finished first and second in the 200 free. Hicks posted a time of 1:53.53 while Kuczek finished in 1:53.86. Sophomores Daniela Cubelic and Danielle Carty also went one and two in the 100 back. Cubelic earned the top spot with a time of 57.13 and Carty came in right behind at 57.40. Senior Julie Feingold had an excellent meet. After winning the 100 breast, she recorded a season best time of 1:05.75. Feingold went on to win the 200 breast later in the competition with yet another season best time (2:22.29). Kuczek picked up two first place finishes in the 50 free (24.14) and 100 free (52.35). Junior Kelsie Neubauer had a fantastic swim the 200 IM. Neubauer took first place in the event with a time of 2:09.23 which is only a second off of her collegiate best time of 2:08.21 that she swam at Big Ten Championships last season. The Hawkeye women concluded the competition with a first place finish in the 400 free relay. Cubelic, Carty, Hicks, and Kuczek swam a time of 3:32.38 for the win. "It was a great meet," added Coach Long. "Like I said last night, we wanted to have another competition against a quality opponent the next morning to help stimulate what it will be like later in the year at the championship meets."

Illini swimmers fare well at meet

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:40:00 +0000

ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Illinois swimming and diving team returned to action for the second straight day, defeating host Oakland, 178-122, before falling to Toledo, 182-114 in its first tri-meet of the season. After solid performances at Michigan State last night, the Orange and Blue struggled in the last leg of its road trip. ""We had great team performances against Michigan State yesterday,"" head coach Sue Novitsky said. ""Today was a little tough, but we are learning how to come back on the second day and be better. We're learning how to break through and are still looking for top people to take control and step up."" The Illini claimed the top three spots in the 400 free relay, with the combination of Meghan Mason, Erin Lamb, Anna Johnson and Kristen Manias placing first with a time of 3:30.68. ""We had solid (400) free relay performances today,"" Novitsky said. ""It was good for them to come back at the end of the meet and finish on a positive note."" Individually, CeCe Marizu placed second in the 200 back (2:04.73) and third in the 100 back (58.14), while Manias took second in the 50 free (24.29) and third in the 100 free (52.71) and Jen Ivarson finished in third place in the 200 butterfly (2:06.70). In the breaststroke, Erica Lynn claimed second in the 200 (2:23.23), while Amy Johnson placed third in the 100 (1:07.09). On the boards, Britni Fisher took second in the one-meter dive with a score of 261.30 and third in the three-meter dive, tallying 234.20 points. The Illini return to the ARC next Sat., Oct. 24 for their home opener against Iowa State beginning at 1 p.m. Prior to the meet, Splash Bash '09 sponsored by the News-Gazette, WDWS, and WHMS will get underway at 12 p.m. at the ARC's outdoor patio and multipurpose room.

Illinois women defeat host Nebraska, 165-135

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +0000

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team was victorious in its season debut, defeating host Nebraska, 165-135 Saturday at the Devaney Center Natatorium. The Orange and Blue won 11 of 16 event titles, while freshman Lauren Wismer set a new school record in the one-meter dive with a score of 290.47. Wismer was also victorious in the three-meter dive, posting a score of 282.38 to rank sixth all-time in the event. "It was a nice way to start the season, especially as a freshman," diving coach Chris Waters said. "She looked very steady and had solid performances today." Senior Jen Ivarson snatched up three event titles in the 100 fly (57.73), 200 fly (2:06.35) and the 200 individual medley (2:09.26). "Jen (Ivarson) did a great job today," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "She took on her races strong from the start, which we've been working on for three years, and was able to finish them strong." Teammate Kristen Manias picked up two wins in the 50 free (24.42) and the 100 free (52.93)and helped the team sweep the 400 medley relay (3:56.51) and the 200 free relay (1:37.76). "Kristen (Manias) came out very strong, Novitsky said. "She has been working on starts and returns and those played a big role in her success today. She had a tough swim in the 400 medley relay, but was able to hold on to the finish. It was good to see her race with a lot of confidence and strength and be tough at the end." Also victorious was senior Amy Johnson in the 100 breast (1:06.36) and 400 medley relay and classmate Kristen Kloeckener in the 500 free (5:08.27). "Overall it was good to travel and come back home with a win," Novitsky said. "It was back and forth all the way through, which was a good situation to be in this early in the season. It was a tough competition." The Fighting Illini travel to East Lansing, Mich., this Friday, Oct. 16 to face the Michigan State Spartans in dual meet action beginning at 5 p.m. at McCaffree Pool.

