Wittenberg University Athletics - 2003-04 Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving News Releases

Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving
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2003-04 News Releases

All Releases Written By: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu

March 23, 2004

Steve Rader

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams put the finishing touches on another outstanding season by advancing two competitors to the NCAA Division III Championship meets at Principia College in Missouri. Both earned All-America honors by finishing at least one event in the top 16.

Leading off was sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County), who finished 32nd in the 500-yard freestyle, 17th in the 1650-yard freestyle and 10th in the 400-yard Individual Medley. The latter equaled her best career finish and made her a three-time Honorable Mention All-America honoree. The top eight swimmers in any event each All-America honors.

Last weekend, senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/Cleveland St. Ignatius) capped his outstanding career with his fourth All-America designation, making him just the third Tiger swimmer, male or female, to earn such accolades four straight years. Only Julien Lazarus '97 and Aaron Edsall '01 were so handsomely decorated.

Rader finished 20th in the 200-yard Individual Medley, 13th in the 200-yard freestyle and seventh in the 200-yard butterfly. The 13th-place finish was good for Honorable Mention All-America and the seventh-place finish earned All-America honors. His best career finish was fourth place, which he managed three times in his career.

Next: Season Complete

March 5, 2004

Becca Searcy

The waiting is over for the Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams - and the news was good for two individuals. Senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) have both earned the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships. The women's competition is scheduled for March 11-13 and the men are slated to race March 18-20, both at Principia College (Mo.).

Five Wittenberg swimmers posted qualifying times during the season. But only Rader and Searcy finished among the top 20 in an individual event, guaranteeing them the opportunit to swim in at least three events at the national meet.

Already a three-time All-American, Rader is pointing toward one final meet. He is among the nation's best in several events, and he will be trying to improve upon fourth place, his best finish ever in a national meet achieved three times in his career.

Searcy posted several qualifying times in distance freestyle and individual medley events. She was an Honorable Mention All-America a year ago, and her times in 2003-04 have been even better.

Just missing out were senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) from the men's team and sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) and freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) from the women's team.

Next: 3/11-13 NCAA Division III Championships (Women)
3/18-20 NCAA Division III Championships (Men)
Hosted by Principia College in St. Louis, Mo.

February 25, 2004

Steve Rader

And now the waiting game begins for the Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams - or at least those individuals who hope to compete in the NCAA Division III Championship meets next month.

Five Wittenberg swimmers have posted times that qualify for the championship meet, three women and two men. But none are guaranteed a spot, and based upon previous seasons, only two individuals are resting easily upon their accomplishments during the 2003-04 regular season.

Senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) is in good shape with several outstanding qualifying times. He lowered his time in the 400-meter Individual Medley last weekend at the Veale Last Chance Invitational at Case Western Reserve, touching the wall in 4:14.5, breaking a seven-year-old record.

Already a three-time All-American, Rader is now pointing toward one final meet, the national championships at Principia College in St. Louis, Mo. He is among the nation's best in several events, and he will be trying to improve on fourth place, his best finish ever in a national meet.

Also in good standing for the national meet is sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County), who has posted several qualifying times in distance freestyle and individual medley events. She was an Honorable Mention All-America a year ago, and her times in 2003-04 have been even better.

On the bubble, so to speak, are senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) from the men's team and sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) and freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends). from the women's team. All three have at least one national qualifying time, but none rank in the top-20 in an individual event. The normal cut-off for the NCAA meet is between 22-25 competitors per event.

The women will find out Thursday whether they are invited to compete at the national meet, scheduled for March 11-13 at Principia. The men must wait until next Thursday, March 4, before their announcement is made.

Next: 3/11-13 NCAA Division III Championships (Women)
3/18-20 NCAA Division III Championships (Men)
Hosted by Principia College in St. Louis, Mo.

February 19, 2004

Cody Nicely

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams turned in strong performances at the annual North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet last weekend in Canton, Ohio. The Tiger men finished fifth and the Tiger women wound up fourth, behind only three of the top five teams in the nation.

