MSU Hosts Co-Ed Dual Meet at Outdoor Pool
10/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's and women's swimming and diving teams will host Denison and Grand Valley State on Saturday for the first co-ed home dual meet of the 2014-15 season. It will mark the first home meet the men will have competed in this season. The meet is set to kickoff at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Outdoor Pool.
"The biggest thing for this weekend will be adjusting to the weather," said head coach Matt Gianiodis. "It's going to be cold and chilly outside. This will be the third time in the last four years we have had a meet outside."
"It's early enough in season and the weather is good enough, we do like to showcase our outdoor pool because there aren't many schools in the country that have one. It's a really nice deal in the shadow of the stadium; it's a nice setting so we really like to do that for collegiate swimming, to do something different. I would say it is a memory maker, particularly when it's cold out. You'll remember this when you get older, you come back and say remember that time we swam outside? For them too, I think their team will be like, `Remember that time we swam at Michigan State and we swam outside?' It's kind of what it is all about."
LAST TIME OUT
The Spartans began their season last weekend as the women's swimming and diving team traveled down to South Bend. The Spartans fell to the Irish, 118-182. "I feel that we were prepared very well, and the girls had a good attitude throughout the whole meet, said Gianiodis.
"I feel we lost our competitive focus a couple of times, because everything went so quick. We had a lot of young kids on the team who weren't used to that pace. The kids handled themselves really well."
Senior Becca Berman tallied two victories against the Irish, winning the 500 butterfly with a time of 5:08.54 and in the 1000 butterfly clocking in at 10:17.42.
On the boards, senior Alison Menzies took second place on the 1-meter with a score of 276.60. That score qualified Menzies for the 2015 NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, that will be held in Columbus, Ohio.
In the first weekend of competition, MSU notched five victories over the Irish. Sarah Love came in first in the 100 butterfly finishing at 56.74; Elizabeth Brown won the 200 IM clocking in at 2:11.2.
MEETING THE MEN
The 2014-15 men's swimming and diving team features only two seniors. Kyle Workman posted a time of 45.92 in the 100 freestyle at the Big Ten Championships last season. David Zoltowski earned the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Goldwater Scholarship last season. Zoltowski posted a time of 1:54.11 in the 200 butterfly at the Big Ten Championships in 2014. The men's team adds nine freshmen to the team this fall.
OUT IN THE ELEMENTS
The Spartans return to the IM West Outdoor Pool for the first time since 2012. The Wisconsin men defeated MSU, 185-109. The Badger women also won, 209-91. In 2011, the Spartans won a tri-meet against Cleveland State and Oakland.
DETAILS ON DENISON
Last season, Denison finished runner-up at the 2014 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championship on the men's side. The Big Red will be led by senior Connor Dignan who was the 2014 NCAA Division III National Champion on the 3-meter dive. On the women's side, the Big Red finished fourth at the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championships. Junior Taylor Johns finished third at the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 16:55.52.
"They are national champions, they are a legitimate team," said Gianiodis. "I know they are Division III, but they have good guys on that team. They are going to come up here and swim the best they can."
LOOKING AT THE LAKERS
Grand Valley State's men's and women's swimming & diving teams each finished 10th at the 2014 NCAA DII Swimming & Diving Championships. The Lakers had 12 combined Scholar All-Americans in men's and women's swimming and diving.
"Grand Valley has a really nice team," said Gianiodis. "Coach (Andy) Boyce has a lot of new kids on that team, but he does a nice job coaching."
NEXT UP
MSU will take a six-day break before returning to McCaffree Pool at IM West as the men and women host Iowa on Friday, Oct. 17. This will be the first time both squads compete at the McCaffree Pool for the year and their first Big Ten test.
Players Mentioned
