Women's Swimming And Diving Has Two Full Weeks Of Training

CSU Will Travel To Youngstown State On November 6

Carys Behn

Oct. 28, 2009

Contact: Renee Adam

Complete Release in PDF Format

SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State men's swimming and diving team will travel to South Bend, Ind. on Saturday (Oct. 31) to face Notre Dame and Miami (OH) at 2:00 p.m. The women's team will have two full weeks of training before their next meet on November 6.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The men's and women's squads hosted Green Bay in the first home meet of the 2009-10 season last Saturday (Oct. 24). The women's meet came down to the last two events, with the Vikings falling just short 123-120, while the men were victorious over the Phoenix 134-105.

WOMEN (0-2) - Green Bay 123, CSU 120 (Oct. 24, Cleveland, Ohio):
Joanna Olsson led the Vikings, setting a CSU record in the 200 butterfly, winning the event with a time of 2:06.44. Olsson also touched first in the 1,000 free (10:26.60) and the 200 IM (2:09.05). Alice Sommerville and Carys Behn each recorded two first place individual finishes, along with winning the 400 free relay with teamates Emily Splain and Whitney Hickey. Kacey Cummings won both the 1- and 3-meter diving events in the first meet of the season for the CSU diving teams.

MEN (1-0) - CSU 134, Green Bay 105 (Oct. 24, Cleveland, Ohio):
Jakub Dobies and Mark deSwardt each captured two individual event victories leading the Vikings to their first dual meet victory. Dobies recorded victories in the 200 IM (1:58.50) and the 200 breast (2:08.54), while deSwardt finished first in the 1,000 free (9:29.27) and the 200 fly (1:52.78). Dobies was also part of the 400 medley relay team that touched first, teaming with Zvonimir Androic, Stephen Grove and Berry Thompson to finish in 3:31.06.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S HEAD COACH
Wally Morton (Miami, OH, '70)
AT CSU: as men's coach: 251-138-1 (28 years), as women's coach: 12-19-0 (2 years)

THE MORTON FILE: Wally Morton enters 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 251-138-1 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.

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN: Head coach Wally Morton and his staff have brought in an outstanding group of talented newcomers to join the returners from last year's squad that finished sixth at the Horizon League Championships, one of the best finishes in school history. The returning squad is comprised of one senior, three juniors and six sophomores, including the holders of all six school records that were set during 2009. The freshmen are already making an impact on the CSU record books as three of the newcomers, Joanna Olsson, Alice Sommerville and Michelle Ferro, have recorded seven all-time top-10 times this season. Sommerville has the team's top times in the 50 free (23.95), 100 free (52.04) and the 100 fly (58.80), while Olsson holds the top time in the 1,000 free (10:26.60), the 200 IM (2:09.05) and also the 200 fly (2:06.44) which is also a CSU record. Five-time individual school record holder, sophomore Carys Behn, has the team's best times in the 200 (1:54.63) and 500 free (5:09.62). Emily Simard has a grasp on the breaststroke events placing first and second in the 100 and 200, Simard is tops in the 100 (1:10.28) and second in the 200 (2:34.71). Michelle Ferro leads the team in backstroke events, having top times in the 100 (1:01.85) and the 200 backstroke (2:07.95). Ferro also leads the team in the 200 breast (2:29.48). Kacey Cummings paced the Viking divers in their first meet of the season, winning both the 1- and 3-meter diving events with 247.42 and 236.70 points respectively.

