Swimming & Diving
Swimming & Diving
SWIMMING & DIVING: Huskies Prepare For 2009-10 Stint
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
2009-10 SCSU Swimming & Diving |
St. Cloud, Minn. -- A flurry of excitement stems from the St. Cloud State University Halenbeck Hall Aquatic Center, as the Huskies return to the deck after completing one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2008-09.
Jeff Hegle, who was named the 2009 Northern Sun Women’s Coach of the Year and Men’s Co-Coach of the Year, is back for his ninth season as the head coach of the SCSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving program.
"We are extremely excited for the upcoming season," said Hegle. "Last year was a break-through season for our program, and we have high hopes of sending even more individuals to the NCAA National Meet this year."
The Huskies are coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history after sending a school record 20 student-athletes to the NCAA Championships in 2008-09. The SCSU women finished in the top-10 for just the second time in school history, placing eighth, and were 12 spots better than the 2007-08 finish of 20th place. The women’s 158 total points are also the second best mark in school history, settling behind the 2000 team that finished fifth with 259 points.
The Husky men also had their best showing in a decade, finishing in 14th place with 102.5 points at the 2008 NCAA Championships. The 14th place tally is tied with the 1999 team for the second best finish in school history, behind only the ninth place 1981 team. However, the 102.5 points is the highest total in team history, breaking the record of 98 set by the 2007-08 15th place squad.
The Staff
Hegle brings to the helm with him a top notch staff. Returning for her second season is the 2009 National Division II Men’s Diving Coach of the Year, Tracy Torgerson. She tabbed the prestigious honor after helping coach SCSU's senior diver Nate Jimerson to his third national title in just her first year on the SCSU coaching staff in 2008-09. Torgerson also tallied the 2009 Northern Sun Diving Coach of the Year accolades after guiding both Nate Jimerson and senior women's diver Kelsey Berkeland to Male and Female Diver of the Year honors and a clean sweep of the Northern Sun diving titles on both boards, respectively.
Mike Wood and Rich Smith will serve as the graduate assistant coaches in 2009-10. A native of Chaska, Minn., Wood swam for current Huskies head coach Jeff Hegle from 2000-2004. As a student-athlete, Wood was a conference member three years and was voted Most Improved after the 2002-03 season. Smith also swam for the Huskies under the direction of Jeff Hegle from 1999-2002. As a Husky, Smith was a three-year letter winner, two-time Husky Award Recipient and senior team captain. A native of Bismarck, N.D., Smith is studying College Counseling and Student Development.
The Captains
The 2009-10 St. Cloud State men’s and women’s swimming and diving program will have 10 individuals serve as captains this season.
The women’s squad will be represented by senior swimmers Alisha Blaydes (Elk River), Katie Brueggemann (Grafton, Wis.), Megan Cotton (Racine, Wis.), Cathy Haen (Eveleth) and Kelly Vieau (Delano).
For the men’s team, Joel Gregory (Richmond), Brian Jacobs (Clive, Iowa), Alex Milberger (Gillette, Wyo.), Jim Schlup (Manhattan, Kan.) and Joe Spann (North Pole, Alaska) will serve as the team captains.
"This is a very strong group of leaders serving as our captains this year," said Hegle. "These captains are voted for by their teammates and the team could not have picked a better group of individuals to lead this squad down the road to success."
The Women’s Squad - Complete Roster
Diving
National qualifying divers Cassie Mrozek (Inver Grove Heights) and Allison Tracy (Minot, N.D.) will lead the way on the boards this season. Mrozek gained All-American Honorable Mention on the three-meter board at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships with a 12th place finish (341.55) and charted two first place finishes on the three-meter board and one first place finish on the one-meter board in 2008-09 as a sophomore.
Tracy competed in 13 meets during her rookie season and qualifiedfor nationals on both boards. She earned All-American Honorable Mention notice on the three-meter with a 339.00 score at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
"Cassie (Mrozek) and Allison (Tracy) will be our leaders on the boards this season," said Hegle. "With the loss of four-time All-American Kelsey Berkeland, Cassie and Allison will have to step it up."
