In its opening meet of the 2014-15 season, the Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team will face in-state foe Cincinnati Friday at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. With racing scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. (ET), the dual-meet clash will feature a Buckeye program coming off its eighth consecutive Top-20 finish at the NCAA championships.
Order of Events
The home meet 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
Cincy Connections
The Bearcats are under the direction of first-year head coach Mandy Commons-DiSalle. Previously a four-year assistant coach at Cincinnati, Commons-DiSalle has three prominent connections to the Ohio State men’s team. Her cousins, Dan DiSalle, Jack DiSalle and Michael DiSalle, are all members of the Buckeye contingent.
The blood between the programs doesn’t end there, as brothers Chris and Ryan DePietro will also compete on opposing sides. Chris, a junior this season, will suit up for the Scarlet and Gray, while little brother Ryan will battle with the Bearcats.
Wadley Named to U.S. National Team Coaching Staff
Ohio State head coach Bill Wadley will contribute his plethora of experience to the United States National Team as a member for the coaching staff, effective Sept. 2, 2014. Wadley was selected to join the coaching contingent by USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch and will remain on the staff for one year.
Wadley qualified for the position after two of his athletes – DJ MacDonald and Tim Phillips – finished Top 6 in their respective events at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships.
“Coach Wadley has helped me develop as a swimmer through his dedication and perseverance to making sure that not just me, but everyone on the team reaches their full potential as a swimmer and as a person,” MacDonald, member of the Ohio State swimming team and U.S. National Team, said. “As much as he emphasizes the team’s efforts in the pool, he also encourages us to be leaders outside of the pool – in the community and the classroom.”
Scarlet vs. Gray Showdown
The Buckeyes hosted their annual Scarlet vs. Gray exhibition meet last Friday at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. In the battle of the brothers, Team Scarlet came out on top, winning by a margin of 157-105.
On Saturday, the team welcomed a host of former Buckeyes for the Alumni vs. Varsity dual. Following the event, the Buckeyes convened to socialize and celebrate the upcoming season.
The Boys are Back
Last season, Ohio State sent 12 team members to the 2014 NCAA Championships – eight individually. For the last decade, Ohio State has sent double-digit numbers to the national championships each season. The Buckeyes will welcome back nine NCAA qualifiers for the 2014-15 campaign: Michael DiSalle, Josh Fleagle, Tamas Gercsak, Steffen Hillmer, DJ MacDonald, Connor McDonald, Matt McHugh, Keanu Stevenson and Steven Zimmerman.
MacDonald, Phillips Rep Team USA
Following impressive performances this summer at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships, MacDonald and Phillips each earned a place on the U.S. National Team. MacDonald, a native of Toledo, Ohio, earned two Top-5 finishes – 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke – at the national championships. Phillips, on the other hand, solidified his place among the elite swimmers in the world with a third-place showing in the 100 butterfly at the premier meet.
The pair will continue to represent the United States in international competition, with MacDonald invited to compete at the 2015 World University Games, July 3-14, in Gwangju, South Korea, and Phillips joining Team USA at the Pan American Games in Toronto July 10-26.
Off-Season? What Off-Season?
With the next Summer Olympics just two years away, the Buckeyes have been busy building momentum, even with collegiate competition on a summer hiatus.
At the annual Mike Peppe-John Bruce Memorial Invitational, July 4-6, the squad captured wins in 10 events and set five meet records. Held at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, the meet was highlighted by multiple event wins from MacDonald and Peter Lyon. MacDonald set meet records in the 200 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke. Not to be outdone, Lyon won the 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly, setting a meet record in the 200.
The Buckeyes opened competition at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships with a Top 3, school record-breaking finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet of Michael DiSalle, Josh Fleagle, Garrett Trebilcock and Matt McHugh brought their A game to Irvine, Calif., posting a time of 3:21.97. The medley relay was also in top form, earning third overall with a school-record mark of 3:39.29.
Alongside Team USA, Phillips competed in three events at the Hancock Prospecting 2014 Pan Pacific Championships in Gold Coast, Australia. Held Aug. 21 25, Pan Pacs is considered one of the premier international meets outside of the world championships and Olympic Games.
To conclude the summer, Ohio State had four swimmers ranked among the Top 100 individual competitors in the world, as well as seven team members in the Top 100 in the United States. Two Buckeye relays – the 400 medley and 400 freestyle – held the third-fastest times in the U.S. in their respective events. Internationally, four Buckeyes held rankings in their respective nations of Switzerland, Germany, Russia and Hungary.
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 Lords Both meets are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
College Swimming News courtesy of Ohio State Swimming and Diving.