The Ohio swimming and diving team opens up its season tomorrow with a double-dual meet against Kenyon and Ohio State at Kenyon. The Bobcats are coming off of a solid season last year, which had them finishing second at the Mid-American Conference Championships.
The team returns eight All-MAC selections from last season, including Emily Wylam, who swept the backstroke events at last year's MAC Championships, Michaela Hahn-Lawson, a three-time first-team All-MAC selection, Ilse Petersen, who is also a three-time first-team All-MAC swimmer, and Ashley Marion, who rounds out the first-team MAC selections who are returning this year.
We have a very strong returning team
probably the strongest team we've had in a number of years said Greg Werner, who is starting his 13th year at Ohio. We also have seven very talented freshmen that are joining the team this year and when you couple that with the accomplished veterans
it makes for a very good mix.
This weekend's opening meet features two tough opponents in Kenyon and Ohio State. Kenyon has won 19 Division III women's swimming and diving national championships under head coach Jim Steen. Steen has also led Kenyon's men's team to 26 national titles in his tenure.
Kenyon already competed in the North Coast Athletic Conference Relays, at which they won seven out of 10 events. However, because they didn't compete in the two diving events, they ended up with a second-place finish overall.
The Buckeyes are coached by Jeanne Fleck, who is in her eighth season at the helm. Ohio State and the Bobcats have somewhat of a budding rivalry on their hands; they have gotten into the habit of trading victories over the last few seasons.
The Buckeyes do not return any of their NCAA qualifiers from last year, but they do still return a strong team.In preparation for the meet, Werner stressed the team concept.
Every single person's going to have to contribute; it's going to be a complete team effort
Werner said. It's going to take all 32 women chipping in to come out of there with wins.
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Kevin Nye
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