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March 25, 2008
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Release in PDF Format
Spring Schedule Heats Up. . . With Championship play complete for the various Viking winter sports, the attention turns to the weather to see if the unusually cold mid-March in northeast Ohio lets up enough to permit the CSU spring sports to get outdoors. Seven sports are slated to be in action this week, with both baseball and softball scheduled to play home contests. One final winter sport - men's swimming - takes center stage this week when sophomore Jakub Dobies competes in two events at the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Seattle, Wash. He will swim in the 100 Breast on Friday (March 28) and the 200 Breast on Saturday (March 29). The baseball and softball teams are each hoping for a reprieve in weather to get the northern portion of their spring schedules started. The softball team, which has already had a Tuesday (March 25) doubleheader at Eastern Michigan canceled, is slated to host Wright State for a three-game series at Viking Field on Saturday-Sunday (March 29-30). The baseball team, which had three games postponed due to weather last week, has canceled Tuesday's (March 25) home game against Niagara but will travel to Kent State for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Wednesday (March 26). CSU will then open Horizon League play with a three-game series at Valparaiso, playing a single game on Friday (March 28) at 3:00 p.m. and a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (March 29). The men's and women's golf teams will both be in action as well, taking part in the Butler Spring Invitational at the Prestwick Country Club in Avon, Ind. The 36-hole tourneys will be played with single rounds on both Monday-Tuesday (March 24-25). The men's team will be back in Indiana over the weekend, taking part in the Hoosier Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. on Sunday-Monday (March 30-April 1). The men's tennis team will be in Dayton on Saturday (March 29) for a 2:00 p.m. dual meet with the Flyers. The following day (March 30), the women's tennis team will take on Youngstown State at 12:00 noon at the River Oaks Racquet Club in Rocky River. Dobies To Swim At NCAA Championships. . . Viking men's swimmer Jakub Dobies will conclude what has been a tremendous sophomore campaign this week when he swims in two events at the NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Championships, which is being hosted by the University of Washington at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. "It is the highest achievement in college swimming to qualify for the NCAA Division I Championship," head coach Wally Morton said, "I am very proud of Jakub's achievement because for the second straight year, he is the only swimmer in the Horizon League to accomplish participating in the NCAA's." Dobies earned an automatic qualifying spot in the 100 Breast by turning in a 53.64 time in a last chance meet at Ohio State on March 8, giving him the 13th fastest time in the country in the event. He will also compete in the 200 Breast after posting a "B" Qualifying time of 2:00.43 on Dec. 1 at Miami (OH), giving him a 38th seed in the event. Dobies will compete in the preliminary heat of the 100 Breast on Friday, March 28 at approximately 4:30 p.m. EST and then advance to the finals later that evening. If he finishes among the top 16 swimmers, he will achieve All-America honors. He will swim in the 200 Breast on Saturday (March 29). Seeded 13th in the 100 Breast going into last year's national championship meet (53.77), Dobies placed 28th overall (54.39) in the event. Men's Basketball Ends Season With A 21-13 Record. . . Cleveland State ended a memorable men's basketball season last week when the Vikings dropped a 66-57 decision at Dayton in the first round of the MasterCard NIT. The game marked the fourth time in school history - and first in 20 years - that CSU advanced to post-season play with the Vikings finishing the year with a 21-13 record, the sixth 20-win season in school history. "The Viking basketball program took a big step forward this season," CSU head coach Gary Waters, the 2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year, said. "When we took over the program two years ago, we talked about building the program the right way by building a foundation so that the program would not only enjoy success, but also be able to sustain it. This season was a great example of that. "As a team, we achieved every goal that we set during the preseason which says a lot about how this group was able to come together and play as a team. I am looking forward to what we can accomplish next season." Junior J'Nathan Bullock, a first team All-Horizon League selection, became only the fourth player in school history to lead the team in scoring three times, averaging 14.8 points a game. He joins Weldon Kytle (1962-65) and Franklin Edwards (1978-81) each led the team in scoring during all four years in the program while Ken McFadden (1987-89) achieved it as a sophomore, junior and senior. Junior guard Cedric Jackson, a second team all-league pick, was second on the team in both scoring (13.9) and rebounding (4.9), leading the team and ranking second in school history in assists (168) and third in steals (88). The Vikings, who became just the second team in league history to go from 20 losses in one season to 20 wins the next, will return all but two players next year, seniors Breyohn Watson (5.2 ppg) and Kevin Francis (4.3). Women's Basketball Finishes Season With 19 Wins & NCAA Appearance. . . Cleveland State completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the country, going from eight wins last season to 19 victories this season, a Horizon League Championship and the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA