Jan. 11, 2008
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio swimming and diving team won nine of the first 11 events, including the opening six, to defeat visiting Denison, 136-105, Friday evening at the Aquatic Center. Ohio's dual-meet record improves to 6-1 with the victory, while Denison falls to 4-2.
The Bobcats used an all-around team performance to jump out to an early lead and then never looked back. Senior diver Jamie Acks (Solon, Ohio) totaled 18 points for Ohio, winning both the one-meter dive and the three-meter dive with marks of 218.02 and 210.00, respectively. Senior co-captain Ilse Petersen (Johannesburg, South Africa) had a solid showing, touching the wall first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.93 and finishing second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 54.70.
Ohio's freshmen once again proved to be a factor in the meet, as newcomers Rachel Heim (San Diego, Calif.), Amanda Cecere (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Stacey Huber (Gainesville, Fla.) each posted first-place finishes. Heim took first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.11), Cecere touched the wall first in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:19.84) and Huber placed first in the 500-yard freestyle (5:07.69) and second in the 200-yard freestyle (1:55.63).
Sophomore Chelsey Bower (Bethel Park, Pa.) had a strong meet for the Bobcats, winning the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.43 and swimming the anchor leg of Ohio's first-place 200-yard freestyle relay team. Bower teamed with senior co-captain Emily Wylam (Yorktown, Va.), freshman Molly Leuschner (Williamstown, Pa.) and sophomore Rachael Kloosterman (Whitby, Ontario) to win the opening relay event in a time of 1:47.76.
Wylam also finished second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:35.66), a little over a tenth of a second behind sophomore Leah Giancarli (Akron, Ohio) in first place (4:35.52).
Ohio faces in-state foe Youngstown State tomorrow afternoon at the Aquatic Center. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
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Wes Liles is the swimming and diving contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.
