April 20, 2009

Men’s Top Times List  |  Women’s Top Times List

DAYTON, Ohio – The Wright State swimming and diving program didn’t add any more banners to the rafters at the WSU Natatorium this season, but the young squads did make a big impact on the program and league during the 2008-09 slate. Overall the two teams combined to break nine individual school records, six school relay marks and four Horizon League Championship records.

The men’s team raced feverishly to close the gap heading into the final day of the Horizon League Championships, but couldn’t overcome the deficit as they placed second to UIC. It is the seventh straight season that the men’s team has placed first or second at the league championships, with the 2009 runner-up finish snapping two consecutive championship swims in 2007 and 2008.

At the championships, the Raiders won a pair of individual crowns and one relay during the four day summit. The Green and Gold won a pair of events on Feb. 27 when the team of LeRoux Pelser, Danny Munoz, Hermanus Botha and Nathan Demchuk broke the championships record in the 800 yard Freestyle Relay. Their time of 6:39.45 also broke the WSU school record in the process. Earlier in the day, Demchuk also set a school and championship record in the 400 IM that day, posting a winning time of 3:52.07, besting his own mark from a season ago.

The other WSU victory at the league meet also came from Demchuk, who won the 200 yard backstroke in a time of 1:47.78 on the final day of the championships. The junior also touched in second place during the 1000 Freestyle event. Botha placed third in the 200 yard Freestyle event at the league summit and set a new school record with a time of 1:38.10. Freshman Davynn Peffer placed second in the 200 Breaststroke and 100 Breaststroke, while senior Dave Cruickshank was 3^rd in 400 Individual Medley.

WSU also set three more school relay records at the championships, breaking the 200 Medley, 200 Freestyle and 400 Freestyle relay marks. Munoz was a member of all four relay records, while Botha swam on three of the teams. T.J. Collins and Zach Fisher were members of three of the record setting swims, while Scott Bey, Pelser and Demchuk each competed in one relay for WSU.

The Green and Gold also set a WSU Natatorium record this season, with Fisher posting a time of 20.90 in the 50 Freestyle during his final home meet to break Elvis Cirikovic’s record of 20.91 from the 2005 season. Fisher won the event against Cincinnati and owned six of the top-ten times for WSU in the 50 freestyle this season. Fisher was unbeaten in dual meet swims in the 50 Freestyle event, posting a 7-0 record in the event in 2008-09.

Throughout the season, the Raiders garnered two Swimmer of the Week and two Diver of the Week awards from the Horizon League. Collins won the Swimmer of the Week honor on November 5, while Fisher picked up the accolade on February 5. Winning both of the DOTW honors for WSU was sophomore Caleb Nettleton, the Canton, Ohio native claimed the awards on October 29 and January 28.

On the women’s side of things, the underclassmen shined as five of the six new school records were set by either a freshman or sophomore. Freshmen Molley Pipkorn was named the Newcomer of the Year at the League Championships as she won a pair of events and placed second in one event. Krystyna Wieczerzak won two events of her own, while adding a pair of top-five finishes, as well.

Pipkorn set a new championship and school record in the 200 yard Freestyle, winning the event in a time of 1:49.91. She also broke the WSU mark in the 500 Freestyle - swimming a 4:54.65 to win the event - and the 1000 yard Freestyle, taking second with a time of 10:10.73.

Wieczerzak reset her own school and championship record as she defended her title in the 200 yard Backstroke event. The sophomore swam a time of 1:59.00 to break the existing mark of 1:59.98 set at the 2008 league meet. The Lodz, Poland native set the school and league record in the 400 Individual Medley the day before with a winning time of 4:20.85, breaking the old mark held by WSU’s Jessica Wiedert by nearly four full seconds.

Kim Martella placed second in the 100 and 200 yard Breaststroke events and broke her own school record in the 100 Breaststroke, touching in 1:04.09.  WSU also set a pair of school relay records at the 2009 league championships, grabbing the 400 Medley and 800 Freestyle relay marks.

The team of Wieczerzak, Martella, Candace Thornburg and Pipkorn broke the existing school record by almost four seconds with a 3:47.93 in the 400 Medley relay. Later in the meet, Wieczerzak and Pipkorn teamed with Kelsey Cooper and Ana Rubin to break the 800 freestyle relay mark with a time of 7:28.90.

During the regular season, Cooper and Pipkorn each collected a swimmer of the week honor from the Horizon League, while helping the team to an 8-3 mark in dual meets.

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