Championship. The 15th-seeded Vikings fell to fourth-ranked Stanford in the opening round, 85-47, as CSU finished the year 19-14. The 19 wins tied for the second-most in program history. "It was a wonderful experience to be part of the NCAA Tournament and to experience what goes on," head coach Kate Peterson Abiad said. "I am extremely proud of this team and everything that they accomplished. These players entered the program knowing that it was going to be an uphill battle and because of their commitment and perseverance, we have completely changed the face of Cleveland State basketball." The Vikings, who were picked to finish eighth out of 10 teams in the Horizon League preseason poll, won a school-record 10 league games to finish in fourth place. CSU swept past Butler, regular season champion Green Bay and regular season runner-up Wright State, defeating all three by double figures, to win the first Horizon League Championship in school-history and earn the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Kailey Klein, a first team All-Horizon League selection and the Most Valuable Player of the league championship, finished the season with a school-record 654 points and will enter her junior year just 28 points shy of becoming the 20th player in school-history to score 1,000 points. She ranked second in the conference in scoring (19.8) and was in the top-15 of eight statistical categories. Junior Dominique Butler was selected as the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, the first Viking to earn the honor, and was tabbed to the all-defensive team for the third straight season. Softball Will Attempt To Open Horizon League Play vs. Wright State. . . After playing their first 15 games on the road to open the season, the Viking softball team will attempt to open the northern portion of its schedule with three home contests against Wright State this weekend. CSU is slated to face the Raiders in a doubleheader on Saturday (March 29) at 1:00 p.m. and a single game on Sunday (March 30) at 1:00 p.m. at Viking Field. Unfortunately, when you combine the already cold weather and wet grounds with the forecast of more inclement weather, the series may need a change of venue in order to be played. "We're going to do everything possible to get this series played," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "It is unfortunate that we finished our spring trip on such a high note and then we come back to Cleveland and we can't get our games in because of the snow and cold. We can't let this slow the momentum we built playing down in Florida." The Vikings enter the week with a 10-5 record, including a four game win streak. Shortstop Christa Coppus, who was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on March 17 after hitting .400 in eight games in Orlando, continues to lead the team with a .383 batting average, 18 hits, 14 RBI's and four doubles. Senior left fielder Whitney Willard is close behind, hitting .353 with a team-high 13 runs scored and 18 hits while also ranking second with 12 RBI. Sophomore Amanda Macenko leads the pitching staff with a 7-4 record and a 1.57 ERA. Baseball Opens League Play At Valparaiso. . . After having its last five contests cancelled due to inclement weather, Cleveland State is slated to play four games this week, including a three-game series at Valparaiso to open Horizon League play. The league opener is scheduled for Friday, March 28 at 3:00 p.m., while the teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 29, at 1:00 p.m. CSU is scheduled to play a non-conference game at Kent State on Wednesday, March 26, at 3:00 p.m. The Vikings did not play any of their four scheduled games last week and had their Tuesday (March 25) home contest against Niagara cancelled due to poor field conditions. "We've had to battle some weather issues throughout the early part of the season so we'll try and make-up these games later this spring," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "Despite the lost games, we have played well during the first month of the season. We have guys that are buying into our system as we continue to build toward becoming a championship caliber program." CSU enters the week with a 5-7 overall record, the first time the Vikings have won five of their first 12 games since 1989, and had a four-game win streak snapped with a 5-3 setback to North Dakota State on March 16. Juniors Brian Long and Josh Hungerman have anchored the pitching staff this season, combining to go 3-2 with a 3.07 earned run average and 35 strikeouts. Josh Geric is hitting .351 with eight RBI, while Brad Buell (.348, 3 2B, 6 RBI) and Kyle Bischof (.400, 4 2B, 10 RBI) have also fared well at the plate early this season. Effner & Goff Conclude Wrestling Season At NCAA Championships. . . Junior 165-pounder Marcus Effner and junior heavyweight Rashard Goff represented Cleveland State at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday (March 20) and Friday (March 21) in St. Louis, Mo., combining to go 3-4 at the championships. "It was a good experience for two of our better guys and I am very proud of the way each represented Cleveland State University," head coach Jack Effner said. "The good news is that both are coming back next season and they will get another shot at it. What we get from this is two guys who come away with a good feeling for what it takes to win at the national level. We will build for a strong spring season and continue to improve as a team for next year." Marcus Effner, the son of CSU's head coach, opened the championships against Mark Perry of Iowa, a three-time All-American and defending national champion, losing via pin (2:14). Effner responded by defeating UNC-Greensboro's Bryon Sigmon, 4-2, in the consolation round for his first victory at the NCAA Championships. However, his run came to an end on