Oct. 17, 2006
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The Cleveland State men's swimming squad takes aim at defending its Horizon League championship with 15 returning letterwinners from last year. Headlining the returnees is senior Bjorn Schantz, last year's Horizon League Swimming Athlete of the Year. Schantz, who was also named the Men's Outstanding Swimmer at the League Championships, set school records in the 200 free (1:39.15) and 500 free (4:24.65) last year while his time in the 500 was also good for the Horizon League Championship record. Schantz was also the anchor leg of CSU's championship 800 free relay team that posted a school-record time. Several Vikings provide support, including junior Johan Norling and sophomore Marko Milenkovic, who are also among the team's top sprinters. Norling's time of :21.31 in the 50 free last year was the team's best, followed by Milenkovic's :21.37.
The Vikings have two talented divers, as well. Senior Chris Dalman was the team's top one-meter diver last year. He set the school-record with a score of 415.40 on Feb. 4 last year against UIC. Junior Dan Baiko also returns and the two divers will push each other toward League diving supremacy.
The CSU women have their sights set on winning a Horizon League championship after scoring a school-record 358.5 points en route to a fifth-place finish at last year's championship. Marianne Lionell is the team's only senior and is the top returning swimmer in five events. Lionell posted team bests last year in the 50 free,100 free and 200 free. She is also the team's leader in the 100 breast (1:06.13) and 200 breast (2:27.19) and swam on four of CSU's five relay teams. Sophomore Katie Bellew holds the school record in the 100 fly (:57.50) and is the also the team's top swimmer in the 200 fly (2:08.92) and the 200 individual medley (2:11.89).
UW-Green Bay walked away from last year's Horizon League Championships with an armload of hardware, including eight overall event titles, two Newcomer of the Year awards, the Women's Coach of the Year honor and the 2006 Horizon League Women's Swimming & Diving championship trophy.
On the men's side, seniors Joey Weber and Phillip Zumstein hope to lead a young team back to the top of the podium - a place the Phoenix men haven't been since 2002. The pair combined to earn seven Horizon League Athlete of the Week awards last season, with Weber also placing in the top three in both the 100 and 200m backstroke at last year's Championships. Already this season, Zumstein has earned event victories, sweeping the one and three meter boards in an early-season meet against Big Ten foe Wisconsin. This year's men's squad also features nine newcomers, including breaststroke specialist Nick Frost and YMCA National qualifier Chris Casonova, who will swim both the sprint freestyle and breaststroke events.
This year's Phoenix women will be led by seniors Molly Cox and Kristin Carlson plus 2006 Newcomer of the Year Danielle DeGrand, who claimed titles in the 200 backstroke and 200 IM last season. Despite having won two consecutive League Championships, the Phoenix and 17-year head coach Jim Merner continue looking for ways to improve. The addition of freshmen Ashley Warzon and Mary Stravinski should add depth to the team in the butterfly events.
Wright State is back from a strong season in which both squads placed second at the Horizon League Championships. The Raider men are led by senior Rafael Candido who has been unstoppable in the breaststroke events. Candido has sweept the 100 and 200 for the past three years, and was also a member of the 200 free relay team that claimed the League title last season. Newcomer Micah Belew competed at Indian River Community College the past two seasons and was the 2005 NJCAA champion in the 200 free. Belew, along with several incoming freshman will be looked upon to provide depth in the freestyle events.
The 2006 Raider women welcome back junior Catalina Martinez after her stellar performance at the League Championships. Martinez brought home individual titles in both the 1000 and 1650 freestyle events for the second consecutive year. Senior Tina Pandza is another strong returning freestyle swimmer for the Raiders. Pandza finished third in the 200, 500 and 1000 freestyle at the League championships. Junior Brittiany Czoch will try to carry the Raiders in the butterfly events. Czoch won the 200 butterfly League title in 2005, and also placed fourth in the 200 butterfly, fifth in the 100 butterfly and 10th in the 500 freestyle at the 2006 League Championships.
Senior leadership will be key for the UIC men this year, as the Flames look to improve on their third-place mark at last season's League meet. Senior Blake Booher, who qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials at the USA Swimming Championships in August, will aim for his third League title in the 50 free, while fellow captain Mark Pappalardo, a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, looks to capture his first League title on the one- and three meter boards. The Flames also have their share of young talent, as nine freshmen, including sprint-freestyler Brenden Dougherty join the squad. Dougherty was a four-year letterwinner at Woodstock High School, earning All-America accolades after placing third in the 100 free and sixth in the 50 free at the Illinois High School Association state championships.
