Buckeyes Return Home To Take On Kenyon – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swim & Dive
COLUMBUS, Ohio–The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team, 3-6 on the season, return to the friendly waters of the Mike Peppe Aquatic Center Friday to take on Kenyon College at 5 p.m. Kenyon is 1-3 on the season. The Buckeyes are 2-2 at home this season and are winners of two of their last three meets overall.
Last Time Out
The Buckeyes split the weekend series in the Hoosier state, defeating the Ball State Cardinals in Muncie, Ind., 136-104 on Friday before traveling to Bloomington where they fell to No. 20 Indiana, 171-69. The Buckeyes returned home with more than 30 individual and team-best times from the two meets.
Ball State Recap
Against Ball State, the Buckeyes were victorious in 10 of the 13 events. Winners for the Buckeyes included the 200 medley relay team of Amanda Messmer (Sr., Worthington, Ohio), Stephanie Raezer (So., Newark, Del.), Ashley Barnes (Fr., Lexington, Ky.) and Ashley Routson (Fr., Montgomery, N.Y.) (1:34.12), Kristin Sander (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio) in the 1000 freestyle (10:25.49) and 100 freestyle (53.82), Lindsay Goodson (So., Sam Ramon, Calif.) in the 200 freestyle (1:57.20), Kristin Sendrowski (Sr., Garden City, N.Y.) in the 100 butterfly (58.71), Amanda Treleaven (So., Colonol Light, Australia) in the 100 backstroke (58.90), Raezer in the 500 freestyle (5:03.53) and the 200 freestyle relay team of Sander, Severson, Kylie Lancken (Fr., Sydney, Australia) and Katie Kolles (Fr., Edina, Minn.) (1:39.96).
Melanie Johnson (Jr., Boca Raton, Fla.) and Jillian Cicione (Jr., Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas) continued to shine on the boards. In the 1-meter dive, Johnson took first place (175.50) and Cicione second (159.20). The case was the same in the 3-meter dive as the Buckeye tandem took first and second again. Johnson took first with a 179.40 score and Cicione second with a score of 164.45.
Indiana Recap
On Saturday, the Buckeyes were held in check by a tough Indiana squad. The 400 freestyle relay team of Lancken, Goodson, Kolles and Sander were the lone winners for the Buckeyes, placing first with a time of 3:36.30.
Second place finishers for the Buckeyes included Raezer in the 1650 freestyle, Sendrowski in the 200 butterfly (2:03.99), Severson in the 100 freestyle (52.55) and Erika Staley (Jr., Piqua, Ohio) in the 200 breaststroke (2:27.02). Johnson took third in the 3-meter dive with a score of 295.80.
Buckeyes Post Top Times
Eight different Buckeyes posted team-best times against Ball State and Indiana. Severson set top times in the 50 (24.45) and 100 (52.55) freestyle while Sander posted top times in the 200 (1:52.97) and 500 (5:01.50) freestyle. In distance, Raezer posted a time of 17:02.03 in the 1,650 freestyle. Sendrowski set a season best with a time of 2:03.99 in the 200 butterfly and Staley in the 200 breaststroke (2:27.02). Messmer, Barnes, Routson and Raezer set a season-best in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:34.12. The 400 medley relay team of Treleaven, Staley, Sendrowski and Severson set a season-best time of 3:53.97.
Women’s Head Coach Jeanne Fleck
Jeanne Fleck is in her third season as head coach with a 12-21 overall dual meet record in her two plus seasons in Columbus. Before coming to Ohio State Fleck served as the head swimming coach at Northern Illinois for eight seasons and was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 1999. Under Fleck, the Buckeyes doubled their win total last year and are looking for that same type of improvement this season. She also has produced 17 Academic All-Big Ten selections in her first two seasons at OSU.
“We swam very well last weekend,” Fleck said. “We had a lot of individual best times. Kenyon will be a good meet for us as we get ready for the remainder of the Big Ten and the Big Ten Championships.”
Diving Head Coach Vince Panzano
Now in his 24th year as head diving coach at Ohio State, Vince Panzano’s record speaks for itself. He has produced one world champion, one junior world champion, two Olympic medalists, 22 U.S. diving champions, eight NCAA champions, 14 NCAA runners-up, 66 Big Ten champions and 76 All-Americans. Panzano also has 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.
A Look At The Buckeyes
Johnson and Cicione are leading the way for the divers in 2001-02. Both have consistently place in the top five of their events in 2001-02 . Johnson and Cicione dominated on the boards last weekend. In the 1-meter dive, Johnson took first place (175.50) and Cicione second (159.20). The case was the same in the 3-meter dive as the Buckeye tandem took first and second again. Johnson took first with a 179.40 score and Cicione second with a score of 164.45.
Leading the swimmers are Treleaven and Sendrowski who were both named most valuable swimmers a year ago and are carrying the load in their events once again this season. Treleaven placed first in the 100 backstroke against Ball State with a time of 58.90. The Buckeyes also will rely on Severson the top newcomer from a year ago. She returns as the top sprint freestyler. Severson has team bests this year in the 50 (24.45) and 100 freestyle (52.55) and the 100 butterfly (57.53).
Co-captain Sander adds veteran leadership and experience to the 2001-02 team. She was voted one of the team’s most inspirational swimmers during last year.
“Kristin provides great leadership for our team,” Fleck said. “She knows what it takes to score at Big Tens. This past summer she spent a lot of time training in Columbus and she should take charge of our middle distance group.”
Scouting Kenyon
Kenyon is 1-3 on the season with a 126-113 win over Denison on Nov. 6. Their three losses have came at the hands of Ohio (109-133), Toledo (76-167), and Oakland University (94-137).
Head coach Jim Steen has led the Kenyon women through an amazing streak of 17 national titles. Steen has won more NCAA national championships than any other coach in any NCAA sport. He has also led the men’s team to 22 NCAA national titles. Steen has coached well over 300 men and women All-America swimmers who have together earned 2,315 All-America awards since his arrival on campus in 1976. At the conference level, Steen’s impact is just as impressive. His men’s teams have won 26 of 27 conference titles, while his women’s program, which he founded in 1976, has won 26 straight state and/or conference championships. His teams have won more NCAA events and set more national records than any other school in history.
Up Next
The Buckeyes hit the road on Saturday as they travel to East Lansing, Mich. for a meet with Michigan and Michigan State at 2 p.m. The Buckeyes will then be back in action next Saturday (Jan. 26) at home against Illinois at 2 p.m.
