Women’s Swimming Prepares for A Two-Meet Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/10/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swim & Dive
Nov. 10, 1999
COLUMBUS — The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team (0-2 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten) will be in action for two home meets this weekend. On Friday, the Buckeyes will battle West Virginia at 6 p.m. Saturday, the Buckeys will compete against Big Ten rivals Iowa and Purdue at 10 a.m. Both meets will take place in Larkins Hall.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
The West Virginia Mountaineers will enter the meet against OSU with three wins and two losses this season. West Virginia has wins against Navy, Old Dominion and Virginia Tech. Smilar to OSU, West Virginia welcomes a new coach this season. Eric Mcllquham takes over the reigns this season and hopes to bring back the status it had in the 1980’s. The Mountaineers are looking to improve after a sixth place finish in the Big East, and their 7-5 overall record. West Virginia will rely on experienced swimmers, Kaitlin Lawson and Krista Arnold in the distance events and look to their underclassmen for sprint events.
SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS
The Purdue Boilermakers are coming off a tri-meet weekend. PU swam against both Miami and Oakland and won against both teams. They dominated the waters and took home 11 first place finishes out of 17 events. Ginger Lakos and diver Molly Macfarlane were double winners versus Miami. Lakos captured the 100 and 200 freestyle while Macfarlane won both the one and three-meter dives. Last season the Boilermakers finished tenth at Big Tens ahead of only Michigan State and just behind OSU.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
The Hawkeyes are 0-2 this season, coming off losses to both Big Ten rivals Illinois and Wisconsin. Iowa lost its second dual meet of the season when Wisconsin defeated the Hawkeyes 213-132 in a two-day competition at the University of Wisconsin. Iowa was lead by Melissa Loehndorf who placed second in the 400 individual medley and second in the 500 freestyle. Loredana Zisu placed second in the 200 backstroke and third in the 100 butterfly. The Hawkeyes fell to the Fighting Illini 174-124 winning six of the15 events. This season the Hawkeyes will rely on a strong group of veterens and a talented group of freshmen to move them towards the top of the Big Ten. Last season Iowa finished seventh at the Big Ten Championships ahead of Indiana and behind Illinois. ALL-TIME vs. OPPONENTS
Last season the Buckeyes dominated the waters against West Virginia, taking home a win in each event but one. Overall the Buckeyes lead the series 2-1. Both Purdue and Iowa lead its series against OSU. Purdue leads 7-5 and Iowa leads 5-1.
OSU vs. CINCINNATI RECAP
The Buckeyes fell to Cincinnati last Friday night in their second meet of the season 171-127. OSU took home four first place finishes, Heidi Hazen (Sr., Mentor, Ohio) was a double winner capturing both the 50 freestyle (:24.97) and 100 butterfly (:57.45). Jericho Strausbaugh (So., Upper Arlington, Ohio) finished first in the 200 breaststroke (2:28.40) and diver Holly Underwood captured the three-meter diving event.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Buckeyes will have a week of rest after this weekend’s competition. They will return to action Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. to battle intra-state rival Cleveland State for their last home dual meet before the new year, 2000.
WHO TO WATCH THIS SEASON
Three key swimmers Krissy Sendrowski (So., Garden City, N.Y.), Erica Fischer (Sr., Carson City, Nev.), and Jericho Strausbaugh (So., Upper Arlington, Ohio) were unable to compete the entire season last year but are back and ready to contribute. With loosing only three swimmers, (two seniors and one transfer), the Buckeyes are loaded with experience and depth. A Butterflyer, Sendrowski is ready show the Big Ten her talent. Fischer and Strausbaugh will both add depth to individual medley, long distance and breaststroke events respectively. Ann Stephens (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio) and Heidi Hazen (Sr., Mentor, Ohio) both had good seasons last year but should be faster this season after a summer of hard training. Both are looking to earn their Olympic trial cuts this season.
INTRODUCING JEANNE FLECK
Fleck was both the women’s and men’s head coach at Northern Illinois for nine years. Last season, she led the women’s and men’s teams to third and fifth place finishes, respectively, in the Mid American Conference. For her efforts, she was named the MAC Coach of the Year. The list of swimmers she mentored at NIU is impressive. She coached a 1998 Goodwill Games finalist, a Pan-American Games team member and a 1996 Olympic trials finalist. Her teams also set 18 school records and had four swimmers named the conference’s swimmer of the year.
Fleck has had an even bigger impact in the classroom. Last season, 20 swimmers finished the academic year with 3.0 or higher grade-point average, including five over 3.50. In the 1997-98 season, 24 Huskie swimmers compiled a GPA of 3.00 or higher, including seven at 3.50 or better.
A 1987 graduate of Iowa State University, Fleck was a Big Eight Champions and team captain her senior year. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education.