Joining Mrozek and Tracy on the boards this season is sophomore Nikki Weber (Sauk Rapids) and first years Hannah Peters (Cold Spring) and Melissa Krohn (Racine, Wis.). Weber competed in 12 meets during her rookie season and Hegle said, "Nikki (Weber) gained a lot of experience last year and has a legit chance at qualifying for Nationals this year."
In regards to the newcomers in Peters and Krohn, Hegle added, "Hannah (Peters) and Melissa (Krohn) add some much-needed depth to the women’s diving squad and both have the potential to be successful divers at the collegiate level."
Sprinters
The Huskies return an abundance of experience and accolades in the sprint events. All-Americans Alisha Blaydes and Kelly Vieau return for their senior seasons, while All-American April Greene (Sun Prairie, Wis.) is back for her junior stint.
"Alisha (Blaydes), Kelly (Vieau) and April (Greene) all had outstanding seasons last year in the pool," said Hegle. "They each worked extremely hard this summer and I expect only great things from them this year."
Blaydes had a standout season, setting three individual school records and was a member of four relay teams that set new school marks in 2008-09. She also became a two-time All-American, garnering a fourth place finish in the 200 free relay (1:34.18) and a fifth place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:44.16) at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships.
Vieau posted All-American status in the 200 free relay at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships with a fourth place finish in a time of 1:34.18. She also tabbed two All-American Honorable Mention accolades in the 400 freestyle relay (9th/3:28.32) and the 800 freestyle relay (16th/7:46.84) and was a member of the 400 free relay that charted the Northern Sun title, touching the wall in 3:30.02.
Greene garnered All-American status in 2009 as a member of the 200 free relay squad that placed fourth at the NCAA Division II Championships. She also qualified for nationals in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 back and won nine events during her sophomore stint.
The Huskies welcome the return of 2009 Northern Sun Freshman of the Year in Kirsten Koetter (Melrose). "Without a doubt Kirsten (Koetter) is one of our top sprinters," said Hegle. "She is only going to get better and I look forward to watching her break even more records."
First year swimmers Stephanie Crandall (Woodbury) and Ali Domeier (St. Cloud) will add depth to the sprinters in 2009-10.
"Stephanie (Crandall) and Ali (Domeier) each had standout prep careers and are great additions to the Husky family," said Hegle.
S. Crandall was an All-State and All-Conference swimmer at Hill-Murray High School and tabbed the Minnesota State Championship in the 400 relay. Domeier was one of the top swimmers in Minnesota last year and garnered All-American consideration during her prep tenure at St. Cloud Tech High School.
Mid-Distance and Distance
St. Cloud State returns five strong mid-distance and distance swimmers in Diana Gehrman (St. Charles, Ill.), Naomi Muckler (Eagan), Kelsey Noah (Charles City, Iowa), Aubrey Welp (Des Moines, Iowa) and Angie Wieden (Stillwater).
"This is by far the strongest group of mid-distance and distance swimmers we have ever had," said Hegle. "We have amazing depth in this event and I’m excited to see the swimmers succeed this season."
Noah, who holds the school record in the 1650 free with a time of 17:45.71, was voted her team’s Co-Hardest Worker after her rookie campaign. Gehrman and Muckler are also back for their sophomore seasons. Gehrman participated in the 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free and 1650 free in 2008-09 while Muckler competed in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free and 1650 free during her rookie season.
Welp returns with the most experience as a senior distance swimmer. Voted the team’s Co-Most Improved after having a spectacular junior season, Welp placed sixth at the Northern Sun Championships in the 1000 free with a season best 10:41.84 and set another season high at the Northern Sun Championships with a time of 5:15.63 in the 500 free.
Wieden is back for her sophomore season after competing in 11 meets during her first season and having a career performance at the Carthage Invite on Dec. 5 & 6, setting season highs in the 200 back (2:26.00), 200 IM (2:23.91) and the 400 IM (5:03.72).
New faces to the mid-distance and distance crew are Heather Crandall (Woodbury), Brianna Dietz (Grafton, Wis.) and Dayna Nellis (Green Bay, Wis.).
"We couldn’t be happier to add Heather (Crandall), Brianna (Dietz) and Dayna (Nellis) to our mid-distance and distance group," said Hegle. "They all had outstanding high school careers and will be able to contribute immediately."
