Jan. 10, 2013

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The sixth-ranked Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team will open the second half of its 2012-13 campaign by hosting in-state foe Wright State at 5 p.m. Friday at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.  The meet will be a double-dual format with each school’s women’s teams matching up as well.

Following an impressive win at the Ohio State Invitational, the unbeaten (4-0) Buckeyes will look to contend for their 63rd-consecutive victory over an in-state opponent. All in preparation for a competitive Big Ten race, the meet will serve as a final test before the squad travels to face No. 10 Indiana and No. 18 Iowa on the road next weekend.  

Wright State arrives in Columbus with a 3-5 overall record. The Raiders opened the season with road wins over Evansville, Saint Louis and Valparaiso. Currently in his eighth season at the helm of the Wright State program, head coach Sion Brinn has led the Raiders to two Horizon League titles and, most recently, guided swimmer Hermanus Botha to Horizon League Swimmer of the Year honors.

HONORARY COACH TONIGHT
Former Buckeye DJ Kelley (1997-2001) is the honorary coach for the meet vs. the Raiders tonight. Kelley was an assistant coach under Wadley from 2003-04. Most recently, his company received a 10-year exclusive deal from J. America Sportswear for Ohio State licensing - a deal worth 85 million dollars. Welcome back, DJ.

LIVE MEET SCORING
Can't make it to the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion to see the meets live? Visit the home page for the Ohio State women's swimming and diving team at OhioStateBuckeyes.com for a link to the live results. Admission, as always, is free if interested in attending the meets.

COMMUNITY NIGHT
Fans in attendance at the meet tonight are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to support the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and will receive a special Buckeye Prize.

ROCKING THE RANKINGS
Strong swimming against strong competition has boosted the Buckeyes four spots to No. 6 in the latest national poll provided by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. Sitting comfortably just outside the Top 5, Ohio State is the second of six Big Ten institutions ranked among the 25 best. Big Ten rival Michigan, who is also undefeated on the season, maintains a hold onto the top spot in the rankings.

LAST TIME OUT
In the best competition field to date at the OSU Invitational, the Buckeyes posted its fourth-consecutive championship with 1,306 total points. Ohio State claimed the title by a 300-point margin of victory, while then fifth-ranked Florida earned runner-up honors with 997.5 points.

An outstanding three-day team effort, Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, resulted in 10 of 18 races going in the Scarlet and Gray’s favor. A total of six different Buckeyes registered an individual win, while six more Buckeyes were part of a victorious relay team or teams.

In diving, junior Shane Miszkiel, a three-time Big Ten Diver of the Week this past fall, captured the platform finals with a total score of 363.10.

BIG TEN CO-SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Jason Schnur was named Big Ten Co-Swimmer of the Week, the conference office announced on Dec. 4. The Buckeye senior shared the honor with Miguel Oritz of Michigan.

Schnur, from Oak Hills High in Cincinnati, helped Ohio State claim its fourth-consecutive OSU Invitational with five first place finishes and three NCAA automatic qualifying marks. The two-time Big Ten champion won the 100 freestyle (43.31) and was a part of four first-place relay teams including the 200 free (1:17.84), 400 free (2:53.15), 200 medley (1:26.79) and 400 medley (3:10.55). Schnur also finished second in the 50 free (19.93).

TOP TIME NOTES

• An attest to Ohio State’s depth, 27 swimmers have times in the Top 100 in the nation.
• At midseason, the Buckeyes have recorded 37 times which rank in the Top 50 nationally.
• Two Ohio state swimmers, Tamas Gercsak (5th, 200 butterfly) and Steven Zimmerman (10th, 200 backstroke), hold a Top 10 national ranking in their respective events.
• Five swimmers hold Top 50 national times in the 200 breaststroke event: Dak Stone (23rd, 1:58.75); Chris Cowley (32nd, 1:59.24); Jared Kauffman (37th, 1:59.32); Keanu Stevenson (44th, 1:59.89); and DJ MacDonald (47th, 1:59.89).
• Eight Buckeyes hold Top 5 individual times thus far in the Big Ten Conference: Zach Holmes, Jason Schnur, Rowan Williams, Steven Zimmerman, Alex Miller, Connor McDonald, Stone and Gercsak.
• In the 200 freestyle, OSU maintains three Top 10 spots in the Big Ten.
• Alex Miller (500 freestyle) and Gercsak (200 butterfly) each earned a runner-up Big Ten ranking in their respective events.

BACK TO THE BIG TEN
Ohio State begins Big Ten competition next weekend, traveling to Bloomington, Ind., for a tri-meet against Indiana and Iowa Jan. 19.