Ohio State Sweeps Denison (D3) in In-State Duel

Ohio State vs. Denison

• October 25, 2024
• McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, Ohio
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Results
• Team Scores
  • Men: Ohio State 182, Denison 116
  • Women: Ohio State 180, Denison 115

The Ohio State University (#12 women and #15 men) picked up dual wins against Division III powerhouse Denison University at their Friday dual meet, posting the fastest times across nearly every event.

The Ohio state teams contested an unconventional slate of events, including the 50s of stroke, the 300 free, and 100 IM.

Women’s Recap

The Buckeye women would have won every single event had they not designated their swimmers as exhibition starting with the 100 breaststroke (event 11 of 16).

Ohio State opened the meet with a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 medley relay. Susie Lee (26.60), Ava DeAngelis (28.26), Nyah Funderburke (23.95), and Erin Little (22.69) combined for 1:41.50. The Buckeyes had faster backstroke (Teresa Ivan, 26.21) and freestyle (Rachel Bockrath, 22.46) splits on their B relay, which finished 2nd.

Six Ohio State athletes posted the fastest times across two events, though only two officially won 1st place points.

A trio of seniors posted the fastest times across all the stroke events. Paige Hall recorded wins in the 100 fly (55.44) and 100 back (55.20). Funderburke won the 50 back (24.73) and recorded the fastest time in the 50 fly (24.44). DeAngelis cleaned up in the breaststroke events, winning the 50 breast (29.19) and posting the top time in the 100 (1:02.94).

First-year Mila Nikanorov led a 1-2-3 finish for the Buckeyes in the 200 free, stopping the clock in 1:49.95. She was followed by first-year teammate Elise Nardozzi (1:51.48) and sophomore Julia Bartoszewicz (1:53.36). Nikanorov also swam the top time in the 300 free, clocking 2:49.80.

Graduate transfer Paola Pineda Vazquez swept the boards for the Buckeyes, earning 339.30 points in 1-meter and 341.10 points in 3-meter. Pineda Vazquez spent her undergraduate career at the University of Texas and is an eight-time All-American.

Riley Tofflemire was Denison’s highest finisher (considering exhibition swims). The sophomore touched 2nd in the 50 breast (29.70) and swam the Big Red’s fastest breaststroke split on the medley relay.

The meet closed with the 200 free relay. Ohio State’s team of Erin Fentress (24.41), Teresa Ivan (22.69), Krista Marlin (23.61) and Julia Bartoszewicz (24.02) posted the fastest time (1:34.63), though they were swimming exhibition and designated as the C relay.

Additional Highlights: 

• World Junior medalist Sienna Angove (Ohio) clocked 4:53.12 in the 500 free. Angove is a first-year from Canada, and that appears to be her first time swimming the event.
• Senior Teresa Ivan (Ohio) swam 23.08 for the win in the 50 free and threw down the fastest flying split on the 200 free relay (22.69).
• Erin Little (Ohio), who represents Great Britain, won the 100 free (50.33), just missing the 50.16 she established in her yards debut versus Kentucky and Akron.
• Maria Ramos (Ohio) swam the fastest time in the 100 IM (56.94), the only athlete to break 57 seconds.

Men’s Recap

The Buckeye men nearly swept Denison, with the exception of one event. Like the women’s meet, Ohio State started to exhibition their swimmers towards the end of the meet, though it was one event later (12 of 16).

Ohio won the 200 medley relay to open the meet. The team of Brody Marcet (23.71), William Bansberg (25.39), Matthew Klinge (21.30), and Daniel Bates (19.54) touched first by nearly a second over Denison’s A team. Jack Hill (23.40), Patrick Daly (11.45), Christian Narcelles (22.21), and Nick Hensel (19.97) swam 1:30.89.

Ohio’s B and Denison’s E relays were both disqualified for early take-offs. Ohio’s B relay looked on track to win the event, but their third swimmer jumped the gun.

Only two swimmers won two events, both first-years from Ohio State who picked up their first collegiate wins. Jordi Vilchez won the 500 free (4:28.20) by nearly 10 seconds over Denison senior Christian McIntire (4:37.80). McIntire’s time put him atop the rankings for D3 so far this season. Vilchez added a win in the 100 fly (49.76) for the only sub-50 time.

Joe Roth was the other Ohio first-year who claimed two wins. Roth swept the backstroke events, posting 23.40 in the 50 and 49.08 in the 100.

Ohio sophomore Kyle Flory swept the boards, amassing 353.93 points in 1-meter and 369.38 in 3-meter.

Alex Metzler dropped a personal best in the 200 free (1:36.79) to lead a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Buckeyes. The senior has split as fast as 1:33.54 on 800 free relays, but typically competes in distance events.

Denison got one event win from first-year Nick Hensel, who swam 20.74 in the 50 free to win by a tenth over Ohio first-year Matthew Klinge (20.84). Hensel also placed 5th in the 100 free (46.21).

Roth (21.49), Evan Fentress (20.11), Mason Edmund (20.50), and Luke Vickers (21.26) posted the fastest 200 free relay time to close the meet (1:23.36).

Additional Highlights:

• Karl Helmeth (Ohio) won the 50 breast (25.62).
• Cornelius Jahn (Ohio) won the 100 free (45.28). The first-year hails from Germany and that appears to be his first logged yards time in the event.
• The 100 breast went to Ohio junior Rylan McDaniel (55.41), over a second faster than he was at this point in the season last year (56.44)
• Martin Perecinsky swam 2:36.57 for the fastest time in the 300 free, though Ohio’s athletes were exhibition swimmers at this point in the meet.
• Matthew Klinge swam 21.59 in the 50 fly for the fastest time, and just one event later went 50.97 in the 100 IM for the second fastest time behind senior teammate Williams Bansberg (50.59).

Up Next

Ohio State travels to Virginia Tech for a two day dual meet next week (11/1-11/2). Denison split a dual with mid-major Xavier the following Saturday (10/26) and will face another DIII powerhouse Kenyon on 11/9.