Three OSU Swimmers Travel to 2006 NCAA Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swim & Dive
March 15, 2006
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Three members of the Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team will travel to Athens, Ga., to compete at the 2006 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, March 16-18.
Gulsah Gunenc, Griet Buelens and Nicole Maglich will compete in a combined four events.
A Glimpse at the NCAA Championships
Georgia University will host the 2006 NCAA Championships, March 16-18 at the Gabrielsen Natatorium.
Each day will feature a morning session and evening session. Preliminary races will take place in the morning, followed by preliminary diving. Finals will take place in the evening session each night. Preliminary trials begin at 11 a.m., while finals start at 7 p.m.
An all-session pass for the entire event is $55. Single session passes are also available. Preliminary sessions are $12 per session, while evening sessions are $16 per session. Ticket information and a complete schedule is available at georgiadogs.com.
A Look at the Buckeyes
Griet Buelens will travel to the NCAA championships for the second time in as many years. The sophomore from Kapelle, Belgium, will be competing in three events, the most of any Ohio State swimmer. In both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, she holds the team’s second-fastest time this season. Her qualifying times were recorded at the Big Ten championships with 1:48.61 and 4:49.29, in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, respectively. Buelens also will compete in the 200-yard butterfly. Her time of 1:59.82, recorded at the conference meet, ranks her 26th nationally.
Buelens will compete all three days of the championships. She will open with the 500-yard freestyle Thursday, the 200-yard freestyle will take place Friday and her final event will be the 200-yard butterfly Saturday.
Gulsah Gunenc will attend the NCAA championships for the first time in her collegiate career. From Edirne, Turkey, Gunenc will compete in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events. A junior, Gunenc holds the Turkish records in both of the events she will be competing in at the championships. She recorded her qualifying times at the conference meet. Her times of 54.92 in the 100-yard butterfly and 1:58.54 in the 200-yard butterfly were both Ohio State school records. In the 200-yard butterfly, she is ranked No. 11 in the country.
Gunenc’s events fall on the final two days of the event. The 100-yard butterfly will be Friday, while the 200-yard butterfly will take place Saturday.
Nicole Maglich will make her second trip to the national championships, competing in two events. The junior from Sarasota, Fla., will compete in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle. She is ranked 18th in the nation after recording the qualifying time of 1:47.79 at the conference championships. She also holds the fastest time for the team this season in the 500-yard freestyle, 4:46.32, recorded at the Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational in December.
Maglich will compete during the first two days of competition. The 500-yard freestyle takes place Thursday, followed by the 200-yard freestyle Friday.
A Glimpse Back at the 2005 NCAA Championships
Three members of the Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team also traveled to the 2005 NCAA Championships. Between Nicole Maglich, Griet Buelens and Julie Broms, the team scored 10 points for a 32nd-place finish. Maglich competed in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly, while Buelens competed in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly events. Broms competed on the 1- and 3-meter springboard championships, finishing 16th and ninth, respectively.
2006 Big Ten Championships
The Buckeyes finished seventh at the 2006 Big Ten Championships with 258 points. The finish was three spots higher and 59 more points than the team’s finish last year at the conference meet.
During the meet, the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay teams recorded NCAA “B” qualifying times and a total of 19 individual NCAA “B” times were recorded among four Buckeyes in the championships. Ohio State recorded six school records and 43 lifetime-best times throughout the four-day event.
Six School Records Smashed at Big Tens
Six Ohio State school records fell at the 2006 Big Ten Championships. Gulsah Gunenc claimed two of the records in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events. Her time of 54.92 in the 100-yard butterfly broke the 18 year-old school record of 55.33, while her time of 1:58.54 broke teammate Griet Buelen’s record in the 200-yard butterfly, recorded last season. Elaine Chan broke Holly Humphrey’s 1992 school record in the 50-yard freestyle. Chan’s hit the wall in 23.20 in the event.
Four relay records also fell during the conference meet. In the 200-yard medley relay, the time of 1:43.90 broke the previous school record set in 1998, while the 13 year-old school record in the 800-yard freestyle relay was defeated when the team recorded a time of 7:19.76. The 1991 school record in the 200-yard freestyle fell when the current relay team touched the wall in 1:33.15.
Dominating the 200 Butterfly
Ohio State’s strongest event is arguably the 200-yard butterfly. Last season, Griet Buelens, Nicole Maglich and Gulsah Gunenc all were finalists in the event at the Big Ten championships, with Buelens earning championship honors.
