Courtesy: Ohio State Athletics
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Ohio State swimming and diving program will compete at its first dual meet this season on Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Rec Center Natatorium in College Station, Texas to open up its 2019-20 season. The Buckeyes are scheduled to take on Texas A&M starting at 5 p.m. ET on Friday with competition continuing at 11 a.m. ET Saturday.
“To be able to go down to Texas A&M and swim against top-notch competition is why you come to a place like Ohio State,” director of swimming and diving Bill Dorenkott said. “We think it’ll be a tough match up and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to race.”
Both of the Ohio State men’s and women’s swimming teams were ranked in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) preseason polls with the men coming in at No. 5 and the women in at the No. 14 spot.
MEET SCHEDULE
Friday’s events will be in long course meters and will not include relays. All Friday races are unscored. On Saturday the teams will race in short course yards.
Women’s 1-Meter diving is scheduled to start after the conclusion of the 50 Freestyle on Friday. The men’s 3-Meter competition will occur in the second diving break, after 100 Butterfly. On Saturday, the men’s 1-Meter will take place during the first dive break and the women’s 3-Meter competition will conclude diving for the weekend in the second dive break.
200 Medley Relay
1000 Freestyle/800 Freestyle LCM
200 Freestyle
100 Backstroke
100 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
50 Freestyle
Diving Break – Women’s 1-Meter (Fri.); Men’s 1-Meter (Sat.)
100 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
200 Breaststroke
500 Freestyle/400 Freestyle LCM
100 Butterfly
Diving Break – Men’s 3-Meter (Fri.); Women’s 3-Meter (Sat.)
200 Individual Medley
400 Freestyle Relay
Men’s Season Primer
The Buckeyes return 10 male athletes that competed at the NCAA Championships a year ago, including seven swimmers and three divers. Of those, Andrew Loy picked up First Team All-America honors as part of the 200 Free Relay squad while Paul DeLakis took fifth in the 200 Free and set a new school record time of 1:32.01. On platform, Joseph Canova represented the Buckeyes in the final round of competition, taking seventh with a score of 368.95. Overall, the men finished ninth in the nation for the program’s best finish since 2010.
Five returners earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors at the 2019 Big Ten Swimming & Diving Championships including DeLakis, Loy, Noah Lense and Matthew Abeysinghe. Three men’s diving returners competed on the platform including Jacob Siler, who finished second with a mark of 386.80, Jacob Fielding, who placed fourth, and Canova who rounded out the Top 5.
The Ohio State men have 10 newcomers to the roster this year, including Cameron Craig, a transfer from Arizona State, and two divers. Jonah Cooper, Hunter Grannum, Charles Gustafson, Jay Johnson, Matthew Magness, Ian Mikesell, Kyle Silver, Jonathan Sugar, Thomas Watkins and Lyle Yost all begin their Ohio State career.
Top Returners – Men
50 Freestyle – Andrew Loy – 19.40
100 Backstroke – Colin McDermott – 47.00
100 Breaststroke – Jason Mathews – 52.73
100 Freestyle – Andrew Loy – 42.13
100 Butterfly – Noah Lense – 45.41
200 Freestyle – Paul DeLakis – 1:32.01
200 Butterfly – Noah Lense – 1:40.36
200 Breaststroke – Paul DeLakis – 1:52.05
200 Backstroke – Colin McDermott – 1:44.86
200 Individual Medley – Andrew Loy – 1:41.36
400 Individual Medley – Daniel Gloude – 3:47.44
500 Freestyle – Carson Burt – 4:24.77
1650 Freestyle – Carson Burt – 15:16.09
1-Meter Diving – Jacob Fielding – 377.10
3-Meter Diving – Jacob Siler – 429.40
Platform – Jacob Siler – 404.35
Women’s Season Primer
The Ohio State women are returning 10 of the 11 swimmers and divers to compete in last season’s NCAA Championships. The 800 Free Relay team of Kristen Romano, Lucija Jurkovic-Perisa, Kathrin Demler and Katie Trace bested the school record set in 2011 by over three seconds while Romano set a new program-best in the 200 Free with a time of 1:44.48. Molly Kowal is returning after finishing as the national runner-up in the mile and setting a new personal-best and school-record time of 15:44.61. She is now a two-time First Team All-American in the 1650 Free.
Demler also set a new school record time in the 200 Fly with a time of 1:55.06. In the Big Ten Championships, she became the first 200 Fly champion for Ohio State since 2013. Also at Big Ten’s, returner Rebekah Bradley broke the school record as well as her personal record, finishing fifth in the A Final of the 100 Backstroke with a time of 52.30. She then bested her own time at the NCAA Championships, posting a 51.96.
In diving, Lexie Barker led the way for the Buckeyes at the NCAA Championships finishing 23rd followed by Lara Tarvit who finished 39th. Tarvit posted a team-best seventh place finish on platform at Big Ten’s with a score of 305.35.
The Buckeyes added 12 newcomers to the roster for the 2019-20 season including two divers. Hannah Bach, Leah Baker, Jacqueline Brenn, Mackenzie Crawford, Amy Fulmer, Kennady Kilger, Morgan Kraus, Meredith Moellering, Josephine Panitz, Sarah Turchanik, Aislinn Walsh and Brynna Wolfe suit up for their freshman seasons at OSU.
Top Returners – Women
50 Freestyle – Freya Rayner – 22.09
100 Backstroke – Rebekah Bradley – 51.96
100 Breaststroke – Hanna Gresser – 59.69
100 Freestyle – Freya Rayner – 48.43
100 Butterfly – Kristen Romano – 53.13
200 Freestyle – Kristen Romano – 1:44.48
200 Butterfly – Kathrin Demler – 1:55.06
200 Breaststroke – Hanna Gresser – 2:10.78
200 Backstroke – Kristen Romano – 1:52.86
200 Individual Medley – Kathrin Demler – 1:56.62
400 Individual Medley – Kristen Romano – 4:04.56
500 Freestyle – Molly Kowal – 4:39.48
1650 Freestyle – Molly Kowal – 15:44.61
1-Meter Diving – Lara Tarvit – 307.95
3-Meter Diving – Genevieve Angerame – 359.15
Platform – Lara Tarvit – 305.35
WE MEET AGAIN
Last season the No. 17 Ohio State women’s team fell to the No. 5 Texas A&M women, 202-142 while the No. 16 Ohio State men defeated the No. 10 Aggies men 199-153.
The Buckeyes dominated the relays in last season’s matchup as the women took first in the 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay while the men also finished first in the 200 and 400 Free Relay and added a win in the 400 Medley Relay. Returning senior Molly Kowal finished first in the 500 and 1000 Free while Jason Mathews picked up a win in the 100 Breast and Freya Rayner posted a meet-best 23.16 time in the 50 Free. Genevieve Angerame led the Buckeyes on the 3-Meter platform finishing first with a score of 315.40.
The No. 5 Buckeye men will compete against No. 11-ranked Texas A&M men while the No. 14 women will take on the No. 12-ranked Aggies women.