No. 19 Ohio State Men’s Swimming and Diving Hits the Road for NCAA Meet – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swim & Dive
March 21, 2006
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the 2006 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships March 23-25. Four Buckeyes – Joe Doyle, Nate King, R.J. Lemyre and Kellen Harkness – will make the trip to the championships. Live scoring will be available at ramblinwreck.com.
A GLIMPSE AT THE 2006 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Georgia Tech will host the 2006 NCAA Championships Thursday-Saturday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.
Each of the three days will feature an afternoon session and an evening session. Preliminary races will begin at noon, followed by preliminary diving. Finals will take place at 7 p.m.
An all-session pass for the entire event is $65 for adults and $50 for students or youths. Individual session passes will be sold based on availability. A complete schedule, results, ticket information and directions can be found at ramblinwreck.com
A LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES
Joe Doyle will be competing in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, as well as the 100-yard butterfly. At the conference championships, he was the top Buckeye finisher in each of those events. He broke the Ohio State school record in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly at the Big Ten meet. In the 50-yard freestyle, his time of 19.94 broke Brian Malich’s 2001 record. He set his second school record at the event in the 100-yard butterfly during the preliminary events. His time of 47.27 broke the second-oldest school record, set in 1982 by David Cowell.
Doyle will open the championships with the 50-yard freestyle. Both the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly will take place on Friday.
Nate King will represent the Buckeyes in three events – the 200- and 400-yard individual medley and the 200-yard backstroke. At the conference meet, he broke his own school record in the 200-yard individual medley, touching the wall in 1:46.75. King also owns the school record in the 400-yard individual medley. He notched the mark at the Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational in December, hitting the wall in 3:51.68. King holds the team’s fastest time in the 200-yard backstroke, 1:44.86, also recorded at the OSU Invite.
Kings’s events fall on the final two days of the event. The 400-yard individual medley will be Friday, while the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard backstroke will take place Saturday.
R.J. Lemyre is set to compete in two events for the Buckeyes. He will join King in the 200-yard backstroke and also compete in the 100-yard backstroke. At the Big Ten championships, Lemyre was the top Buckeye finisher in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing fifth with a qualifying time of 1:45.20. He had the same accolades in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing fifth with his qualifying time of 48.20, the second-fastest time in the event this season for the team.
Lemyre will compete Friday and Saturday of the competition. The 100-yard backstroke will be Lemyre’s first event, followed by the 200-yard backstroke.
Kellen Harkness qualified for the diving events following the 2006 NCAA Zone Diving Regional Competition last weekend in Columbus. He finished fifth on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 631.95 points. On the 1-meter springboard, he finished third with 618.40 points. The finishes earned him one of five men’s qualifying spots from the Zone C region. At the 2006 Big Ten Championships, Harkness had a second-place finish on the 3-meter springboard, converting six dives for 394.30 points.
2005 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW
Ohio State tied for 22nd last year at the NCAA championships in Minneapolis, Minn. The team scored 23 points to tie with Harvard.
Mitch Richeson earned All-American honors following a seventh-place finish in the 1-meter springboard competition and an eighth-place finish on the 3-meter event. Kellen Harkness, Nick Hanneman and Rob Kauscher also competed at the event.
2006 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The No. 18 Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team finished fifth at the 2006 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Bloomington, Ind. With 357.5 points, the Buckeyes finished one spot higher and scored 64.5 points more than they did last year.
In 21 events, Ohio State recorded 43 lifetime bests and broke eight school records. The team notched a total of 40 NCAA “B” qualifying times, including four relay times.
2006 NCAA REGIONAL ZONE DIVING
Three men’s divers competed at the 2006 NCAA Regional Zone Diving Competition. Kellen Harkness was the only Buckeye to move on from the Zone Diving competition to the NCAA meet. Harkness finished third and fifth on the 1-meter and 3-meter, respectively. Wes Wieser had the highest finish on an event, finishing second on that platform event.
Nate King SMASHES 2 OSU RECORDS
Nate King broke two school records during the Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational. He swam a 3:51.68 in the 400-yard individual medley and a 1:47.31 in the 200-yard individual medley to overcome the records.
