Synchronized Swimming Gears Up For 2003 Collegiate National Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Artistic Swimming
March 19, 2003
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State synchronized swimming team (21-1) will travel to Tuscon, Ariz., to compete in the 2003 Collegiate National Championships. The event will be held March 20-22 at the University of Arizona Recreational Pool. Competition begins Thursday with the solo, duet and trio semifinals. The team semifinals as well as ‘A’, ‘B’,’C’ and ‘D’ technical competition will take place Friday with the finals for solo, duet, trio and team slated for Saturday. The Buckeyes will be looking for their 23rd National Championship in program history and their third consecutive title.
NOTING THE 2003 COLLEGIATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
* A two-year hiatus in national synchronized swimming meets at the University of Arizona comes to an end when the 2003 Collegiate National Championships land at the University Aquatic Center in Tuscon.
* More than 150 of the world’s top athletes from 24 universities will compete for bragging rights in the solo, duet, trio and team events. The championships are an open-class meet, combining competition for NCAA Divisions I, II and III plus NAIA schools.
* Ohio State will attempt to earn its fourth consecutive and 23rd overall title by holding off the fly-by of the Stanford Cardinal. Meet host Arizona will look to improve on its ninth place finish from 2002.
*No school other than Ohio State, Stanford, San Jose State, UC-Berkeley or Arizona has ever won an event at the U.S. Collegiate National Chmpionships. A LOOK AT THE COMPETITION
Ohio State will battle with the top collegiate synchronized swiming programs from around the nation. Stanford brings a loaded deck to the table, boasting a roster that includes three former U.S. National Team members. Leading the way for the Cardinal are 2002 U.S. World Cup Team members Katie Norris and Erin Dobratz and two-time national teamer Ashley McHugh. Norris returns to defend her title in the solo event, tying with former Buckeye Carolina Moares in 2002.
The Arizona squad is led by senior Alia Arbas, who helped secure the Wildcats’ second-place finish at the Western Regional Championships. Arbas and her younger sister, freshman Audra Arbas, will be competing as a duet for the first time on the national level.
Another top contender will be Alabama-Birmigham, who gave the Buckeyes their only loss in a duet meet this season. Canisius, Wheaton and Washington will also be looking for high finishes at the event.
USASYNCHRO.ORG
A complete schedule of events, results and further information regarding the U.S. Collegiate National Championships will be available at the official website for United State synchronized swimming at www.usasynchro.org.
SEASON BESTS
All of the 2003 season bests have come at Ohio State’s home facility, with the majority of the high scores coming at the OSU College Association Meet held Feb. 8. Victoria Bowen recorded a 94.334 in the solo event while Suzanna Hyatt and freshman Chelsea Luker joined forces to earn a mark of 94.167. The high trio score was earned by Bowen, Hyatt and sophomore Lindsay Newbill at the same event, recording a score of 94.000. The trio also tied the score at the Wheaton Invitational Feb. 22. The Buckeye team of Bowen, Heather Burdick, Hyatt, Carly Grimshaw, Luker, Lauren Marsh, Newbill and Emiko Takyu tallied a score of 97.833 during the North Regional Championships at Larkins Hall.
LAST TIME OUT
The Buckeyes The Ohio State synchronized swimming team recorded 100 points to win the North Regional Championships March 1 in the varsity pool at Larkins Hall. Minnesota finished second with 76 while Carleton placed third with 62. The competition marked the final home event for the 2003 senior class.
Ohio State freshman Chelsea Luker earned first place honors in the solo event with a score of 93.500. Carly Grimshaw and Lauren Marsh teamed up to win the duet with a mark of 92.833.
The Buckeyes finished in the top two spots of the team competition. The ‘A’ team garnered first place with a score of 97.833 while the ‘B’ team placed second at 95.333. Swimming for the ‘A’ team was Victoria Bowen, Heather Burdick, Suzanna Hyatt, Lindsay Newbill, Emiko Takyu, Grimshaw, Luker and Marsh. Swimming for the ‘B’ team was Jessica Beck, Lauren Byrom, Leslie Edgerton, Megan Mikulecky, Sharon Mejia, Katie Meyer, Erin Schmidt and Isla Turner.
2002 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Brazilian Olympians Carolina and Isabela Moraes ended their senior season in style by helping the Ohio State Buckeyes to the school’s 22nd overall title at the U.S. Collegiate Synchronized Swimming Championships in Norton, Mass.
The Buckeye twins utilized lengthy underwater hybrids to win duet gold with a final score of 96.333. Stanford’s Erin Dobratz and Lindsey Wigginton – both members of the U.S. National Team program – finished second at 95.000.
The Moraes sisters teamed up with Mary Hofer to win the trio’s fourth Collegiate gold with a score of 97.333. Stanford’s top trio of Dobratz, Wigginton and Norris finishd a point back at 96.333.
Carolina Moraes and Stanford’s Katie Norris created a first occurrence of their own in the sport of synchronized swimming. Moraes and Norris earned a perfect tie of 95.833 in the solo final to share the event’s gold medal.
There was no tie in the team event, however, with Ohio State capturing gold with a score of 98.167. Swimming for Ohio State were Hofer, Victoria Bowen, Suzanna Hyatt, Kim Lester, Isabela Moraes, Beth Kreimer, Lauren Marsh, and Kristin Price.
The overall title was Ohio State’s third consecutive, and 22nd overall title in the 26th year of the championships.
UP NEXT
Ohio State will conclude the 2003 schedule at the U.S. National Championships April 24-27 in Long Island, N.Y.
