With three-straight days of competitive action ahead, the Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team is kicking off its 2014-15 dual meet season in bustling fashion. The Scarlet and Gray will suit up Thursday in Oxford, Ohio, facing Miami (6 p.m.), return home to McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion Friday for a double-dual with Cincinnati and Purdue (4 p.m.), and travel to Athens, Ohio, Saturday to take on Ohio University (10 a.m. diving; 1 p.m. swimming).
Order of Events
The home meet Friday vs. Cincinnati and Purdue will run with alternating women’s and men’s races. Two breaks will take place for the 1- and 3-meter diving competition. The order of events will be:
200 Medley Relay
1000 Freestyle
200 Freestyle
100 Backstroke
100 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
50 Freestyle
Break
100 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
200 Breaststroke
500 Freestyle
100 Butterfly
Break
200 Individual Medley
400 Free Relay
Buckeye Relays Roll in South Bend
Ohio State started its season off on a positive note, winning the 50th Annual Dennis Stark Relays at the University of Notre Dame. With a total team score of 194, the Buckeyes outlasted the runner-up Fighting Irish, as well as squads representing Illinois State and Olivet Nazarene. In all, the Scarlet and Gray conquered nine of 10 races contested.
Scarlet vs. Gray Success
To celebrate the start of an exciting season of Ohio State swimming and diving, the Buckeyes hosted their annual Scarlet vs. Gray exhibition last Friday, Oct. 17, at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Competition remained fierce throughout the evening, yet victory was awarded to Team Scarlet by a score of 131-129.
Scouting the Competition
Ohio State’s first dual meet matchup of the season will be with the Miami RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio. The RedHawks are coming off an opening weekend in which the squad fell to Purdue, 199-94, before bouncing back vs. rival Xavier, 145-102. Miami dominated the Musketeers, winning every event of the meet. Sophomore standout Stephanie LeMire will be one to watch, after finishing in the top two in seven different races over the course of the weekend.
The Bearcats opened the season last Friday, defeating Xavier by a margin of 142.5-114.5. Cincinnati is led by head coach Mandy Commons-DiSalle, who is in her first season at the helm of the Bearcat swimming and diving program.
The Boilermakers were also strong in their opening contest, posting a 199-94 home win over Miami (Ohio). The next day Purdue hosted the annual Indiana Intercollegiates, where the squad placed first of 10 with 786 points collected.
Ohio University will return to competition for the first time this season against the Buckeyes. Last season, the Bobcats placed sixth at the MAC championships, with one swimmer capturing first-place in the conference and advancing to the NCAA championships. In diving, OU had four team members qualify for the NCAA zone championships.
Embracing Eli
Eli Boda, a 13-year old from Columbus, Ohio, was adopted by the Buckeyes through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation (FOJ), a non-profit, charitable organization formed in 2005 that aims to improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and their families.
On May 19, 2014, Eli was diagnosed with a mass on his brain after a seizure caused him to unexpectedly collapse. Since then, a slew of radiation and chemotherapy has followed, taking a toll on both Eli and his loved ones.
Now, Eli has an extended family in the Buckeyes to lean on for support during challenging times. For more information on Eli, his family and his story, visit the following links: Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Facebook, Caring Bridge and Go Fund Me.
Welcome Coach Wolfrum
In April, Jordan Wolfrum was named an assistant coach by head coach Bill Dorenkott. Wolfrum brings an extensive coaching background to the Buckeyes, including serving last season as a volunteer assistant coach at Stanford University. Under the guidance of Wolfrum, the Cardinals finished as the national runner-up, broke numerous school records and set an American and NCAA record in the 400 medley relay.
“I am so looking forward to joining the Buckeye family,” said Wolfrum. “I have immense respect for Coach Dorenkott as a coach and as a team leader. I am very excited to join him and bring my passion and excitement to the pool deck. I believe that together we can lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and NCAA honors.”
Captain Clary Leads Team USA
Lindsey Clary, a sophomore this season, was afforded the opportunity to lead the U.S. Junior National Team as it contended at the 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, Aug. 27-31.
This summer marked the second consecutive in which Clary competed on the national level. She earned a spot on Team USA’s roster for Jr. Pan Pacs at the 2014 Open Water National Championships, where she finished 13th out of 47 competitors in only her second-ever open water race. At Jr. Pan Pacs, Clary earned sixth in the 10k open water event.
Busy Summer, Big Results
With the next Summer Olympics just two years away, the summer break from collegiate competition proved to be critical for the Buckeye swimmers as they strive to make their marks on the Rio Games in 2016.
Highlighting the summer, Buckeyes Michelle Williams and Samantha Cheverton shined for Team Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland (July 24-29) and the Pan Pacific Championships in Gold Coast, Australia (Aug. 21-25). At the Commonwealth Games, both Buckeyes added to Canada’s medal total, with Cheverton contributing to the silver-medal winning 4×200 freestyle relay and Williams earning bronze alongside the 4×100 freestyle relay. The pair continued to gain recognition on the international level, competing in six events at Pan Pacs, which is regarded as one of the premier international meets of the year.
Ohio State was also well represented at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships, with a group of six current and former Buckeyes making waves at the national showcase. Clary continued to exhibit her development with a 36th-place finish in the 400 individual medley, while her teammates Alex Norris, Kaitlyn Ferrara, Ashley Vance and Amy Bopp also recorded Top-50 individual rankings.
Up Next
The Buckeyes will look to continue building early momentum with back-to-back duals next Thursday (Oct. 30) and Friday (Oct. 31). On Thursday, Ohio State will take on Cleveland State at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, while the squad will return to the top-notch facility Friday for a meet with the Kenyon Ladies. Both meets are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
College Swimming News courtesy of Ohio State Swimming and Diving.