The UIC women finished fourth at last year's League Championships, despite strong performances from seniors Kelly Hyatt and Sarah Economides. Hyatt set a school record with a time of :52.49 in the 100 free prelims and raced to a third-place finish in the 50 free with a time of :24.24, while Economides placed third on the one-meter board behind the UWM tandem of Erin Blemberg and Emily Duesler with a score of 247.10. She was also the lone women's representative for the Flames at the NCAA Zone C Championships. Also looking to contribute this year is the freshmen trio of Raquel Brown, Shaina Israel and Lindsey Roberts, all of whom will add strength in the freestyle events.
Both UW-Milwaukee teams were led by outstanding individual performances at the Horizon League Championships last season, but will look for all-around support in order to compete for a League title. First-year head coach Dave Griffore joins UW-Milwaukee after spending the past six years in roles of graduate assistant, associate coach and assistant at Eastern Michigan.
The Panther men are led by junior Chase Gravengood after he put together record-breaking performances in his first two seasons. Gravengood won the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley at last year's League Championships and also set school records in each of the events. Gravengood was also a member of the 400 free, 800 free, 200 medley and 400 medley relay teams that posted top times during the season. Robby Leibold will also return for the Panthers after a stellar freshman campaign in which he broke freshman school records in the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle and the 1650 freestyle.
Senior Lindsay Caldwell will be looked upon to lead the Panther women after earning Athlete of the Year and Swimmer of the Meet honors at the Horizon League Championships during the 2005-06 campaign. The UW-Milwaukee record books are covered with Caldwell's accomplishments, holding top individual times in the 50 freestyle (:23.14), 100 freestyle (:50.58), 200 freestyle (1:52.22) and the 100 breaststroke (1:04.21). Caldwell is also a member of every relay team that holds a school record. Sophomore Molly Finn is also back from an exciting season after setting school records in the 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley. Finn was also a member of three record setting relay teams (400 medley, 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle). Freshman Rachel Grimm will look to support the Panthers divers this season after finishing second at the Wisconsin state meet.
Last season, Youngstown State had barely enough swimmers, 11, to cover all the events at the Horizon League championships. This year, however, the addition of seven newcomers has added new talent and depth to a Penguin squad that already features some of the fastest swimmers in school history.
Last year's upperclassmen Becky Bertuzzi, Kim Hanley and Cortney Harless return for their second stint as team captains to headline the squad. They and three juniors bring some valued experience to a team that is still relatively young with 14 freshmen and sophomores. Junior breaststroke specialist Julia Darling returns as a school-record holder in four events, and sophomore Olivia Arnold is coming off a record-setting season in the distance freestyle, in which she twice earned recognition as the Horizon League Swimmer of the Week. Arnold will be joined in the freestyle ranks by newcomers Leah Krout and Hilary Barrett, both four-year letter-winners who served as captains of their high school squads. Sophomore Kelly Reese, who joined Arnold as the only Penguins to be honored by the earned Horizon League in 2005-06, returns to lead the YSU divers. Reese captured 11 diving titles last season, while narrowly missing qualification for the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships.
The Butler Bulldogs will once again call the Carmel High School pool home this season, hosting four dual meets during the year. Butler's 14 returning swimmers will be joined in the pool this season by 14 newcomers. Both teams are looking to improve upon last-place finishes at the 2006 Horizon League Championships
On the men's side, senior Raj Duggal will be looked upon to carry a team that showed improvements near the end of last season. Duggal currently holds four individual school records in the 200 free (1:41.99), 500 free (4:36.32), 1000 free (9:29.85) and the 1650 free (15:58.21). Freshman Chris Gordon will be looked upon to support the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events. Gordon is a three-time All-American and five-time Illinois state medalist. Newcomer and Indiana native Alex Tracy was also named an Academic All-American last year. Tracy is a two-time state finalist and will provide depth in the freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley events.
Mary Beth Arnold will be leading the Butler women this season as the lone senior for the Bulldogs. Arnold currently holds two individual school records in the 100 breast (1:05.93) and 200 breast (2:22.80). Freshmen Beth Ann Mensing and Kaitlyn Pressley were four year letter winners of their high school teams and will join Arnold in the freestyle events.