The women compiled the most points in school history with 957, eclipsing last season's 942. Three swimmers bettered NCAA Division III B Cuts, putting themselves in position to reach the national meet next month. Just one woman earned All-NCAC honors, which require a top-three finish, but the Tigers showed depth coupled with strong performances by their top swimmers, led by sophomores Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) and Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) and freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends).

Searcy earned third place in the 400-yard Individual Medley with an NCAA B Cut time of 4:36.62 to All-NCAC for the second time in her career. She added fourth place in the 500 freestyle in an NCAA B Cut time of 5:09.03 and fifth place in the 1650 free in an NCAA B Cut time of 17:31.19.

Yeakley turned in three personal-best, NCAA B cut performances as she finished sixth in the 200 IM in 2:12.26, fifth in the 100 backstroke in 59.65 and sixth in the 200 back in 2:09.73. Her time in the 100 back broke a 15-year-old school record.

Mulligan, who also has an NCAA B Cut this season, finished sixth in the 100 back in 1:00.09 and 11th in the 200 back in 2:12.40, both personal-best marks. Senior Nicole Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Alter) had a pair of ninth-place finishes and personal-best times in the 200 butterfly and the 200 free.

Other individuals who turned in notable performances included freshman Hillary Clark (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), who finished eighth in the 200 free in 1:59.48 and had three personal-best times, and sophomore Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), who finished seventh in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events in 1:10.18 and 2:32.87, respectively. In addition, freshmen Katie Spittler (Carlisle, Ky./Lexington Catholic) and Shantel Sechrist (Saltsburg, Pa./Saltsburg) posted three personal-best times each and divers Mary Workman (Medina, Ohio/Cloverleaf), Holly Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Central) and Laura Stapula (Highland, Mich./Milford) had top-eight finishes.

The Tiger women were a respectable, and consistent, fourth place in all five relay events. Yeakley, Kinzeler, Clark and senior Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) competed in the 200 free relay; Yeakley, Conner, Mulligan and Galliger raced in the 400 medley relay; Mulligan, Conner, Kinzeler and Galliger teamed up in the 200 medley relay; Yeakley, Kinzeler, Clark and Searcy were the foursome in the 800 free relay; and Yeakley, Kinzeler, Clark and Galliger combined in the 400 free relay.

On the men's side, the Tigers were on short end of a near dead-heat for third place, finishing less than 100 points behind Wabash and Wooster. Senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) was the Tigers' lone individual champion, taking first place in the 200 fly in a national qualifying time of 1:53.35. Rader also finished second in the 200 IM in an NCAA B Cut time of 1:53.54 and second in the 100 fly in an NCAA B Cut time of 50.83. He finished his career with two individual NCAC titles and eight All-NCAC awards (not counting relays).

Senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) chipped in with a fourth-place finish in the 100 breast in an NCAA B Cut time of 58.92, and he added a 12th place finish in the 200 breast in 2:12.74. Junior Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell) had a 10th-place finish in the 200 breast in a personal-best time of 2:11.99, one of three such individual finishes for him on the day. Senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) broke the school record in the 400 IM as he finished 10th in the event in 4:17.18.

In addition, sophomore Sean Buchan (Akron, Ohio/Revere), senior Paul Miller (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), freshman Ben Weible (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), sophomore Kevin McAninch (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Lancaster), freshman Mark O'Brien (Shavertown, Pa./Dallas Area) and freshman Matt Reiss (Beavercreek, Ohio/Dayton Carroll) all posted three individual personal best times.

Four of the five men's relays finished in the top-four, including two All-NCAC finishes. Rader, freshman Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central), Berger and senior Scott Olmsted (Castle Rock, Colo/Cherry Creek) took third place in the 200 free relay and junior Jonathan Newcomer (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area), Berger, Rader and Wolf took third in the 400 medley relay. Newcomer, Berger, Rader and Olmsted finished fourth in 200 medley relay and Rader, Olmsted, Berger and Wolf wound up fourth in the 400 free relay.

Saving perhaps the best for last, freshman diver Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) earned NCAC Men's Diver of the Year honors after finishing first in the 1-meter diving competition and fourth in the 3-meter despite leg injuries that have hobbled him for several weeks. Also finishing strong in the diving events was junior Alex White (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial), a football player turned diver who finished sixth in the 1-meter event.

