DETROIT, Michigan, January 11. THE 2007 GLIAC Champion Wayne State women's swimming and diving team earned its third straight dual meet victory over last year's runner-up Grand Valley State, 147.5-93.5, on Friday evening at the Matthaei Aquatic Center. The Wayne State men were victorious in their meet as well, prevailing by a score of 124-107.
The Warrior women won 10 of the 13 events and were led by Elaina Hogle (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood), who took first place in three swims.
Hogle won the 200 individual medley (2:09.04), the 200 butterfly (2:06.72) and the 200 breaststroke (2:26.81), missing an NCAA "B" qualifier in the latter by .05 seconds.
WSU opened the meet with a second-place finish in the 400 medley relay (4:04.22) with the foursome of Sara Franklin (Caro, Mich.), Jodi Scott (Windsor, Ont./Riverside S.S.), Agata Zalewska (Swietochlowice, Poland), and Julie Danaher (Allen Park, Mich.).
Catherine Leix (Flint, Mich./Southwestern) and Melissa Duff (Howell, Mich./Brighton) went one-two in the 1000 freestyle with respective times of 10:45.33 and 10:50.45.
WSU also grabbed the top two finishes in the 200 free, as Ashley St. Andrew (Grand Rapids, Mich./Jenison) won the event (1:55.88) and Abbey Green (Dearborn, Mich.) took second (1:58.52).
The Warriors earned a total of 30 points between the two diving competitions, as Erika Barczak (Williamston, Mich.) placed first and Cassie Chetosky (Shelby Twp., Mich./Utica) second in both the one-meter and three-meter events.
Haintso Rakouth (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage) won the 100 free (54.76), while St. Andrew (5:05.60), Green (5:17.25), and Catherine Leix (5:18.96) took the top three spots in the 500 free.
The 400 free relay quartet of Rakouth, Leix, St. Andrew, and Green also finished in first place (3:39.89).
While an injury to Cayce Bolt (Sterling Hts., Mich./Warren Mott) essentially gave GVSU a 26-0 advantage over the two diving competitions, the Warrior men won eight of the remaining 11 events to overcome the deficit.
The 400 medley relay combination of Cauli Bedran (Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Per Bergstrom (Fagersta, Sweden), Sean Smith (Auburn, Mich./Bay City Western), and Tiago Oliveira (Raul Soares, Brazil) finished in second place (3:29.06), and in the 1000 free Matt Leix (Flint, Mich./Southwestern) and James Ekleberry (Rochester Hills, Mich./Avondale) finished second (10:00.87) and third (10:12.28), respectively.
Oliveira and Sebastian Rzepa (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley) took second (1:44.78) and third (1:47.68) in the 200 free, while Tim Giblin (Midland, Mich./Midland Dow) won the 50 free (21.97) with Justin Shields (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay) touching third (22.43).
A.J. Erard (Troy, Mich./Royal Oak Shrine) finished in first place in the 200 individual medley (1:56.26), as did Brett Salogar (Bay City, Mich./Western) in the 200 butterfly (1:55.79), earning an NCAA "B" qualifier.
Wayne State grabbed three of top four spots in the 100 free and likewise in the 200 back. Bedran won the former (47.40), with Bergstrom taking third (48.98) and Rzepa fourth (49.19). Smith finished first in the 200 back (1:54.43), earning an NCAA "B" cut, Erard came in third (2:03.94) and Alex Guymer (Rochester Hills, Mich.) finished fourth (2:04.59).
Leix and Ekleberry came in first (4:45.92) and third (4:57.48) in the 500 free, and Erard won the 200 breaststroke (2:11.33) followed by Matt Carlson (Plymouth, Mich./Canton) in third (2:13.78) and Jay Koehler (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Lake Shore) in fourth (2:14.54).
The Warriors wrapped up the victory with a first-place showing in the 400 free relay, with the quartet of Oliveira, Bergstrom, Shields, and Bedran (3:10.54).
Wayne State will host last year's runner-up Indianapolis on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
Special thanks to Wayne State for contributing this report.