H. Crandall is a six-time letterwinner and team captain for Hill-Murray High School where she earned All-State accolades five times and was a member of the 400 freestyle relay squad in 2006 that tabbed the State Championship. Dietz is a state champion swimmer from Grafton High School were she lettered four times and was voted her team’s MVP. Nellis is a Green Bay Preble High School record holder and a conference record holder in multiple events and also charted All-Conference and Conference Championships during her prep career.
Backstroke
Senior Cathy Haen returns as one of the top backstrokers in the country. The 2009 Northern Sun Champion in the 100 back (57.17), Haen became an All-American in the 200 medley relay, placing fifth at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships after posting a time of 1:44.16. She also garnered two All-American Honorable Mention accolades in the 400 medley relay (10th place) and the 100 backstroke (12th).
"Cathy (Haen) holds five school records and is one of our top returning swimmers in 2009-10," said Hegle. "She truly has the potential to become one of the top swimmers in the country this year."
Also returning for another season in the pool is senior Bethany Fuller (Faribault) and sophomores Caitlin Pardi (Muskego, Wis.) and Erin Walter (Lakewood, Colo.).
Fuller saw time in the pool swimming the 50 free, 50 back, 100 back and 200 back events and posted her best time of 29.03 in the 50 free on Feb. 6. Pardi competed in 11 meets during her rookie season and posted her best performance of the season in the final meet at the Minnesota Challenge, setting new career highs with a 1:03.82 in the 100 back and a 2:19.42 in the 200 back. Walter appeared in 11 meets throughout the season and had a career meet at the Carthage Invite on Dec. 5 & 6 setting career highs in the 200 free (2:02.68), the 100 back (1:04.92) and the 200 back (2:16.15).
Emily Franks (Omaha, Neb.) and Tori Martinez (Phoenix, Ariz.) join the Husky squad for the first time in 2009-10. Franks was a three-time All-American and posted two state titles. Martinez served as a co-captain her senior year and garnered the Senior Year Coach’s award. A member of four Regional and State Championship squads, Martinez was an All-American in the 200 medley relay in 2008.
"Both Emily (Franks) and Tori (Martinez) were top high school swimmers in their respective states," said Hegle.
Breaststroke
Two seniors, two sophomores and three first years will round out the breaststrokers in 2009-10 for the Husky women.
Katie Brueggemann and Megan Cotton will both serve as team captains for their final collegiate season. Brueggemann tallied All-American Honorable Mention status in the 100 breast with a time of 1:05.66 and a 16th place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships and is also a member of the 400 medley relay squad which holds the school record (3:49.82). Cotton participated in the 50 free, 200 back, 50 breast, 100 breast and 200 IM as a junior.
"Both Katie (Brueggemann) and Megan (Cotton) had strong seasons last year and they add immediate depth to the backstroke event," said Hegle.
Amber Alexander (Minot, N.D.) and Jordan VanEgeren (Bayport, Wis.) return after having standout first years. Alexander became an All-American her rookie season, placing fifth in the 200 medley relay at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships. She also qualified for the NCAA’s in the 100 breaststroke and the 400 medley relay and was the winner of 13 events her first year as a Husky. The school record holder in the 50 breaststroke (30.84), Alexander is also a member of the 200 medley relay that had the top score of the season in 1:44.16, which also marked a new school record.
VanEgeren appeared in 10 meets during the 2008-09 season and saw the most time in the 50 free, and 100 and 200 breast.
Melissa Funke (Lawrence, Kan.) joins the Husky squad after a stellar prep career at Blue Valley Northwest High School. There she helped her team win a state championship and Funke holds the record for 200 medley relay and is also the State Champion in the 200 free relay.
Makenzie Pillsbury (St. Cloud) and Shalon Rothstein (Albany) are the other two rookies to compete in the breaststroke events. Pillsbury is a six-time letterwinner for the St. Cloud Tech Tigers and gained All-American consideration twice, along with All-Conference honors. Rothstein was a five-time letterwinner for the Albany High School Huskies. She also gained All-American consideration and holds multiple school, conference and section records.
Butterfly
Elizabeth Barbee (Homestead, Wis.) and Alison Weske (Sun Prairie, Wis.) are back for another stint with the Huskies. Barbee, a junior swimmer, swam in seven events last season, including the 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, 100 breast and the 200 IM.
