Ohio State Women’s Swimming Returns Home For Two Meets – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swim & Dive
Jan. 10, 2007
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team (4-1, 2-1 Big Ten) welcomes Marshall, Friday at 5 p.m. at the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Buckeyes will take on Big Ten foe Northwestern, Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Buckeyes return from a dual with Ohio University Jan. 6 in Athens, Ohio, where the women won, 163-137. Griet Buelens claimed three events, while Columbus native Chlesea Davis won both diving events. Buelens captured the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:02.69), 500-yard freestyle (4:59.25) and 200-yard butterfly (2:03.30). Davis earned both the 1- and 3-meter diving titles with the respective scores of 292.12 and 329.70. Elaine Chan also garnered a win for the Buckeyes in the 50-yard freestyle (23.91), as did Gulsah Gunenc in the 100-yard butterfly (57.17) and Jill Lockhart in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.61).
BIG TEN DIVER OF THE WEEK
Chelsea Davis earned Big Ten Diver of the Week honors this week for her performances against Ohio University last weekend when Davis went undefeated during the meet on both diving boards. Davis’ victory on the 1-meter was her third for the season. She has not scored lower than third place in a dual meet this year. This is Davis’ first career weekly award and the first for the Buckeyes this season. A LOOK AT MARSHALL
Ohio head swimming coach Leonard Kraus is in his fifth year with the Thundering Herd. Coaching the team since its inaugural season, Kraus has since produced a 28-31 dual-meet record and has been a two-time NCAA participant.
The Herd enter the meet with a 4-2 record, not having competed in a dual meet in more than two months. Marshall recorded a second-place finish at the Western Kentucky Invitational and a ninth-place finish at the Miami Invitational.
LAST DUAL WITH THE HERD
The Buckeyes and Herd last competed Dec. 19 in a relay meet while training in San Juan, Puerto Rico when Ohio State claimed all four relay events swum. Previous to that competition, Marshall and Ohio State last swam at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on Jan. 13, 2006 when the Buckeyes defeated the Herd, 134-98.
Ohio State won 12 of 13 events, with three swimmers posting double-event wins. Griet Buelens won the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly, recording a NCAA `B’ standard in the butterfly event. Julie Broms also won two events, capturing both the 1- and 3-meter springboard events. Stephanie Fennell, Rebekah Rychalvsky and Linda Lund also won individual events.
A LOOK AT NORTHWESTERN
Jimmy Tierney is in his 13th season as head coach and his 19th season of involvement with the Wildcats. Under his guidance, current swimmer Andrea Hupman has earned back-to-back All-American honors. Tierney also has engineered a Big Ten champion 14 of his 18 years working with the women.
Last year, the Wildcats finished behind Ohio State in ninth place at the Big Ten championships. The Wildcats enter the meet with a 1-5 season and 0-3 Big Ten record. Northwestern last suffered a loss to Tennessee, 210-139, despite recording nine NCAA `B’ standards.
LAST TIME OUT WITH NORTHWESTERN
The Buckeyes and Wildcats last met on Jan. 29, 2005 when Northwestern defeated Ohio State, 168-131. Griet Buelens recorded one of the Buckeye’s seven wins in the 1,000-yard freestyle in a time of 10:17.47. Gulsah Gunenc and Julie Broms each were double-event winners, with Gunenc taking the 200-(2:02.68) and 100-yard butterfly (57.50) and Broms capturing both diving events. She posted a score of 277.70 on the 1-meter and 303.95 on the 3-meter.
OHIO STATE INVITATIONAL RECAP
The Buckeyes finished second at the Ohio State Swimming and Diving Invitational, Dec. 1-3, at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Buckeyes’ score of 779 was just 14 points behind first place South Carolina. Ohio State recorded four NCAA `B’ standards and two individual wins during the three-day competition.
Katie Bell earned her first collegiate win when she scored 299.05 points to overtake the competition on the 10-meter platform event. Griet Buelens also recorded a win for the Buckeyes, swimming a NCAA `B’ time of 4:50.20 in the 500-yard freestyle. Buelens clocked a second NCAA `B’ qualifying standard in the 100-yard butterfly (55.82). Gulsah Gunenc and Buelens finished second and third, respectively, in the 200-yard butterfly, both posting NCAA `B’ standards in the event.
MAKING THE CUT
Griet Buelens and Gulsah Gunenc already are one step closer to competing at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. Both women recorded NCAA `B’ cuts in the 200-yard butterfly at Ohio State’s intrasquad meet. Buelens swam a time of 2:01.79 while Gunenc finished in 2:01.85. Gunenc further secured her spot at the championship meet when she lowered her time by two-tenths to post a winning time 2:01.65 in the dual-meet against Illinois.
Several swimmers already have recorded personal best times despite being in just the third week of competition. Freshman Haley Mitchell opened her collegiate career with a best time of 10:14.72 in the 1,000-yard freestyle at the Scarlet and Gray meet. Buelens claimed a win for the Buckeyes in the same event at Michigan when she stopped the clock in her best time of 10:04.55.
BIG TEN MEETS
Ohio State opened its season with a conference dual-meet win against Illinois, 157-143, Nov. 4. The Buckeyes took seven of the 14 events swum, as well as sweeping both the 1- and 3-meter diving events. Gulsah Gunenc claimed two wins in both butterfly events, while junior Griet Buelens placed second in two freestyle events and first in the 500-yard freestyle (4:56.65). The remaining three individual wins came from freshmen Haley Mithcell, Megan Alexander and Jill Lockhart. Chelsea Davis and Julie Broms were each responsible for wins in diving.
Ohio State fell 138-99 No. 10 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Friday Nov. 10. The Buckeyes won three events, sweeping the first three places on the 3-meter springboard. Julie Broms picked up her second win for the season in the event. Griet Buelens also recorded a win for the team when she swam a lifetime best time of 10:04.55 in the 1,000-yard freestyle.
The Buckeyes bounced back from their loss to overtake Michigan State, 153-90, Saturday winning 11 of the 13 events. Diver Julie Broms extended her undefeated record on the 3-meter to 3-0 for the year. Swimmers Annie Rennebohm and Farriss Blaskovits each claimed their first collegiate Big Ten win. Gulsah Gunenc, Griet Buelens and Elaine Chan were responsible for the team’s remaining individual wins.
COACH Jeanne Fleck
Head women’s swimming coach Jeanne Fleck is in her eighth season at the helm of the Ohio State women’s swimming program. She has become accustomed to her teams displaying excellence in the water and in the classroom throughout her coaching career.
Last season, Fleck coached the first swimmer since 1995 to All-American status. During her tenure at Ohio State she has geared the Buckeyes to 11 school records. The Buckeyes had the highest grade point average in the Big Ten Conference in 2004 and was ranked ninth in the country during fall quarter of 2003. In six seasons, Fleck has had 48 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 89 OSU Scholar-Athletes.
ABOUT COACH PANZANO
Vince Panzano is in his 28th 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.
UP NEXT
Ohio State will travel to University Park, PA to take on Big Ten rival Penn State Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. before returning home to swim Kenyon, Saturday at noon, at the Bill ad Mae McCorkle Pavilion.
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