Women’s Swimming Battle Bearcats in UC Waters – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/2/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swim & Dive
Nov. 2, 1999
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team will travel to Cincinnati Friday to face the Cincinnati Bearcats for their second intra-state meet of the season.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Similar to Ohio State, UC opened its season last Friday against the University of Louisville. The women’s team finished first in eight events, winning the dual meet 123-81. Each event was won by eight different swimmers. Last season the Lady Bearcats finished the season 8-6-0 overall and first in the National Independent Conference.
1998 OHIO STATE vs. CINCINNATI
The Buckeyes hosted the Bearcats last season on Jan. 22. The OSU women defeated the UC women 127-114. Heidi Hazen won the 100 butterfly and was also a part of the winning 400 medley relay. Ann Stephens and Kristin Sendrowski each had a win in the first co-ed meet of the season. OSU leads the series against UC, 18-7.
OHIO UNIVERSITY RECAP
The Buckeyes opened their season with a loss to Ohio University 113-130. The OSU women divers won both events, Carrie Ziebarth (Sr., Auburn, Wash.) took first in the one-meter and Jillian Cicione (Fr., Plantation, Fla.) earned a first in the three-meter event. The swimmers took a first in two events. Kristin Sendrowski (So., Garden City, N.Y.) won the 200 butterfly (2:05.72) and the relay team of Kristin Sander, Heidi Hazen, Kristin Sendrowski and Sarah Nigh captured the 400 freestyle relay event with a time of 3:35.07.
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.
HEAD COACH 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. 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.
DIVING COACH VINCE PANZANO
One of the most highly respected diving coaches in the world, three-time Olympic Coach Vince Panzano is entering his 22nd season as head coach of the Buckeyes. A graduate of The Ohio State University in 1973, Panzano began his coaching career at the University of Tennessee and returned to his alma mater in 1978.
In his 27 years of coaching, Panzano has produced one world champion, one junior world champion, one Olympic silver medalist, one Olympic bronze medalist, 22 U.S. diving champions, eight NCAA champions, 14 NCAA runner-ups, 65 Big Ten champions and 75 All-Americans. He has coached at least one National Champion 18 of the last 22 years. Panzano has also coached Ohio State diving and McDonald diving to six national team titles. Panzano and Ohio State have had divers on the last four Olympic Teams (1984, ’88, ’92 and ’96).
He has been twice awarded the “Mike Peppe Award,” as U.S. Diving’s outstanding coach in 1989 and 1990. Panzano has also been selected NCAA Diving Coach of the Year three times in 1986, 1987 and 1988, and Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year six times. Last fall (1996), Panzano was inducted into Ohio State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Panzano, 48, has a rich coaching experience in diving on the international level. He has served as the Olympic coach in 1984,1988 and 1996. Panzano has also coached the 1987 Pan American Team, the FINA World Cup Team in 1985, 1989 and 1991 and the World Championship team in 1994.
A native of King of Prussia, Pa., Panzano and his wife, Phyllis, have two boys, Vincent and Bryan.