The previous record in the 400-yard individual medley was recorded in 1993 by Andy Rolley. King swam 1.23 seconds faster then Rolley’s time of 3:52.91. In the 200-yard individual medley, King broke his own record of 1:48.29 set last season at the 2005 Big Ten Championships.
BUCKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
Ohio State is ranked in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll at No. 19. The Buckeyes have been ranked since the preseason and peaked at No. 18 in January. The preseason ranking was the first time the Buckeyes had been ranked before the season since 1997.
LEMYRE NAMED CO-BIG TEN SWIMMER
R.J. Lemyre earned Co-Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honors for the week of Nov. 28. The junior from Upper Arlington, Ohio, won the 100-yard backstroke in a pool record and season-best time of 49.85. He has won the same event twice already this season, with the first time coming against Miami (Ohio), followed with a win against Cincinnati.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
The Buckeyes have a unique dynamic this season. This season, there are three pairs of siblings on the men’s swimming team. Marty Tomes and Mike Tomes are the only twins on the team, both born on Halloween in 1983.
Tyler King and Ryan Stoneburg each became members of the Scarlet and Gray this season, joining their older brothers, Nate King and Chris Stoneburg, respectively.
STAYING CLOSE TO HOME
The Buckeyes will not be straying far from Columbus this season. The team will host seven dual meets at its new home. The meet against Indiana was just one of two dual meets away from the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The meet this weekend is the second one away from home.
Ohio State has hosted more then seven home meets in a single season only twice since 1971. Under head coach Dick Sloan during the 1978-79 season, the team hosted nine dual-meets. The second highest was eight home meets under current head coach Bill Wadley for the 1993-94 season.
A NEW HOME
Ohio State aquatics opened its new home – the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion – in September. 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 four additional pools, including practice pools for the team. Spectator seating, team locker rooms and new offices for the aquatic staff all compliment the main attractions. The facility is expected to draw in events on every level. The venue will play host to the 2007 Big Ten Championships.
2005-06 SEASON IN REVIEW
OSU CLOSES OUT SEASON WITH WIN
In the final meet of the season, Ohio State defeated Penn State, 126.5-107.5, Feb. 4 in the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. For the second time in as many days, the Buckeyes won 11 of the 13 events raced.
In his final dual-meet as a Buckeye, Rob Tiernan was the only member of the Scarlet and Gray to earn two event wins. He touched the wall first in both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle. The 200-yard medley relay team and Nate King – for his time in the 200-yard individual medley – each recorded an NCAA “B” time during the meet.
BUCKEYES WIN 11 OF 13 EVENTS
The Buckeyes won 11 of 13 events contested, to defeat Eastern Michigan 139-93, Feb. 3 at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Ryan Stoneburg and Marco Birac recorded their first wins as Buckeyes in the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard breaststroke, respectively.
Matt Voelker was Ohio State’s only double-event winner, taking both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. In the 200-yard butterfly, Marty Tomes recorded a season-best time of 1:50.10. In the diving well, Marc Dreyer notched a win on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 324.
WOLVERINES DEFEAT BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes were defeated by the Wolverines, 164-77, Jan. 28, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Wes Wieser was the only winner for the Buckeyes, claiming the 1-meter springboard with 287.25 points.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team also took home a first-place finish. The team of Joe Doyle, Matt Voelker, R.J. Lemyre and Gary Grant combined their talents to record a time of 1:21.81. Brian Tiemeier recorded the team’s fastest time in the 200-yard breaststroke this season, clocking in at 2:07.79. Mike Tomes notched a lifetime-best time in the 500-yard freestyle, hitting the wall in 4:33.78.
OHIO STATE SWEEPS OHIO
Ohio State won every event in the 143-120 win over Ohio University, Jan. 14. The team also won the Top 2 spots in all but one of the 16 events contested.
Felipe Travesso, Marty Tomes and Wes Wieser each claimed two event wins. Wieser’s 353.63 points on the 1-meter springboard competition was a season-best for the team, along with his win on the 3-meter board. Travesso’s wins came in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, while Marty Tomes won the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. Freshmen Scott Blake and Jacob Busch raced to their first individual wins with the Scarlet and Gray in the 400-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle events, respectively.