Iowa opens season with Black & Gold scrimamge

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 13:08:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, IA- The University of Iowa men's and women's swimming team started their season with a splash at the annual Black and Gold intrasquad meet Saturday at the Field House pool. The Hawkeyes came together and raced for a cure, supporting breast cancer awareness. Both teams came out strong but the Gold team pulled out the victory over the Black team, 305-209. The Gold team was lead by captain's junior Verity Hicks, sophomore Danielle Carty and junior Max Dittmer and the Black team lead by captain's senior Stacia Johns and senior Nick Divan. Junior Verity Hicks had two individual first places in the 1000 free (10:37.33), and 500 free (5:11.99). Hicks was also on the winning 400 free relay (3:38.61) that closed out the meet. Freshman Byron Butler had an excellent meet, taking three individual first place finishes in the 200 fly (1:57.56), 200 back (1:54.59) and 100 fly (51.16). The men swam the final heat of the meet in 400 free relay, which was a close race between the Black and Gold but the Gold team of Duncan Partridge, Dittmer, Jake Moore and Paul Gordon posted a winning time of 3:08.07. "It was a great meet and it was for a great cause," said Iowa Head Coach Marc Long. "It's the first opportunity we have had to race and it's still very early in the season. It's fun for the team to have the captains pick the line up and learn a lot about our dual meets." The Hawkeyes will travel to Truman State to open their season, October 9 in Kirksville, MO. The meet will start at 5 p.m.

Two Badgers named to U.S. national team

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 12:45:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- After outstanding performances in national competition over the summer, a pair of University of Wisconsin swimmers have the honor of being named to the U.S. national team for the 2009-10 competition season, USA Swimming has announced. Junior Maggie Meyer, of North Oaks, Minn., and sophomore Ashley Wanland, of Long Grove, Ill., have both earned spots on the prestigious national team roster thanks to their performances at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships in July and the U.S. Open in August. Meyer is one of six swimmers selected for the team in the women's 200-meter backstroke, while Wanland is among the six named to the team in the women's 200-meter breaststroke. Meyer and Wanland become the 11th and 12th UW swimmers to be named to a national team, and the first women since Carly Piper competed for the U.S. at the 2006 FINA World Championships. "I couldn't be more proud of Maggie and Ashley," UW head coach Eric Hansen said. "They have both put countless hours into their training and worked extremely hard to put themselves in a position to be successful at the national level both during our collegiate season and over the summer." Swimmers were selected for the USA Swimming National Team based upon their times in Olympic events contested in 2009 at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, the U.S. Open, World University Games and FINA World Championships. Swimmers with the top six times in each event make the national team, with a total of 110 named to the men's and women's squads. "To be named to the U.S. national team is truly one of the highest honors a swimmer can receive," said Hansen, who has served as head coach for the U.S. four times in international competition. ""When you look at the success of the U.S. team in international competition, you can see that it takes an outstanding swimmer to make the national team roster." Meyer owns a personal-best time of 2:09.53 in the 200 back, which she recorded while winning the event by more than a second at the U.S. Open in August. Meyer also scored a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Open. Earlier in the summer, Meyer finished fourth in the 200 back at the U.S. championships, clocking in at 2:10.08, and narrowly missed a spot on the national team for the FINA World Championships. Impressively, she also was 11th in the 100 backstroke, 16th in the 100-meter freestyle and finished 17th in the 50-meter free at the national championships. Wanland finished second in the 200 breast at the U.S. Open, finishing in a personal-best 2:24.29. She also was fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke. Her performance in the 200 back came on the heels of a third-place finish in the event at the U.S. championships in July. Wanland finished in 2:25.90 in that race, missing a spot on the U.S. team for the World Championships by one position. Wanland also finished sixth in the 100 breast at the national championships. Both Meyer and Wanland entered the summer coming off outstanding collegiate seasons. Wanland earned All-America honors three times at the NCAA championships in March – the most ever by a Wisconsin freshman – and also picked up an honorable mention All-America citation, as well. She was third individually in the 100-yard breaststroke and helped the Badgers to a runner-up finish in the 200-yard medley relay. In all, she set three Big Ten Conference records over the course of the season, won conference titles in the 200 breast and 200 medley relay, and claimed the league's Freshman of the Year award. Meyer also was part of the Badgers' Big Ten champion and NCAA runner-up 200 medley relay teams and earned three All-America awards of her own in 2008-09. In her first two seasons at UW, Meyer has claimed All-America or honorable mention All-America honors seven times.