While Nicely was picking up accolades for his athletic accomplishments, Tiger diving coach Ian Hershey was garnering recognition for his expertise. He was named NCAC Men's Diving Coach of the Year.

Next: 2/21 at Case Western Veale Invitational

February 12, 2004

Sean Wolf

The Wittenberg University men's and women's swimming and diving teams have done all they can to prepare. Now it's time to get it done in the biggest meet of each year, the North Coast Athletic Conference championships at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.

As always, the Tigers are facing the daunting prospect of competing in the toughest swimming conference in the country. The Kenyon men's and women's squads are the defending champions, with the Lords winning 18 of the 19 NCAC crowns contested and the Ladies winning all 19 previous championships. The Kenyon men are also the 24-time defending national champion, with Denison annually right on their heels. The Kenyon women also have more than 20 national titles to their credit, with Denison the only team to break up the party in the last two decades.

The Tiger men will rely on senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) to score significant points. In the past, he has been runner-up in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard Individual Medley, and he is a three-time All-American. Senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland), a team co-captain with Rader, competes in the freestyle and IM events. Senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) is the team's top breaststroker. He met the NCAA cut in the 100 breast as a junior.

Newcomers Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central) in the distance events and Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) in diving are expected to compete for conference crowns. The Tigers are hoping to improve upon last year's fifth-place finish.

On the women's side, Wittenberg returns just one all-conference performer, but the Tigers have a large number of talented swimmers who have scored points in past championship meets. The team will be shooting for a top-four finish for the third year in a row, likely behind only national top 10 team Kenyon, Denison and Wooster.

Sophomore distance specialist Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) is having another outstanding season after earning All-NCAC honors and Honorable Mention All-America in 2003, and she is expected to contend in the 400-yard IM and 1650-yard freestyle. Freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) and sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) are threats in the backstroke events, both with national qualifying times already this season, while sophomore Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) earned an NCAA B cut in the breaststroke races in 2003.

Next: 2/11-14 NCAC Championships at Canton, Ohio

February 5, 2004

Courtney Galliger

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams put the finishing touches on the 2003-04 dual meet season last weekend at Case Western Reserve. With a convincing win over the Spartans, the Tiger women finished 7-4. With a narrow defeat, the Tiger men ended at 5-7.

While dual meet records are sometimes good barometers of a team's depth and skill levels, more often than not they are primarily opportunities to train and practice against top competition in preparation for the stretch run of a season, when championship meets are held and champions swimmers emerge from the pack. The Tigers will get that opportunity next weekend when they participate in the annual North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet in Canton, Ohio.

In the meet at Case Western, the Tigers got individual first-place finishes on the women's side from sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events, senior Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) in the 50-yard freestyle, sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) in the 200-yard Individual Medley and 100-yard backstroke and freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) in the 100-yard butterfly.

On the men's side, freshman Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) captured first place in both diving events, senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) was tops in the 200-yard Individual Medley and senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/Cleveland St. Ignatius) captured the 100-yard freestyle.

The Tigers are hoping to better last year's fourth place finish for the women and fifth place for the men in the NCAC Championships, traditionally the deepest conference meet in NCAA Division III. Searcy, Yeakley and Mulligan have all reached NCAA B Cut times, and improvement upon those marks would be a tremendous lift to the team's efforts at the conference meet and its prospects at the national championship meet next month.

No Tiger men have met the qualifying standards, although Rader has been close and is expected to post times good enough to reach the national meet for a fourth straight year. That would put him in select company in Wittenberg swimming history.

Next: 2/11-14 NCAC Championships at Canton, Ohio

January 29, 2004

Jenny Mulligan

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams will put the wraps on a fine 2003-04 dual meet season this weekend when they travel to Case Western Reserve University on Saturday. Last weekend, the Tigers dropped their dual meet home finales against NCAA Division I Wright State on Friday, but came back strong in a tri-meet at the University of Kentucky on Saturday. Wittenberg defeated host Transylvania decisively and competed well in losses to national powerhouse Emory. With a 1-2 weekend, the Tiger men are now 5-6 in duals in 2003-04, while the Tiger women are now 6-4.

