YSU Heads to Cleveland For League Championships
2/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
Cleveland, Ohio – The Youngstown State swimming and diving team heads up the Ohio Turnpike to compete at the Horizon League Championships this Wednesday through Saturday at Cleveland State's Busbey Natatorium.
In 2010, Green Bay won the title and has won six straight Horizon League Championships, totaling eight for their program. Milwaukee has finished second three of the past four years of competing.
The Guins's best team finishes at the HL meet are fifth in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In last year's meet, YSU placed sixth ahead of Butler and Valpo.
Looking to use last year's success as a springboard in 2011 are sophomores Samantha Roberts and Casey Hill and junior Nishani Cicilson.
In 2010, Roberts finished fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:21.16 and was sixth in the 100 breast clocking 1:06.01, both of which smashed school records. Ciclison placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.8 seconds and was placed 12th in the 100-yard freestyle clocking 53.55 seconds.
Hill finished fourth in the three-meter dive scoring 252.85 points and was also fourth in the one-meter with a score of 263.65.
This year, freshmen Megan Ciampa and Brittany Vigar look to make an impact in the distance events. Ciampa and Vigar are in the top 12 in the league in the 1,650 while Ciampa is near the top 10 in the 1,000. Freshman Laura Paz and senior Caitlin Cook both rank in the top 10 in the 200 butterfly entering the league meet.
In the diving events, freshman Tricia Vallinger and senior Amanda Carpin could be counted on to be point producers. Vallinger improved throughout the year and won the one-meter at the YSU Diving Invitational earlier this month. Carpin has been a consistent top-15 placer during her career and has career-best finishes of ninth in the one-meter and 11th in the three-meter at the league meet as a sophomore.
Erin Carter is the last YSU swimmer to earn an individual title at the HL meet winning the 400-IM in 2004. Kayln Leveto dove her way to finishing first and becoming the 1-meter dive champion in 2003 and 2005 and the 3-meter dive champion in 2003 and 2004. She was also the last Penguin diver to win a championship. Brandi Goettsch won in the 3-meter dive in 2002.
YSU has had four top-five finishes in each of the past two Championships and had 27 All-time top-five finishes at the league meet since joining the conference.
The final sessions each day will be carried live on the Horizon League Network and live results will be available throughout the meet.
Ticket Prices:
Adult All-Session Pass - $20
Senior Citizen/Youth (12-and-under) All-Session Pass -- $15
Adult One-Day Pass - $10
Senior Citizen/Youth (12-and-under) All-Session Pass -- $5
Horizon League Students with Valid ID admitted FREE
Parking is $6 at the East Garage (EG lot) adjacent to the CSU Physical Education Building.
