The Ohio State Buckeyes will wrap up their regular season this weekend with dual meets against the Wright State men and women on Saturday at home.
Men’s Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The ninth-ranked Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team will face-off against Wright State Saturday at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Buckeyes are coming off a solid weekend of competition after registering wins over No. 11 Louisville, No. 15 Indiana and West Virginia last weekend.
FORMAT
200 Medley Relay
200 Free
50 Free
400 IM
100 Fly
100 Free
100 Back
500 Free
100 Breast
200 Free Relay
IN THE RANKINGS
Ohio State ranks ninth in the nation according to the latest Top 25 poll of Division I men’s teams conducted by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (Feb. 5). Other ranked Big Ten teams include Michigan (6), Indiana (15), Minnesota (18), Iowa (21) and Wisconsin (23).
LAST TIME OUT
The Buckeyes notched wins over then No. 4 Louisville, 190-110, and No. 9 Indiana, 187-113, last Saturday afternoon at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Buckeyes had an outstanding day overall, earning wins in 10 events, while recognizing 15 seniors prior to the meet. The previous evening, the squad earned a 170-120 victory over West Virginia, which was also contested at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
Previously, the team split a pair of road meets against Michigan State and No. 5 Michigan (Jan. 23-24). Ohio State dominated the Spartans by a margin of 168-75 in East Lansing, Mich., before dropping a hard-fought contest to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich., 183-117. The Buckeye divers were on point, sweeping events vs. both Big Ten foes.
The Scarlet and Gray returned from winter training to face Denison, which resulted in their sixth dual-meet victory of the season (Jan. 16). Downing the Big Red by a score of 189-111, the Buckeyes made the most of their trek to Granville, Ohio, as senior diver Stephen Ettienne and freshman swimmer Brayden Seal both achieved site records.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State is coached by Kyle Oaks, who served as an assistant coach for the Raiders for three seasons before being promoted to associate head coach of the swimming and diving program in July of 2013. In the previous five meetings against the Buckeyes, dating back to the 2008-09 season, Ohio State has claimed all five wins.
B1G HONORS
Josh Fleagle was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. The award is the second of the season for the St. Mary’s, Ohio native.
Two Buckeye swimmers have earned conference nods this season. Fleagle was previously named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 12, while rookie Brayden Seal received Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades on Nov. 25.
OHIO STATE INVITE CHAMPS
Ohio State was crowned champions of the Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational on Sunday, Nov. 23. The Buckeyes posted a team total of 1,546, which bested second-place finisher Wisconsin by a margin of 723 points. Overall, it was a solid showing for the swimming squad, with 28 NCAA ‘B’ standard times achieved.
Representing the Buckeye diving unit, Ettienne and freshman Stephen Romanik claimed top-10 finishes on the 1-meter dive. Ettienne posted a finals score of 355.45 for fifth, while Romanik placed sixth with a 331.25 in finals. The divers also contributed handedly on the 3-meter apparatus, with Ettienne picking up 15 points in a fourth-place finish (379.75).
NOTING NATIONALS
Eight Buckeye standouts suited up at USA Swimming’s 2014 AT&T Winter National Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Taking place Dec. 3-6, the Buckeyes competed, and impressed, against some of the nation’s top swimming talent.
One of the most noteworthy events for the Buckeyes was the 400 free relay where the team of Fleagle, Michael DiSalle, Steffen Hillmer and Matt McHugh conquered a national title. Outlasting the University of Louisville and Club Wolverine by less than a second, Ohio State’s winning time of 2:53.04 was a season best.
MAKING THE GRADE
Ohio State has earned 32 NCAA provisional times so far this season, while six Buckeye swimmers rank in the top-20 nationally.
