Swimmers Travel to Ohio State Invitational
Dec. 2, 2009
Coral Gables, Fla. – After nearly a month between meets, the University of Miami swimming and diving team gets back in the water this weekend, traveling to the Ohio State Invitational housed at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on December 4-6 in Columbus, Ohio.
Miami has had just under a month off between meets, with the last being a tri-meet in Blacksburg, Va., against Virginia Tech and Duke on November 7. In that time, the `Canes have been practicing rigorously and preparing for this elite annual event hosted by Ohio State University.
“I am excited about this week’s invite at Ohio State,” expressed head swimming coach Christie Shefchunas. “The girls are going to have some great competition from West Virginia, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Ohio State. Some of these universities have ladies that will be top eight swimmers at the NCAA Championships in March. So, it will give us some great competition.”
Last year at the Ohio State Invite, Miami turned in several top performances, including two by then-sophomore Annika Saarnak. This season, Saarnak will depart right after the Ohio State Invite traveling overseas to compete for her home country of Estonia in the European Short Course Swimming Championships.
Saarnak is one of the top swimmers for UM in the 50- and 100-freestyle, owning a time of 23.93 in the 50 free, and 50.68 in the 100 free.
“Annika will be leaving directly from the meet to Istanbul, Turkey for the European Short Course Swimming Championships,” stated Shefchunas. “She will be representing Estonia in the 200 free, 100 free, 100 fly and 50 fly.
“Annika has been swimming so fast all fall and has been gaining confidence as she goes. I really believe she’s going to be doing some great things and representing Estonia and the `U’ well overseas!”
Miami has used other top performers towards success in the water this season, including newcomer Sofia Johansson. Johansson owns a team-best time of 1:03.72 in the 100-yard breaststroke, with a time of 2:19.09 in the 200 breast.
Hannah Kling, another of Shefchunas’ top recruiting class that has been producing solid times thus far in her rookie campaign, holds the team’s top performance in the 100 backstroke (58.19) and the second-best mark in the 200 back (2:04.96).
Returning swimmer Deidre Novotny leads the `Canes in the 200 IM (2:06.49) and the 200 backstroke (2:04.88).
This weekend’s meet will be the last of the fall season, before returning to action on January 2, 2010 when the Hurricanes host ACC opponent University of Maryland at the Norman A. Whitten Student Union Pool.
“We swam well last year at this meet, and I expect even bigger things this trip,” commented Shefchunas. “The girls have been working hard, and they seem as determined as I’ve ever seen them.”
For complete information on this weekend’s events/schedule and live scoring throughout the weekend, please locate your internet browser to www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
For more information on the University of Miami Swimming & Diving team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, results and information regarding the Hurricanes Swimming & Diving program.