PSU names two assistant coaches

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:37:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State head swimming coach John Hargis announced on Wednesday the hiring of Brian King as an assistant coach. King comes to Happy Valley with a wide range of experience from the United States and Australia. "I'm really excited," King said. "Coming from Australia, it's a different type of swimming. To get to work with John [Hargis] is pretty exciting, but also to try and continue the Penn State legacy is a goal of mine. I really want to make it happen again for Penn State." King comes to Happy Valley from Green Mountain Aquatics where he was head coach and owner. He was also head coach and owner of coachyourself1.com out of Enfield, N.H. The announcement comes one week following the hiring of fellow assistant Thad Schultz. "Brian brings experience not only domestically, but with his experience in Australia," said Hargis. "He coached the national junior teams in both countries which signifies the best [aged] 18 and under athletes in both continents. That means he has coached the highest level of kids in the age range that we are recruiting. "He has great contacts from Great Britain, Australia and here, so he brings a wealth of knowledge from a recruiting standpoint that we've not had in the past." King also worked with the U.S.A. men's team at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Guam. He is currently a member of the U.S.A. Swimming National Team Coaching Pool. A graduate of Cardijn College and Adelaide University in Australia, King began work in 1994 as an LTS Teacher/assistant coach at Ryde Aquatic Center. While there, he coached age group swimmers. Other coaching experience includes time with ASCA Fellow and assistant coaching positions with the USA zone select team, the Australian junior swim team, Australian junior development team and Australian Paralympic team. He has also worked as an assistant coach through the Manly Aquatic Center and head coach via the Hornsby Aquatic Center. Check back to GoPSUsports.com for continued updates on Penn State swimming as the Nittany Lions prepare for their 2009-10 season.

Canadian swimmer finds success with Hawkeyes

Sean Morgan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Iowa swimmer Danielle Carty is used to breaking records. She had about the best freshman outing a collegiate athlete could hope for, entering the record books in the 200- and 400-meter medley and placing second all-time in the 100-meter backstroke. But the sophomore hasn't always been full of confidence upon entering the pool. When she was 13, swimming in her first big competition, she saw an opponent in her heat, and it did not fill her with a sense of bravado. "I was going against Erin Gammel, the Canadian record holder for the 100-meter backstroke," she said. "She was 26 years old." Now, the Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, native has earned her own accomplishments to intimidate her opponents, placing fourth and 11th in the 50- and 100-meter backstroke at the 2009 Essais Mondiaux ROME World Championships Trials in Montr�©al. She is now ranked 46th in the world in the 50-meter backstroke. "It was really surprising," Carty said. "I was checking the rankings on the computer, and I saw them. To be ranked in the top 50 in the world, it felt good to see all that hard work pay off." After finishing third in the 50-meter backstroke at the 2009 Spring Games, Carty was given the opportunity to represent her home province of Ontario in the 2009 Canadian Games. The competition will pit each province against each other in an Olympic-style event to be held on Prince Edward Island from Aug. 15 through 29. Assistant Iowa swim coach Nathan Mundt says he and his staff have always been supportive of their international athletes competing in their home countries. "We've had swimmers from places like New Zealand and South Africa," said Mundt, now in his second season at Iowa. "We've always been flexible and wanted them to represent their home countries." Carty says she has benefited most from her competition in the States, though, citing Big Ten competition as giving her the confidence to perform her best in the pool. "I'm working on getting stronger, I had never used weight training until coming to Iowa," she said. "The level of competition and the prominence of Big Ten swimming has given me the confidence that was missing." Mundt and the rest of the Iowa coaching staff see big things ahead for Carty, who they named a team captain for the upcoming season. "She's an all-around competitor," Mundt said. "She wants to race you every time she's in the pool. She's a very strong sprinter." Carty doesn't take her new role as team leader lightly. "I told my coaches it was an honor just to have my name on the ballot," she said. "It's our last year in the Field House, so we want to defend our home pool." The team will move to the new facility on Burlington Street after next season. (C) 2008 The Daily Iowan via UWIRE Copyright 2009 The Daily Iowan via U-Wire

