Dec. 3, 2006

Results

OXFORD, Ohio - Cleveland State set eight new team top times, including five on the final day, to help CSU place 10^th in the team standings at the Miami Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 2) night at Miami University. The tournament was the Vikings' final event of the calendar year and their only outing in the month of December.

Senior Marianne Lionell  recorded three new team top times and sophomores Katie Bellew and Sandra Bunker each had a pair of new team standards, with each posting one top time on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday (Dec. 1), Lionell recorded a 1:07.59 in the 100 breast and followed that performance with a :53.30 in the 100 free and a :53.30 in the 100 free. Bellew, competing in the 400 IM for the first time this season, posted a 4:49.80 on Friday and then swam a 1:01.71 in the 100 fly the next day. Sandra Bunker shattered the team's best mark with a 5:19.75 in the 500 free on Saturday, just one day after notching a 1:03.43 in the 100 back.

"Those three had good performances, especially Sandra in the 500," head coach Mike Lehto said. "And Katie's times were close to the times she was swimming when she won the league championships last year."

Junior Deanna Raedel added a time of :55.37 in the 100 free while sophomore Kristine Bunker recorded a solid 1:01.94 in the 100 fly, just behind Bellew.

The 400 free (3:38.79) and the 200 medley relay (1:52.55) teams each set new standards, with Lionell and junior Lesley Jones the only Vikings to swim on both teams.

The Vikings (237 points) finished 10^th among the tournament's 11 teams. Host Miami won the tournament with 1,873.5 points, followed by Truman State (1,425.5) and Denison (1,200). The only team behind CSU in the team standings was league foe UW-Milwaukee with 134 points.

"Our goal for this tournament was to just swim in a fast meet with a lot of good teams and get some decent swims," Lehto said. "Miami's pool is a great facility, probably second to ours, and we got some good results."

The Vikings are idle until Jan. 6 when they head to the Florida Gulf Coast Holiday Tournament in Fort Myers, Fla. CSU then hosts a triangular meet with Xavier and Duquesne and on Jan. 13 at Busbey Natatorium.

NEW CSU TOP TIMES

100 free - Marianne Lionell - 53.03

100 breast - Marianne Lionell - 1:07.59

100 fly - Katie Bellew - 1:01.71

400 IM - Katie Bellew - 4:49.80

500 free - Sandra Bunker - 5:19.75

100 back - Sandra Bunker - 1:03.43

200 medley relay - 1:52.55

400 free relay - 3:38.79

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

1. Miami - 1,873.5

2. Truman State - 1,425.5

3. Denison - 1,200

4. Oakland - 1,159.5

5. Cincinnati - 1,044

6. Emory - 821

7. Houston - 714.5

8. Wright State - 610

9. Marshall - 554

10. CSU - 237

11. UW-Milwaukee - 134