This season, both Buelens and Gunenc have recorded NCAA “B” qualifying times in the event. Gunenc has eight NCAA consideration times in the event, while Buelens has four.
At the Big Ten championships, Gunenc and Buelens both reached the Top 8 in the event. Gunenc was runner-up with an Ohio State school record time of 1:58.54. Buelens finished fifth, clocking in a time of 1:59.82.
Both women qualified to compete in the event at the 2006 NCAA Championships. The event will take place on Saturday, March 18.
Gunenc Breaks 2 Turkish Records
Gulsah Gunenc traveled to Trieste, Italy, Dec. 8-11 to compete in the 2005 European Short Course Championships. Representing her native country of Turkey, Gunenc broke two Turkish records during the meet.
Her first record came in the 200-meter butterfly. She recorded a 2:12.86 and when converted to yards, the times qualifies as an NCAA “B” cut time. The junior set a second NCAA “B” qualifying time in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:01.39. Her second Turkish record came in the 400-meter individual medley, after recording a time of 4:53.68.
Beard Earns Diver of the Week
Junior Anesa Beard was named Big Ten Diver of the Week for the week of Nov. 28 following a double-event win against Cleveland State. Beard won the 1-meter springboard event with a score of 263.55. Later, in the 3-meter event, she tallied a score 293.70, a then season-best total for the Buckeyes.
The double-event win was the second of the season for Beard. She also won both boards against Bowling Green, Nov. 3. The win on the 3-meter was Beard’s third, as she also won against Michigan on Nov. 11.
A New Home
Ohio State aquatics opened its new home – the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The building hosts the Mike Peppe Natatorium, a 50-meter world-class competition pool and the Ron O’Brien Diving Well. The new site also contains three additional pools, including practice pools for the team. Spectator seating, team locker rooms and new offices for the aquatic staff all complement the main attractions.
Home Pool Advantage
The new natatorium already has drawn in two championships for the 2005-06 season. Both the women’s 2006 Big Ten Championships and the 2006 NCAA Diving Regional Qualifying Championships will be held at the new home of Buckeye swimming and diving.
The Big Ten championships, marking the first time Ohio State women’s team has hosted the event.
Captains
Head coach Jeanne Fleck has selected three swimmers to guide the team as captains. Senior Nicole Maglich, who won numerous events in dual-meets last season and competed at the national championships in three events, is expected to guide the team in the pool. Fellow senior Erin Greene also has the honor of being named captain. Greene was voted most improved by the team last season and recorded times that were in the team’s Top 5 times of the season. Rounding out the trio is junior Stephanie Fennell. Fennell clocked the fastest time for the team in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley.
Senior Leadership
Nicole Maglich and Erin Greene are joined by Morgan O’Connor and Natalie Bojko in representing the senior class. O’Connor set two personal-best times last season. Bojko also set her own personal-best times last season and was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
“They’re all really good friends which helps them to be good leaders,” Fleck said. “They’ve just done a great job. They have helped build this program with their attitudes and their work ethics.”
Season Review
Ohio State Drops Two
Two individual wins highlighted the double-dual meet against Penn State and Indiana, Jan. 27-28. The Buckeyes lost to both teams, with Penn State defeating them 195-151, and Indiana winning 199-151. Nicole Maglich and Gulsah Gunenc each recorded an individual win during the meet. Both victories were NCAA “B” qualifying times, with Maglich’s coming in the 500-yard freestyle and Gunenc’s occurring in the 200-yard butterfly.
Minnesota Defeats the Buckeyes
The Buckeyes notched six individual wins in the 184-114 loss to Minnesota, Jan. 21. Gulsah Gunenc won both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly as the Scarlet and Gray’s only double-event winner.
Gunenc and Nicole Maglich each set their sixth NCAA “B” consideration time during the meet. Gunenc set her fourth qualifying time in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:01.00, while Maglich’s time of 4:53.97 earned her a second NCAA “B” qualifying time in the 500-yard freestyle. Rebekah Rychvalsky set a season-best time of 2:21.44 in the 200-yard breaststroke event. Linda Lund-Kristiansen and Julie Broms won the 100-yard breaststroke and the 1-meter springboard events, respectively.
