Synchronized Swimming `B’ Team Travels To Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Artistic Swimming
Feb. 22, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio— Competition continues this weekend for the Buckeyes Saturday, Feb. 27. The synchronized swimming `B’ team will compete at the University of Minnesota. The `A’ team is off this weekend.
Last Time Out
The Buckeyes’ `A’ team defeated the University of Richmond by a close score of 100-97.5 this past weekend. This makes the team 10-0 for the season so far.
The Buckeyes had a solid showing, capturing first place in every routine event and nabbing the top 10 places in the figure competition.
The `B’ team was unable to compete last weekend because of inclement weather conditions in Boston.
Top Trio
This weekend Carolina Moraes, Isabela Moraes, and Mary Hofer teamed up and had an excellent showing in the trio event.
“The twins and Mary did a fabulous job in the trio this weekend,” head coach Linda Lichter-Witter said.
So fabulous, in fact, that the three swimmers beat the season record for OSU in the trio with the score of 94.120. The old record (93.533) from Feb. 12, previously held by Tarin Forbes, Beth Kreimer and Heather Moore.
Last season at Richmond, the Moraes twins and Hofer received first place in the trio with a score of 92.933.
Record Breaking Performance For Moraes Twins
Carolina and Isabela Moraes were unstoppable this weekend. Not only did the two take first place in the duet event, they also broke Ohio State’s season record as well as their own personal record in the event. They finished with a score of 96.200, topping their earlier record of 95.667. The Moraes twins teamed up with Mary Hofer to break the OSU season record in the trio event with a score of 94.120. Carolina Moraes beat the team record for the season and her personal best in the senior figures with the score of 84.703.
Head Coach Linda Lichter-Witter
Head Coach Lichter-Witter has nearly three decades of coaching experience. She is in her fifth year of coaching the OSU synchronized swimming team and maintains an outstanding record of 157-3 overall and 55-3 as a Buckeye. She is 10-0 this season so far
Under Lichter-Witter, the Buckeyes have won two national championships already and been national runners-up twice in the last four years. She has also earned four regional titles for the Scarlet & Gray.
Lichter-Witter has coached 26 All-Americans, one USSSI Collegiate Swimmer of the Year, Ana Cukic, and three Olympians.
Moraes Twins Prepare for Summer Games
All-America twins Carolina and Isabela Moraes will be competing in the 2000 Olympic summer games in Sydney, Australia. The twins will represent their native country of Brazil in the duet competition. Following Collegiate Nationals they will take spring quarter off in order to prepare for and compete in an Olympic premeet in Australia.
Buckeyes To Host National Championships
The Ohio State synchronized swimming team will host the USSSI Collegiate National Championship March 16-18 at the Mike Peppe Aquatic Center. The Buckeyes reigned as National Champions from 1990-97 and have been the National Runners-Up for the past two years.
Last Year vs. Minnesota
Ohio State took first place against Minnesota last year (111-50). Beth Kreimer took first place in the solo (91.867) defeating Jill Hansen of Minnesota (72.067). In the team event Katie Edwards, Stephanie Johnson, Beth Kreimer, Mary Hofer, Denise Martinez, Carolina Moraes, Isabela Moraes, and Kristen Price took first place for the Buckeyes with a score of 97.133 defeating the Minnesota team of Cindy Fritchman, Jill Hansen, Beth Kreitzer, Sarah Nelson, Sarah Rhodes, and Marion Thurmes (77.633). In the duet, Carolina and Isabela Moraes took first (97.067) over Kreitzer and Nelson of Minnesota (78.133).