Winners for the men in the tri-meet included the 200-yard medley relay quartet of junior Jonathan Newcomer (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area) and seniors Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay), Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) and Scott Olmsted (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek), who finished with a time of 1:43.85 and the 200-yard freestyle relay foursome of freshman Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central), sophomore Dan McGuire (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria), Newcomer and Olmstead in a time of 1:32.51. Individually, senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) claimed first place in the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 1:47.52 and the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 4:52.91.

In addition, Berger and junior Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell) took the top two spots in the 100-yard breaststroke.

On the women's side, the highlight of the weekend was provided by freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends), who reached an NCAA B Cut while winning the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:00.41. She was joined in the winner's circle by sophomore Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:10.79 and sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:00.36.

In addition, the 200-yard freestyle relay finished first in a time of 1:43.86. Yeakley was joined on that relay by senior Jessica Forsberg (Wickliffe, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin), freshman Hillary Clark (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and senior Nicole Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Kettering Alter).

The NCAC Championship meet is scheduled for Feb. 11-14 in Canton, Ohio. Wittenberg is hoping to improve upon its finishes of 2003 - fifth place for the men and fourth for the women.

Next: 1/31 at Case Western, 1 p.m.

January 22, 2004

Betany Yeakley

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams turned in solid performances in a dual meet at Denison University last Saturday, the Tigers' first meet since Dec. 5-6, 2003. The competition kicked off the second half of the 2003-04 season.

Sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) led the charge for the Tiger women, who dropped a 146-114 decision to the Big Red, who are perennially in the top five nationally. Yeakley won a pair of individual events, the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard Individual Medley. In the backstroke victory, Yeakley touched the wall in an impressive time of 2:10.99, good for an NCAA "B" Cut.

In addition, sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) finished first in the 1000-yard freestyle in a time of 10:47.69. Searcy is also a candidate for the national meet with two NCAA qualifying times already under her belt. Freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) was a winner in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:01.04.

On the men's side, the Tigers were beaten 166-92 by the Big Red, a top-five finisher in the national meet in 2003. Top individual finishers for Wittenberg were junior Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell), who touched first in the 200-yard IM in a time of 2:07.82, and senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius), who captured the 200-yard butterfly in a time of 1:59.47. Senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) also turned in a strong swim, clocking 0:57.48 in the 100-yard backstroke to finish third.

The stretch run of the season continues this weekend with a pair of challenging meets. On Friday, NCAA Division I scholarship program Wright State comes calling for the annual dual with the Tigers. And then on Saturday, Wittenberg competes in a tri-meet at the University of Kentucky with Transylvania and Emory, one of the top swimming programs in NCAA Division III every year.

The Tigers are working toward the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet, which is slated for Feb. 11-14 at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.

Next: 1/23 vs.Wright State, 5 p.m.

January 16, 2004

Betany Yeakley

January 9, 2004

Becca Searcy

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams put the wraps on the first half of the 2003-04 schedule in early December with a pair of strong showings in the DePauw Invitational. The women finished second in an outstanding eight-team field, while the men were fourth in an equally strong nine-team field. Perennial powerhouse Washington University finished first in both the men's and women's competitions.

Three women's swimmers claimed first place in the meet, led by sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County). Searcy, a 2003 NCAA Division III Honorable Mention All-American. Searcy set a meet record in the 400-yard Individual Medley and qualified for the 2004 NCAA Division III Championship Meet as well. In addition, freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) touched the wall first in the 200-yard backstroke and sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) claimed top prize in the 100-yard backstroke.

The teams are in Florida for their annual training trip this week and will return to competition next Saturday at Denison. The Big Red are one of the finest teams in the NCAC and NCAA Division III every year, making the dual meet a tremendous challenge and an important measuring stick for the Tigers as they enter the stretch run of the season.

Next: 1/17 at Denison, 1 p.m.

November 20, 2003

Cody Nicely

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams took on a pair of NCAC rivals last weekend and came away with good results in each instance, despite a loss Friday night at Wabash for the men's team. The Tigers dropped a 135.5-107.5 decision to the Little Giants, but the men and women came back home on Saturday to post solid wins over Oberlin, 133-83 for the women and 128-75 for the men.