Friday (March 21) with a 9-2 loss to Chad Porter of Liberty. After falling to seventh-seeded Kyle Massey of Wisconsin in the opening round (3-1), Goff battled back to defeat Levon Mock of Brown, 9-0, in the consolation round to extend his stay at the championships. Goff came back on Friday and earned a 1-0 win over VMI's Josh Wine before having his bid for All-American status ended by Kent State's Jermail Porter, 7-2, in the consolation third round. Effner finished the season with a 27-13 record, while Goff concluded the season at 22-13. The duo headlines a list of talented grapplers slated to return next season, including 2006 NCAA qualifier David Armstrong, who redshirted this season. Men's Tennis Heads To Dayton. . . The Cleveland State men's tennis team (10-4) will travel to Dayton on Saturday, March 30 to complete their non-conference schedule this spring. The contest is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. "Overall, we had a successful trip in Orlando," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "Playing outdoors will definitely help us throughout the rest of the season." The men's team was idle last week after completing their Spring Training Trip in Orlando, Florida the prior week. The team went 2-1, defeating Southern Illinois Edwardsville and UConn before falling to No. 53 Stetson. Sophomore Phil Orno and freshman Robert Fox lead the team with 16 victories. Orno has won 11 consecutive singles matches and is 16-9 at No. 1 singles. Fox is 16-7 at No. 5 singles. Sophomore Ryan Hamning is 11-11 at No. 2 singles, while freshman Chris Klepatz is 12-10 at No. 3 singles and Rob West is 8-16 at No. 4 singles. Senior Brad Groleski is 9-7 at No. 6 singles to round out CSU's lineup. Women's Tennis Hosts Youngstown State. . . The Cleveland State women's tennis team (11-5) will continue its spring schedule this week when the Vikings host Youngstown State on Sunday, March 31, at 12:00 noon at the River Oaks Racquet Club. "Our goal this year was to finish within the top three of the league," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "We still have a chance to do that, but we will have to win the key matches this season." The Vikings dropped their first Horizon League match against Detroit on Friday, falling 4-3. Sophomores Charlotte Gibbons and Denisa Muntean won their singles matches against the Titans. Gibbons (12-4) won a 6-3, 6-3 decision at No. 5 singles, while Muntean (15-6) won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6 singles. Freshmen Melissa Holzinger and Jackie Tabb are 12-14 and 6-16 at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, respectively. Senior Jenn Myers is 13-11 at No. 3 singles, while freshman Sanda Bjelan is 17-9 at No. 4 singles to complete the Viking lineup. Men's Golf Opens Spring Slate At Butler Invitational. . . Cleveland State begins its spring tournament schedule when the Vikings set out to defend their championship at the 36-hole Butler Spring Invitational on Monday (March 24) and Tuesday (March 25). The event will be contested at the 6,885-yard, par-72, Prestwick Country Club in Avon, Ind. "We are excited to open the spring season at a tournament that we had success at last season," head coach Steve Weir said. "This is a good course that we should be able to score well on if the weather conditions are good." Junior Jake Scott was the medalist at last year's event, shooting consecutive rounds of 72 to finish at even-par 144. Butler Spring Invitational Next Up For Women's Golf. . . The women's golf team will travel with the men's squad and compete in the 36-hole Butler Spring Invitational on Monday (March 25) and Tuesday (March 26). Like the men, the women's team will also compete at the par-72, Prestwick Country Club, but will play a shorter 6,290-yard track. "We have a relatively young team and are maturing each and every week," head coach Steve Weir said. "This will be a good experience on a good course and we need to keep our focus and continue to grow as players." The Vikings opened the spring portion of its schedule at the Northern Illinois Invitational in Tampa, Fla., over Spring Break (March 13-14). CSU shot 338 and was in sixth place following the first round, but climbed two spots to finish fourth of eight teams after carding a 321 in the final round. It was one shot shy of tying the school-record of 320 set in the fall. Mallory Wyderka led the Vikings with rounds of 80-77 (157) to finish eighth, while sophomore Katie Broere carded a school-record 72 in the final round to finish 11th overall at 158 (86-72). Viking High Fives Kailey Klein: The MVP of the Horizon League Championship finished the season with a school-record 654 points and will enter her junior year 28 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Katie Broere: The sophomore set a school-record by shooting a 72 in the final round of the Northern Illinois Invitational. Josh Hungerman: The junior southpaw was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week after working eight innings and striking out a career-high 11 in a win over Evansville. Rashard Goff & Marcus Effner: The duo combined to go 3-4 at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, marking the 44th consecutive year that CSU has been represented in the tourney. J'Nathan Bullock & Cedric Jackson: When the 2008-09 basketball season begins next fall, the duo will give CSU the only pair of returning all-league players in the Horizon League. The Schedule Ahead For The Vikings March 24-25 (Mon.-Tues.) Women's Golf at Butler Spring Invitational March 26 (Wednesday) March 27-29 (Thurs.-Sat.) March 28 (Friday) March 29 (Saturday) Softball hosts Wright State (DH) Baseball at Valparaiso (DH) Men's Golf at Hoosier Invitational March 30 (Sunday) Women's Tennis hosts Youngstown State Men's Golf at Hoosier Invitational
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