PREVIEWING THE MEN: After a season in which the CSU men's swimming and diving team earned their first All-American, placed first in eight events at the Horizon League Championships and captured Swimmer of the Meet, Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, the Vikings are prepared to expand on their success with the addition of nine talented newcomers. The newcomers join three seniors, three juniors and six sophomores to complete the 2009-10 squad. 2009 All-American Jakub Dobies started his senior campaign setting the team's top times in the 200 IM (1:58.50) and the 200 breast (2:08.54). Sophomore Mark deSwardt returns after earning all three league honors for the Vikings; Swimmer of the Meet, Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, swimming top times in the 1,000 free (9:29.27) and the 200 fly (1:52.78). Sophomore Keith Everhart rounds out the veterans that hold this seasons top times, with a team best 48.58 in the 100 free. Four newcomers have recorded top times/scores for the Vikings so far this season. Berry Thompson leads the 50 free (21.28), Pierre De Waal has the top time in the 200 free (1:45.71) and Graham Thoresen holds the best time in the 500 free (4:40.26). Josh Gonzalez recorded the best scores for the divers in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events with 273.60 and 269.85 points respectively.

FEARLESS FRESHMEN: Thirteen out of the 21 top times for the 2009-10 season are held by seven different freshmen on this year's squads. Alice Sommerville, Joanna Olsson and Michelle Ferro have each recorded three top times, with Emily Simard, Berry Thompson, Pierre De Waal and Graham Thoresen each having one top time. At least one freshmen is also involved with all of the top relay times this season, with the women's 200 medley, 400 medley and 800 free relay teams being comprised of three freshmen and one sophomore.

RECORD SETTER: Freshman Joanna Olsson was the first swimmer to set a CSU record during the 2009-10 season, taking just three meets to do so. Olsson set a program record in the 200 fly last Saturday (10/24) when she finished in 2:06.44. She replaces the record set by Heather Henshaw 11 years ago during the 1998 season. Olsson is also knocking on the door of Carys Behn, who holds the record in the 1,000 free with a time of 10:23.19. Olsson is just three seconds shy of recording a second CSU record in her freshman campaign.

ALL-AMERICAN RECOGNITION: 2009 All-American Jakub Dobies was recognized during the Green Bay meet on Saturday (Oct. 24) for his 13th place finish in the 100 breaststroke at the NCAA Championships with a plaque that will be displayed outside Busbey Natatorium. Dobies proved he was worthy of the recognition, winning both of his individual events, the 200 IM (1:58.50) and the 200 breast (2:08.54), as well as swimming the second leg of the 400 medley relay that touched first in a time of 3:31.06.

TRIPLE THREAT: The trio of Carys Behn, Joanna Olsson and Alice Sommerville is something to be reckoned with as they have won 13 out of their 15 individual events this season. Olsson leads the group going a perfect six for six over the past two meets setting a CSU record and two additional top-10 times. Sommerville has won four out of her five individual races, finishing second in the 100 fly at Saint Francis, while Behn has gone three for four, touching second in the 200 free also at Saint Francis. Both Sommerville and Behn were outtouched by Hanna Yttring of Saint Francis, who set school records in both events.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: Six members of the men's swimming and diving team took home first place finishes during the meet last Saturday, showing the depth of the CSU team. Jakub Dobies, Mark deSwardt, Zvonimir Androic, Berry Thompson and Graham Thoresen each recorded first place individual finishes, while Stephen Grove was part of the first place 400 medley relay.

DYNAMIC DIVING: In her first competitive meet in over five months, sophomore Kacey Cummings won both the 1- and 3-meter diving events for the Vikings last Saturday (10/24). Cummings scored 247.42 points in the 1-meter and 236.70 points in the 3-meter. The last time a Viking diver won both events in the same meet was on November 11, 2008 when Cummings won both at the City College Championships. During the 2008-09 season she swept the diving events four separate times.

HISTORY NOTE: The men's meet at Notre Dame this Saturday (Oct. 31) will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Rolfs Aquatic Center. The first meet held in the facility was against Cleveland State in December of 1985, with the CSU men recording a 71.5-41.5 victory over the Irish.

NEXT UP: The men's and women's teams will travel to Youngstown State on Friday (Nov. 6) for a 5:00 p.m. meet. The women will swim against Canisius, Malone and Youngstown State with the men swimming against Canisius and Malone.