In the meet against Wabash, one of the Tigers' main rivals for a position in the upper echelon of the NCAC standings in the February championship meet, senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) took first place in the 1000-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. He was joined in the winners' circle by senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) in the 200-yard Individual Medley, freshman Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, and senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) in the 100-yard freestyle.

Head Coach Leslie Ramsey described the meet as a positive one for early in the season on the road, with several outstanding individual performances, but she indicated that the team has some growing left to do to reach its goals. Other fine swims were turned in by sophomore Kevin McAninch (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Lancaster), junior Blake Troxel (Norwell, Ind./Bluffton) and freshman Matt Reiss (Beavercreek, Ohio/Dayton Carroll), all of whom posted season-best times in certain events.

In the Oberlin meet, Rader was again a two-time individual winner, this time touching first in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly events. Dunaway was a two-event winner in the 400-yard IM and the 200-yard backstroke, while Troxel, Berger and Nicely also claimed first-place finishes.

On the women's side, the story was sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County), who earned an NCAA 'B' Cut time of 4:40.41 in winning the 400-yard IM. It was one of two firsts she had on the day, the other coming in the 100-yard freestyle. Freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) posted a victory in the 200-yard breaststroke, sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) took a pair of firsts in the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke and freshman Katie Spittler (Carlisle, Ky./Lexington Catholic) and sophomore Leslie Banas (Huntington Woods, Mich./Mercy) took the top two spots in the 1000-yard freestyle with strong season-best times.

Ramsey was pleased with the performances against Oberlin and indicated the teams are now ahead of their oustanding pace of 2002-03. The next test is this Saturday at Hiram, followed by two weeks away from competition and then the annual DePauw Invitational Dec. 5-6.

Next: 11/22 at Hiram, 1 p.m.

November 13, 2003

Katie Spittler

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams came away from a busy weekend of dual meet action with matching 3-1 records. On Friday, both the men and women claimed comfortable victories over Wilmington and Ohio Wesleyan in a tri-meet hosted by the Quakers. On Saturday, Wittenberg hosted perennial powerhouse DePauw and split with the women winning handily, 136-104, and the men falling, 141.5-99.5. No scores or results were available from the Wilmington meet, as of Nov. 12.

In the meet against DePauw, the Tiger women stepped up with several strong performances. Wittenberg got first-place finishes from freshman Katie Spittler (Carlisle, Ky./Lexington Catholic) in the 500-yard freestyle and 1000-yard freestyle, sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke, senior Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) in the 50-yard freestyle, sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) in the 200-yard Individual Medley and sophomore Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) in 200-yard breaststroke.

On the men's side, first-place finishes were turned in by freshman Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central) in the 1000-yard freestyle, senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) in the 200-yard Individual Medley and 100-yard freestyle and senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) in the 200-yard breaststroke.

The Tigers jump back into dual meet action this weekend with a home meet against NCAC rival Oberlin Saturday and a men's only dual at another NCAC rival, Wabash, on Friday.

Next: 11/14 at Wabash, 7 p.m. (men)
11/15 vs. Oberlin, 1 p.m.

November 6, 2003

Jonathan Newcomer

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams posted strong finishes in a season-opening dual meet against national powerhouse and NCAC rival Wooster last Saturday. The results were a 145-95 win for the Tiger men and a 134-107 defeat for the Tiger women against a team that finished fifth in the nation a year ago.

Individually, the men's team posted a large number of first-place finishes. Senior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) posted wins in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke, senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) took first in the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle, freshman Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central) claimed the top spot in the 1000-yard freestyle and 1500-yard freestyle, freshman Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) captured a pair of victories in the one-meter and three-meter diving events and senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) hit the wall first in 200-yard Individual Medley. In addition, the 200-yard freestyle relay quartet of Rader, Wolf, Berger and senior Scott Olmsted (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek) finished first.

The team's swimmer of the week award was handed out to junior Jonathan Newcomer (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area), who didn't win his race but recorded his best in-season time in the 100-yard backstroke. He broke through the one-minute barrier earlier than he has in past seasons.

