COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State's women's swimming team opened its 2009-10 dual meet season with a 144-87 victory over Kenyon College Friday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Junior Samantha Cheverton won two races and six freshmen were among the team's 14 individual event winners.
The 200 medley relay team comprised of three of Ohio State's most experienced swimmers - Cheverton, Megan Alexander and Anita Beck - and freshman Kimberly Bowman won the first race of the season and the Scarlet and Gray kept the Ladies from Kenyon, almost always the Division III national champion but minus a handful of swimmers because of seasonal illness, in their rear view the rest of the evening.
Ohio State's freshmen class led the way early with individual event wins in four of the first six races. Angela Severn (1000 free), Elisabeth Tavierne (100 back), Jackie Brousseau (100 breaststroke) and Bowman (50 free) picked up their first collegiate victories before their season was even an hour old, helping the Scarlet and Gray build an 89-22 lead. Jill Lockhart (1000 free) and Cheverton (200 fly) also had wins in the first half of the meet.
Buckeye second-year coach Bill Dorenkott, who moved closer to the 100-dual meet win mark with his 98th career victory, went into the meet wanting to see competitive spirit from his team.
"I know we are an improved training team, but I wanted to find out where we are as a racing team," Dorenkott said. "Tonight I liked the way we were splitting our races. We were pacing on the front end and we were strong on the back end.
"Plus it was great to see a ray of sunshine for our freshmen. They've been overwhelmed with the transitions of being away from home, working hard on their academics and with the pace of our training, so it was nice to see their smiles and some wins in their first taste of collegiate racing."
Cheverton opened the second half of the meet with her second win of the night, in the 100 freestyle, and then freshman Emily Creran took first in the 200 backstroke. The Buckeyes closed out the meet with wins by Catherine Eitel (200 breaststroke), Katelyn Brix (500 free), Beck (100 fly) and freshman Shannon Draves (200) IM, plus a win in the 400 freestyle relay.
The Buckeyes, including the team's divers, will compete next at the Purdue Invitational, Nov. 20-22, in West Lafayette.
Women's Swimming
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009
Columbus, Ohio
McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion
Team Scores: 1. Ohio State 144; 2. Kenyon 87
Ohio State Event Winners: 200 medley relay - Cheverton, Alexander, Beck, Bowman (1:48:20); 1000 freestyle -Lockhart (1:54.55); 200 frestyle - Severn (10:16.67); 100 backstroke - Tavierne (58.68); 100 breaststroke - Brousseau (1:05.74); 200 butterfly - Cheverton (2:04.13); 50 freestyle - Bowman (24.20); 100 freestyle - Cheverton (52.01); 200 backstroke - Creran (2:03.78); 200 breaststroke - Eitel (2:23.07); 500 freestyle - Neiman (4:33.63); 100 butterfly - Beck (57.73); 200 IM - Draves (2:07.28); 400 freestyle relay - Cheverton, Brousseau, Detro, Massey (3:31.04).
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