NCAA Provisional Qualifying Times
50 Freestyle
Fleagle (19.60)
100 Freestyle
Fleagle (43.09)
DiSalle (43.48)
200 Freestyle
Fleagle (1:34.33)
DiSalle (1:35.37)
Hillmer (1:36.93)
Williams (1:36.99)
500 Freestyle
Seal (4:19.82)
Williams (4:23.59)
Hillmer (4:23.81)
1650 Freestyle
Seal (15:14.43)
100 Backstroke
Zimmerman (47.01)
McHugh (47.44)
Williams (47.53)
McDonald (48.27)
Trace (48.32)
200 Backstroke
Williams (1:42.88)
Zimmerman (1:43.16)
Trace (1:45.70)
100 Breaststroke
MacDonald (53.68)
Barone (54.27)
200 Breaststroke
MacDonald (1:56.75)
100 Butterfly
McHugh (47.49)
200 Butterfly
Gercsak (1:44.45)
Lim (1:46.32)
200 IM
Gercsak (1:46.08)
Zimmerman (1:46.95)
Morgan (1:48.60)
Lim (1:48.99)
400 IM
Gercsak (3:47.20)
Dolgov (3:51.32)
Mitrovic (3:53.04)
NCAA Rankings
50 Freestyle
15. Fleagle (19.60)
100 Freestyle
12. Fleagle (43.09)
200 Freestyle
6. Fleagle (1:34.33)
19. DiSalle (1:35.37)
1000 Freestyle
14. Seal (9:05.46)
100 Backstroke
16. Zimmerman (47.01)
200 Backstroke
19. Williams (1:42.88)
200 Butterfly
21. Gercsak (1:44.45)
400 IM
20. Gercsak (3:47.20)
BUCKEYES VS. THE B1G
Ohio State currently holds 25 top-10 individual times in the Big Ten. Fleagle ranks first in the 200 freestyle, as well as runner-up in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Also posted among the top-5 are DiSalle (4th, 100 freestyle), Seal (2nd, 1000 freestyle; 5th, 500 freestyle), Rowan Williams (5th, 200 backstroke) and Tamas Gercsak (3rd, 200 butterfly; 4th, 200 IM; 3rd, 400 IM). Three Buckeyes – Steven Zimmerman, McHugh and Williams – hold top-5 standing in the 100 backstroke.
WADLEY NAMED TO U.S. NATIONAL TEAM COACHING STAFF
Ohio State head coach Bill Wadley will contribute his plethora of experience to the United States National Team as a member for the coaching staff, effective Sept. 2, 2014. Wadley was selected to join the coaching contingent by USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch and will remain on the staff for one year.
Wadley qualified for the position after two of his athletes – Phillips and MacDonald – finished Top 6 in their respective events at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships.
“Coach Wadley has helped me develop as a swimmer through his dedication and perseverance to making sure that not just me, but everyone on the team reaches their full potential as a swimmer and as a person,” MacDonald said. “As much as he emphasizes the team’s efforts in the pool, he also encourages us to be leaders outside of the pool – in the community and the classroom.”
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will host the Ohio State Winter Invite Feb. 14-15 at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The meet will serve as a precursor for the 2015 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Women’s Release
RELATED INFO
- Online Release: http://go.osu.edu/wswim_preview_25
- 2015 Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships: Tickets
- Live Results: https://go.osu.edu/swimdive_liveresults
- Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 23rd-ranked Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team is poised to take on Wright State Saturday afternoon at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. A co-ed dual hosted alongside the Buckeye men; the meet is scheduled to begin at noon. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as a ceremony for the senior class will commence at approximately 11:40 a.m.
FORMAT
200 Medley Relay
200 Free
50 Free
400 IM
100 Fly
100 Free
100 Back
500 Free
100 Breast
200 Free Relay
TICKETS, GET YOUR TICKETS
This season the Buckeyes will welcome their Big Ten counterparts to McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion for the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, Feb. 18-21. Tickets for the premier event are on sale now and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com or by calling the athletic ticket office at 1-800-745-3000.
LAST TIME OUT
The Buckeyes recently split a pair of road meets vs. Michigan State and Michigan (Jan. 23-24). Ohio State defeated Michigan State by a margin of 148.5-93.5 in East Lansing, Mich., before dropping a hard-fought contest to No. 9 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., 190-110. Senior diver Taylor Ford earned Ohio State Athlete of the Week accolades for her efforts. Ford picked up a win in the 1-meter event vs. Michigan State, then returned to her hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich. and received runner-up honors on the 1-meter apparatus against Michigan.
Previously, the team returned from their winter hiatus in dominating fashion, posting a 201.5-93.5 win over the Toledo Rockets in Toledo, Ohio (Jan. 16). In all, Ohio State swimming recorded the fastest time in each race, while Ford notched wins in both the 1- and 3-meter events.
SENIOR SALUTE
Ohio State will recognize an outstanding class of seniors prior to the dual vs. Wright State. The list of veterans to be recognized includes Lauren Davis, Taylor Ford, Aliena Schmidtke and Ashley Vance.
Davis hails from Austin, Texas. A Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, she has competed in three-consecutive Big Ten championship meets. Davis plans to attend optometry school at the University of Houston following graduation. An Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete selection, she was admitted to Houston’s optometry school before even showing up for an interview.
Ford is from Ann, Arbor Michigan. She is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, who has competed at three-consecutive Big Ten championship meets and is a three-time NCAA zone meet qualifier. An Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete selection, Ford is pursuing a degree in neuroscience.
Schmidtke is a Big Ten championship finalist, who arrived in Columbus after an impressive freshman campaign at New Mexico State. A native of Magdeburg, Germany, she plans to continue her education at Ohio State while training for the Olympic Trials in Germany.