IU's Loukas wins another national title

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:04:00 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Indiana University All-American and 2009 NCAA Champion Christina Loukas picked up her sixth USA Diving national title Wednesday night with a win on the one-meter springboard at the AT&T National Diving Championships at the Morcom Aquatics Center on the campus of Florida State University. Loukas scored 308.85 points, with the silver medal going to Victoria Ishimatsu with 303.35 points. Kelci Bryant scored 300.60 points for bronze. This is Loukas' fourth USA Diving national title on the one-meter springboard event, and her sixth overall. Loukas trailed Ishimatsu heading into the final round but came up with 9s and 9.5s on her reverse 1 1/2 with 1 1/2 twists to jump into first place. Her 308.85 points set a new personal best, surpassing the 303.30 she scored to win the one-meter title at the 2009 spring national championships. Loukas recently returned from Rome, Italy, where she placed eighth on this event at the World Championships. "I'm really happy with how I dove tonight. This was my high score," Loukas said. "I came in with no expectations. After worlds, I just wanted to go all out and whatever happened, happened." The AT&T National Diving Championships runs through Aug. 16. USA Diving contributed to this report.

Iowa swimmer lands honor

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:39:00 +0000

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA – University of Iowa sophomore swimmer Danielle Carty has been named Canadian team captain for the 2009 Canada Games to be held Aug. 15-29 in the Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Carty will compete Aug. 24-28. "This is a tremendous honor for Danielle and we are extremely proud of her achievement," said Iowa Assistant Swimming Coach Kirk Hampleman. ""We know Danielle will perform at the highest level and have a great Canada Games."" Carty, a native of Ontario, Canada, recently competed at the 2009 Essais Mondiaux ROME World Championship Trials in Montreal. She placed fourth in the 50-meter backstroke and 11th in the 100-meter backstroke. She is currently ranked 46th in the world in the 50-meter backstroke.

Indiana grad Loukas takes 8th in 3-meter

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:05:00 +0000

ROME, Italy. – Indiana University All-American Christina Loukas finished eighth in the three-meter springboard competition Tuesday at the 2009 FINA World Championships. Loukas finished with 320.20 points, 68 points behind gold medalist Jingjing Guo of China. The reigning NCAA Champion in the event, Loukas was in second place after two dives before scoring 5s on her back 2 1/2 in the third round to drop in the standings. She then came back with the highest scoring dive of the fourth round, picking up 72 points on her reverse 2 1/2. "I know this is going to make me go home and train even harder for the next time," Loukas told USA Diving. Loukas concludes her World Championship experience with a pair of top-10 finishes after also placing eighth in the one-meter springboard event.