Two For Two
Ohio State recorded two wins in two days, Jan. 13-14. Against Marshall, Jan. 13, the Buckeyes won 134-98. The team returned the following day to record its second win for the weekend against Ohio, 180-114.
Between the two meets, four NCAA “B” qualifying times were recorded. Two of the times came from freshman Elaine Chan, who made her Buckeye debut at the Marshall meet. Both of her times were recorded in wins of the 50-yard freestyle meets. A third time came from Nicole Maglich in the 200-yard freestyle, followed by Griet Buelens qualifying time in the 200-yard butterfly.
In the defeat of Marshall, the Scarlet and Gray won all but one event. In the meet with Ohio, the Buckeyes won 13 of 16 events and swept the Top 2 spots in four events.
Buckeyes Take 3rd at OSU Invite
At the Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational from Dec. 2-4, the Scarlet and Gray placed third of 11 teams, recording 472 points. The squad recorded eight NCAA qualifying times over the three-day meet.
Nicole Maglich recorded three NCAA “B” cut times and won the 200-yard freestyle event, which helped her earn Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honors following the meet. Maglich’s NCAA “B” cut times came in the 200-, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events. Gulsah Gunenc recorded the fastest qualifying time of all the competitors in the 200-yard butterfly. Her time of 2:01.33 was an NCAA “B” qualifying time. Griet Buelens was the final Buckeye to clock in an NCAA “B” qualifying time in both the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events. Both Maglich and Buelens recorded two NCAA “B” times each in the 500-yard freestyle.
Ohio State Notches Two Wins
The Buckeyes recorded two wins in five days after defeating Kenyon, 116-89, Nov. 18, followed by Cleveland State, 145-65, Nov. 22.
During the win over Kenyon, Ohio State won nine of 11 events and recorded three NCAA `B’ qualifying times. Nicole Maglich, Griet Buelens and Gulsah Gunenc each recorded a `B’ cut at the meet. Maglich’s mark came in the 200-yard freestyle event, while Buelens and Gunenc went 1-2 in the 200-yard butterfly and each hit the wall with the NCAA qualifying time.
Five days later, the Buckeyes won every event and swept the top spots in both the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley. Anesa Beard went uncontested in the diving events and recorded a season-best score on the 3-meter springboard. Maglich, Buelens and Gunenc each won two events during the meet.
The Buckeyes Drop Two
The Buckeyes lost to both Michigan and Purdue Nov. 11 in their home pool. In the double-dual meet Ohio State fell to Purdue, 231-69, and lost to Michigan, 208.50-91.50. Gulsah Gunenc finished second in both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, clocking in lifetime-best times in both events. Nicole Maglich also recorded a lifetime-best during the meet. Her time came in the 1,000-yard freestyle, which she hit at 9:59.80. Maglich finished third in the event then returned to finish second in the 500-yard freestyle. In the diving well, Anesa Beard combined six dives on the 1-meter event to place second.
All But One
Ohio State opened the 2005-06 season with a 171-124 win over the Bowling Green Falcons Nov. 3 in Cooper Pool. The Buckeyes won 15 of 16 events, including a double win in the diving well.
Nicole Maglich and Gulsah Gunenc each won three events during the meet. Maglich claimed the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke events, while Gunenc claimed her wins in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly and the 200-yard individual medley.
Three Buckeyes, Griet Buelens, Rebekah Rychvalsky and Anesa Beard, each had double-wins during the meet, with Linda Lund claiming the 15th win in the 50-yard freestyle.
Coach Jeanne Fleck
Women’s swimming head coach Jeanne Fleck is in her seventh season at the helm of the Buckeyes. She has become accustomed to her teams displaying excellence in the water and in the classroom throughout her coaching career.
Fleck has geared the Buckeyes to one school record and two pool records while helping her student-athletes set personal bests almost every week. The Buckeyes had the highest grade point average in the Big Ten conference and was ranked ninth in the country during fall quarter last year. In five seasons, Fleck has had 36 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 73 OSU Scholar-Athletes.
About Coach Panzano
Vince Panzano is in his 27th season as coach of the Ohio State men’s and women’s diving teams. Panzano, who was named the 2004 Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career, has produced one world champion, one junior world champion, two Olympic medalists, 22 U.S. Diving champions, ten NCAA champions, 14 NCAA runners-up, 45 Big Ten champions and 68 NCAA All-Americans.