Vance is from Kingwood, Texas. She is a three-time Big Ten finalist, who captured a conference title last season in the 200 individual medley. An NCAA qualifier and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete, Vance is currently the school record holder in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. After earning her degree in English, she aspires to join the Peace Core.
STUDENT-ATHLETES SHINE IN THE CLASSROOOM
Striving to showcase excellence both in the water and in the classroom, members of the women’s swimming contingent registered an excellent Autumn 2014 academic term. Two student-athletes, Amy Bopp and Lauren Davis, even earned perfect, 4.0 grade-point averages. As a unit, the Buckeyes posted a team GPA of 3.22 for Autumn Semester, bringing the Scarlet and Gray’s cumulative GPA to 3.32 overall.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State is coached by Kyle Oaks, who served as an assistant coach for the Raiders for three seasons before being promoted to associate head coach of the swimming and diving program in July of 2013. In the previous five meetings against the Buckeyes, dating back to the 2008-09 season, Ohio State has claimed all five wins.
The Lady Raiders currently hold a dual meet record of 1-6. Samantha Miller, a junior from Fremont, Ohio, earned recently Horizon League Swimmer of the week honors after picking up three individual wins in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle. Miller holds WSU’s top times this season in three events and is second in the 500 freestyle.
BUCKEYES REP AT NATIONALS
Six Buckeye standouts suited up at USA Swimming’s 2014 AT&T Winter National Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Taking place December 3-6, the Buckeyes competed against some of the nation’s top swimming talent with sophomore Lindsey Clary securing a national title in the 400 individual medley (4:09.87).
“We are unbelieveably proud of Lindsey,” Ohio State head swimming coach Bill Dorenkott said. “Her passion for the sport, willingness to prepare and ability to step up when the lights are bright are the hallmarks of a champion.”
Other team members representing the Buckeyes included Vance, Erin Dunseith, Amy Bopp, Annie Jongekrijg and Zulal Zeren.
MAKING THE GRADE
Ohio State has earned 12 NCAA provisional times so far this season, while four Buckeyes currently hold one of the top-50 times in the NCAA.
NCAA Provisional Qualifying Times
50 Freestyle
Li (22.67)
100 Freestyle
Li (49.91)
1650 Freestyle
Clary (16:13.63)
100 Backstroke
Zeren (54.62)
200 Backstroke
Zeren (1:56.27)
Gillig (1:59.00)
100 Breaststroke
Vance (1:01.96)
200 Breaststroke
Bopp (2:12.40)
Vance (2:13.85)
200 Butterfly
Bopp (1:59.51)
200 IM
Vance (1:58.41)
400 IM
Clary (4:09.87)
NCAA Rankings
50 Freestyle
45. Li (22.62)
1000 Freestyle
23. Clary (9:49.82)
1650 Freestyle
18. Clary (16:13.63)
100 Breaststroke
33. Vance (1:01.12)
200 Breaststroke
34. Bopp (2:12.40)
200 IM
26. Vance (1:58.41)
400 IM
14. Clary (4:09.87)
BUCKEYES VS. THE B1G
The Buckeyes have posted nine individual top-10 times in the Big Ten. Senior Ashley Vance ranks first in the 200 individual medley, while Zhesi Li, Zeren, Bopp and Clary are also among the conference’s standout performers. Clary ranks second in the 400 individual medley and fifth in the 1650 freestyle, while Vance is fourth in the 100 breaststroke and ninth in the 200 breaststroke. Also in the 200 breaststroke, Bopp claims the seventh-fastest mark. Li, a freshman this season, is sixth in the 50 freestyle and Zeren is eighth in the 200 backstroke.
BUCKEYE DIVING GIVES BACK
Members of the men and women’s diving team joined approximately 300 student-athletes, as well as 1,070 additional OSU students in Pay It Forward and Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Since 1999, students have traveled to various locations and organizations across the Columbus community to volunteer their time and efforts for a day “on,” rather than a day “off.”
EMBRACING ELI
Eli Boda, a 13-year old from Columbus, Ohio, was adopted by the Buckeyes through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation (FOJ), a non-profit, charitable organization formed in 2005 that aims to improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and their families.
On May 19, 2014, Eli was diagnosed with a mass on his brain after a seizure caused him to unexpectedly collapse. Since then, a slew of radiation and chemotherapy has followed, taking a toll on both Eli and his loved ones.
Now, Eli has an extended family in the Buckeyes to lean on for support during challenging times. For more information on Eli, his family and his story, visit the following links: Friends of Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Facebook, Caring Bridge and Go Fund Me.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will host the Ohio State Winter Invite Feb. 14-15 at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The meet will serve as a precursor for the 2015 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