Olympic diver transfers to Minnesota

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:59:00 +0000

Kelci Bryant, a 2008 United States Olympic diver, has transferred to the University of Minnesota and will begin her Golden Gopher career in the 2009-10 season. Bryant, who competed one year at the University of Miami, will have three years of eligibility for the Gophers. She will be coached by newly appointed Gopher coach Wenbo Chen, who begins his Gopher tenure in August. Bryant, hailing from Chatham, Ill., competed at the Beijing Olympics in the springboard synchronized 3-meter with partner Ariel Rittenhouse. The duo was coached by Chen and finished fourth overall in their Olympic debut. Bryant has been a member of the U.S. National Team since 2005 and has earned numerous accolades during her career. Recently at the 2009 FINA Diving World Series, Bryant was a bronze medalist on the 3-meter (Great Britain). In 2008 at the World Cup, she earned a bronze medal on the synchronized 3-meter and placed 12th on the 3-meter. Nationally, Bryant was a back-to-back gold-medalist on the synchronized 3-meter at the 2007 and 2008 Kaiser Permanente National Diving Championship. In 2005, Bryant was the national champion on the 1-meter and 3-meter at the age of 16. Kelci is the daughter of Randy and Kathie Bryant and is the youngest of five children. ""Minnesota is the best choice for me,"" Bryant said. ""I have heard so many great things about the team and school and I am excited to be back in the Midwest. Along with the university, Wenbo has been my coach for six years and he has helped me accomplish one of my goals in becoming an Olympian. I know he can help me to get a medal in 2012, which is the long term goal, and I know he can help me bring home some NCAA titles in the three years I have left to compete. I can't put into words how excited I am and how privileged I feel to be a part of the team.""

Minnesota diving coach resigns

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:28:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Diving coach Jason Baumann has resigned from the University of Minnesota for unspecified "personal reasons." The school made the announcement on Monday. Baumann coached diving for the men's and women's teams for the past four seasons. Baumann coached 13 Big Ten finalists in his time at the school and his men's team was the second-highest scoring team at the 2008 U.S. Summer Nationals. Volunteer coach Jim Zagaria is serving as the interim coach while the school conducts a national search for a permanent replacement. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