On the women's side, sophomore Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County) took a first place finish in the 200-yard IM and freshman Mary Workman (Medina, Ohio/Cloverleaf) captured both diving events. Many other quality times were turned in throughout the meet as the Tigers got their first dual meet look at one of the top competitors in the conference and national title races in 2003-04.

The Tigers are back in the pool this weekend with a pair of meets. First up is a tri-meet at Wilmington with Ohio Wesleyan. Then on Saturday, perennial powerhouse DePauw comes calling on the HPER Center Natatorium at 1 p.m.

Next: 11/7 at Wilmington with Ohio Wesleyan, 6 p.m.

October 30, 2003

Jenny Mulligan

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams may have made an important breakthrough last weekend at the annual NCAC Relays event, hosted by Kenyon but conducted at Wooster. The Tiger men and women both finished third in the ultra-competitive competition behind only the top two teams in the nation each year, Kenyon and Denison.

The women tied for third with Wooster, which finished 10th in the nation a year ago. The team's best finish was in the 200-yard backstroke relay, in which the foursome of freshman Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends), freshman Shantel Sechrist (Saltsburg, Pa./Saltsburg), sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) and senior Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) took second place in a time of 1:55.21.

Another strong finish was turned in by the quartet of Tiger swimmers who finished fourth in the 400-yard Individual Medley relay with a time of 4:21.61. The members of that relay were Yeakley, Mulligan, sophomore Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County).

On the men's side, the Tigers finished third, pulling in just ahead of rivals Wabash, Hiram and Allegheny. The Little Giants finished third a year ago and went on to take a top 20 spot in the NCAA Division III standings in March.

Wittenberg's best finish in an individual event was posted in the 200-yard butterfly relay. The foursome of Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius), senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland), senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) and sophomore Dan McGuire (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) took fourth place in a time of 1:41.74.

In addition, the 400 IM relay quartet of Rader, Dunaway, Berger and junior Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell) claimed third place in that event with a time of 3:53.92. And rounding things out, the Tigers scored significant points in the diving events as freshman Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden) turned in strong finishes in the 1-meter and 3-meter events to lead the relay teams to second place in each competition.

Next: 11/1 vs. Wooster, 1 p.m.

October 23, 2003

Alex Berger

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams will open the season at the NCAC Relays at the College of Wooster this weekend. The Tigers come into 2003-04 with plenty of momentum after strong conference and national finishes a year ago. Third-year Head Coach Leslie Ramsey welcomes back 11 letterwinners each on the men's and women's teams, led by All-Americans Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County).

Rader, a senior, is a three-year NCAA Division III Championships qualifier, and he has posted three fourth-place finishes in individual events in his outstanding career. As one of the top returning swimmers in the nation, Rader will lead a squad blessed with great talent and experience. The Tigers have high hopes of competing with the best teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference, which just happen to be the best teams in the nation as well.

Among the other top returning swimmers on the men's side are senior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay), senior Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) and junior Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell). Berger earned one NCAA "B" cut in the 100-yard breaststroke and has multiple All-NCAC designations, Dunaway is a two-year team captain, teaming with Rader in 2003-04, and Troxel scored numerous team points in the NCAC meet, specializing in the individual medley and breaststroke events. Among a group of six new swimmers, freshman Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden), a diver, and freshman Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central), a freestyler, are expected to stand out.

Searcy competed in three events at the 2003 NCAA Division III Championships and earned Honorable Mention All-America status in two of them. She leads a deep and talented team, with a nucleus that includes sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington), sophomore Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and seniors Nicole Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Kettering Alter), Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn/Eagan) and Jessica Forsberg (Wickliffe, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin). Yeakley posted two NCAA "B" cuts in both backstroke events a year ago, Conner just missed a qualifying time in both breakststroke events in her inaugural collegiate campaign, Kinzeler has been part of a school-record relay and Galliger and Forsberg are standouts on relays and team captains in 2003-04.

An outstanding group of freshmen figures to add a great deal to the team's efforts in 2003-04, led by Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) in the backstroke events and Mollie Coulton (Dayton, Ohio/Xenia Christian) and Katie Spittler (Carlisle, Ky./Lexington Catholic) in the distance events.

Next: 10/25 NCAC Relays at Wooster