OHIO STATE FALLS TO INDIANA
The Buckeyes fell to the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers, Jan. 7, 134-108. Two Buckeyes recorded wins during the meet. Joe Doyle won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.99. R.J. Lemyre was the second individual event winner of the night, claiming the 200-yard backstroke event when he clocked in a time of 1:47.31. Nate King followed Lemyre for a second-place finish in the event, with a time of 1:48.21. Felipe Travesso recorded a season-best time in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:08.68). Ohio State recorded second-place finishes in all 11 events of the night.
OSU TAKES 2ND AT INVITE
Ohio State combined for a second-place finish at the first Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational, Dec. 2-4, at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The team scored 845 points losing only to Minnesota. During the meet, the Scarlet and Gray recorded seven NCAA “B” qualifying times, including two in relay events.
The Buckeyes also won three events in as many days. The first win came on the opening night in the 400-yard medley relay when the team of Nate King, Felipe Travesso, Joe Doyle and Matt Voelker finished the event with a time of 3:15.22, which was an NCAA “B” cut time. Doyle returned to claim the 100-yard butterfly, clocking in an NCAA “B” qualifying time of 48.40. Brian Tiemeier was the third individual event winner on the closing day of the meet, taking the 200-yard butterfly event in 1:50.50.
TWO WINS IN A WEEK
In the course of five days the Buckeyes collected two dual-meet wins. The first came on Nov. 18 with the Buckeyes win over Kenyon 105-94, followed by a 141-95 win over Cleveland State on Nov. 22.
In the eight-event win over Kenyon, the Buckeyes finished first and second in five events. Ohio State recorded three season-best times at the meet, including two relay events and an individual event by Matt Voelker.
In the following meet with Cleveland State both Voelker and Joe Doyle each recorded a double-event win. Doyle won both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. Voelker recorded his wins in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. Ohio State recorded five season-best times during the meet, including two by Nate King.
BUCKEYES BEAT BEARCATS
The Buckeyes defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats, 155-124, Nov. 11 in the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The team won 12 events during the meet and swept the Top 4 spots in four separate events. Rob Tiernan, Gary Grant and Wes Wieser each won two individual events. Tiernan claimed both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle races, recording a season best time in the 1,000 event. Grant won both the 100-yard butterfly and the 50-yard freestyle, while Wieser won both the 1- and 3-meter springboard events for the second week in a row.
HOME OPENER
The Buckeyes had their home opener – and first meet in new home, the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion – Nov. 4 against Miami (Ohio). The Buckeyes won 12 of the 13 events, winning the meet 137-97.
Three Buckeyes had double-event wins during the meet. Joe Doyle won both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly, in which he recorded a lifetime-best time of 49.63. Matt Voelker also began the 2005-06 dual-meet season with a double-event win. He won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.
In the diving well, Wes Wieser opened his career at Ohio State by winning both diving events.
COACH BILL WADLEY
Bill Wadley enters his 17th year as the men’s head swimming coach. He has compiled a record of 145-25 (.853) at the helm of the Buckeyes and a 169-35 (.828) overall record in 19 years as a college head coach. The 2004-05 season is Wadley’s eighth 10-win season at Ohio State and the ninth of his career. Wadley has coached 13 Olympians and his teams have been ranked in the NCAA Top 20 for 11 of the past 16 seasons. Producing more than 30 world ranked swimmers in his coaching career, 13 of his student-athletes have reached the Olympic level.
A seasoned coach, Wadley has represented the United States on numerous occasions. He has coached the 1986 Olympic Festival and the 1988 and 1992 Gold Medal teams comprised of top non-collegiate swimmers in preparation for the Olympics. In 1991, Wadley coached the U.S. team at the World University Games and in 1993 was coach of the U.S. National Team training camp.
Most recently, Wadley was the head men’s coach of the 1998 Goodwill Games team that broke seven Goodwill Games records and was elected president of the American Swimming Coaches Association in 2005.
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, 10 NCAA champions, 14 NCAA runners-up, 46 Big Ten champions and 68 NCAA All-Americans.