NU swimming coach announces retirement

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 10:42:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- After 20 seasons in Evanston during which he transformed Northwestern men's swimming and diving into a legitimate national player, Bob Groseth today announced his retirement as the head coach of the NU program effective Sept. 1, 2009, to become the interim Executive Director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). Groseth began his involvement with the CSCAA several years ago, helping save collegiate swimming programs that were threatened with being dropped before later becoming more involved with the administration of the organization. He has served as the President Elect for the past two years. "As a coach, my job was to push people outside of their `comfort zone.' As I approached my 20th year at Northwestern, I started to feel the need to get outside of my comfort zone," Groseth said. "My years here have been great and the school and administration have treated me well. I leave with even more respect for the institution than I had when I started 20 years ago. I have seen a transformation of the Athletic Department and Northwestern Men's Swimming from a perennial doormat to a perennial contender. I take pride in being part of that process and thank the many people who have helped make it happen." "We are very pleased that Bob is stepping in this direction for the CSCAA," President George Kennedy said. "He is a leader in our sport and is passionate about the issues that college swimming faces today. The entire CSCAA Board welcomes Bob Groseth, and we look forward to his leadership in the next year." Groseth began his coaching duties at Northwestern in 1989, taking over a team that finished last in the Big Ten in each of the 11 seasons prior to his arrival. During his tenure Groseth built the Wildcats into a contender, finishing in the upper half of the conference in seven-consecutive years from 2001-07, including a third-place effort in 2004. Northwestern also had a five-year stretch from 2004-08 in which it was a top-12 team in the nation in each season, peaking with a modern era-best sixth-place finish in 2007. "This is certainly a day of very mixed emotions. We are all happy for Bob but sad that we are losing a tremendous coach, teacher and person," NU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips said. "We want to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Coach Groseth for his 20 years of dedicated service to Northwestern athletics. Bob has left an indelible mark at Northwestern with the success of our men's swimming and diving program, and that is a legacy that will remain here forever. We wish Bob the very best of luck as he takes this new step in his career." Current Northwestern assistant coach Jarod Schroeder will be promoted to head coach of the men's swimming and diving program to replace Groseth, Phillips also announced today (June 8). Schroeder, who trained under Groseth while a competitive swimmer, served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Wildcats from 2000-06 before returning to Evanston as an assistant prior to the 2008-09 season. In dual-meet terms, Groseth went 116-114 in his 20 years at Northwestern. In 2006-07, the Wildcats were a perfect 8-0 in their dual-meet schedule to complete their first undefeated season in the modern era of the program. In 35 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Groseth compiled a 186-170 dual-meet mark. Groseth's team broke a 32-year drought without a Big Ten champion from Northwestern when Steve Steketee won the 200 freestyle title in 1998. From that point on, Groseth's Wildcats won 36 event crowns in the next 11 years, including 30 in a five-year span from 2004-08. He has coached every single first-team All-Big Ten performer in program history (an award first given in 1984), with 14 swimmers earning 26 honors under his tutelage. A three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007, Groseth led Northwestern to 12 NCAA Championships berths, including nine-straight appearances from 2001-09. In fact, only twice after 1995 have the Wildcats failed to place a swimmer in the NCAA meet. Northwestern earned 71 All-America honors under Groseth, comprised of 51 individual and 20 relay awards. Groseth was named the NCAA Co-Coach of the Year in 2005. Bob Groseth coached Matt Grevers (right) to four NCAA titles before Grevers went on to earn two gold medals and a silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Wildcats brought home five national championships for Groseth, beginning in 2005 when Matt Grevers became the first 'Cat in 47 years to earn an NCAA crown with a victory in the 100 backstroke. Grevers repeated in the event in 2006 before capturing 200 backstroke gold in 2007, one of three NU national titles in that year. Mike Alexandrov broke a 10-year-old NCAA record to win the 100 breast while both Grevers and Alexandrov combined with Kyle Bubolz and Bruno Barbic to win the 400 medley relay, also shattering that NCAA mark in the process. Grevers went on to earn a spot with the U.S. team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, earning two gold medals with relays and an individual silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Alexandrov also swam in Beijing with his native Bulgaria, marking his second Olympic Games after competing in Athens in 2004. Barbic was an alternate for the Croatian delegation in Beijing. Groseth has been honored multiple times by his peers for his coaching acumen. He received the Richard E. Steadman Award after the 2001-02 season from the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). He was the recipient of the American Swimming Coaches Association "Bob Ousley" Award for contributions to the sport in 2003 and won the John Newman Award for contributions to Illinois Swimming in 2008. Groseth began his head coaching career at Fenwick High School from 1967-73, where his teams won seven-straight Catholic League championships and four National Catholic Championships. He then jumped to the collegiate ranks to serve as head coach at Cincinnati (1974-77), Tulane (1977-79) and Iowa State (1979-89) before joining Northwestern for the 1989-90 season.

Indiana alumna places fifth in 3-meter

Sat, 9 May 2009 14:52:00 +0000

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Recent Indiana University graduate and 2009 NCAA Champion Christina Loukas finished fifth in the three-meter springboard competition Saturday at the 2009 AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix. Loukas was first after the first round with a score of 76.50 on her inward 2 1/2 somersault pike. Her next dive was a forward 3 1/2 somersault pike, picking up 60.45 points which dropped her to second, 1.35 points behind USA teammate Allison Brennan. In the third round Loukas executed a back 2 1/2 somersault pike and scored 67.50 points, averaging a 7.5 per judge, but it was not enough to maintain her second-place spot as she fell to third, 5.25 points out of the top spot. Loukas' fourth dive was a reverse 2 1/2 somersault pike and she struggled with a score of 43.50, dropping her out of a medal spot with one round to go. Loukas finished the competition strong with a forward 2 1/2 somersault 1 twist pike, tallying 72.00 points to finish fifth with a score of 319.95. Brennan won the event with a score of 358.55. In competition on Thursday, Loukas and partner Amanda Miller finished fifth in the synchronized three-meter event, tallying 272.40 points. The Chinese duo of Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia took gold with a score of 335.10. The AT&T USA Grand Prix is the sole U.S. stop on the six-country FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) international Grand Prix tour. Now in its 39th year, the USA Grand Prix competition is one of the most prestigious diving events in the world and regularly draws top international athletes, Olympic and World champions.