Senior Alison Weske had another banner season in the pool as a junior, garnering two more Honorable Mention All-American honors, which makes her a four-time All-American Honorable Mention winner. She is also a member of the 400 medley relay that holds the school record.
"Elizabeth (Barbee) and Alison (Weske) bring an abundance of experience to the pool and I can’t wait to see both of them swim and compete this season," said Hegle.
The Men’s Squad - Complete Roster
The 2009-10 edition of St. Cloud State men’s swimming and diving returns three All-American Honorable Mention swimmers in Kyle Cordry (Las Cruces, N.M.), Kyle Green (Bettendorf, Iowa) and Robb Rotramel (Ramsey).
"Kyle (Cordry), Kyle (Green) and Robb (Rotramel) each had outstanding seasons last year and they will definitely carry the load this year for the men’s squad," said Hegle.
Divers
The Husky diving team has had a complete facelift this season as the program says good bye to three-time National Champion Nate Jimerson and six-time All-American Ross Eiden and welcomes rookie divers Luke Weber (Mankato) and Chris White (Rochester) to the boards in 2009-10.
"Obviously Nate (Jimerson) and Ross (Eiden) will be difficult to replace," said Hegle. "However, Luke (Weber) and Chris (White) have bright futures at the collegiate level and will definitely help St. Cloud State continue its dominance in Division II men’s diving."
Weber stems from Mankato West High School where he holds six diving records and was an All-Conference, All-State, All-City and All-American diver. White comes to St. Cloud State from Rochester Mayo High School where he was a three-time All-Conference diver and a two-time All-State and All-American recipient.
Fly
Junior Joe Spann (North Pole, Alaska) and sophomores Mitchell Pruss (Norfolk, Neb.) and Zac Henderson (Lawrence, Kan.) return to the deck as the top flyers on the squad.
Spann competed in nine meets during the season and claimed third place honors in the 200 fly (1:56.89) at the Northern Sun Championships with a career best performance of 1:56.89. He also posted a new career high in the 100 fly on Dec. 6 with a 52.86.
Pruss also competed in nine meets during the season, mainly in the butterfly and IM. As a rookie he earned a fourth place tally at the Northern Sun Championships in the 200 fly with a career best 1:58.62.
Back for his second season is Henderson, who competed in eight meets throughout the season and set career highs in the 100 and 200 fly in the final meet of the season with a 56.67 and a 2:09.49 respectively.
The Huskies add three new faces to the butterfly group. Those athletes include Matt Anderson (Fort Collins, Colo.), Nathan Engfer (Buffalo) and Tony Moe (Anoka).
"We have a very talented first year group of butterfly swimmers in Matt (Anderson), Nathan (Engfer) and Tony Moe (Anoka)," said Hegle. "We expect great things from these rookies this year."
Mid-Distance and Distance
St. Cloud State returns a wealth of experience to the mid-distance and distance events, as three seniors and two juniors will lead the way.
"The upperclassmen we have in these distance events have a multitude of races under their belts," said Hegle.
Alex Milberger (Gilette, Wyo.), Jim Schlup (Manhattan, Kan.) and Matt Youngers (Oronoco) are all back for their senior stints.
Milberger, who will serve as a team co-captain this year, competed in nine meets during his junior season and placed fourth at the Northern Sun Championships in the 1650 free with a season best 17:34.64, which was also the best time for the Huskies in 2008-09.
Another team co-captain, Schlup competed in nine meets throughout the season and posted a season high in the 1650 free on Feb. 7 in a time of 18:01.53.
Youngers also competed in nine events throughout the season as a junior and at the Northern Sun Championships, earned fourth place honors in the 400 IM with a season high 4:12.09, fifth place honors in the 1650 free with a 17:49.18, and sixth place accolades in the 200 fly with a 2:05.45.
Joe Palmersten (St. Cloud) and John Rosier (Biwabik) are both back for their junior seasons. Palmersten swam mainly the freestyle and breaststroke events last season and charted runner-up honors at the Northern Sun Championships with a career best 2:11.68 performance in the 200 breaststroke. He also set two more career highs at the Northern Sun Championships with third place tallies in the 500 free (4:51.64) and the 1000 free (10:08.38).
Rosier swam all freestyle and relay events last season, setting a career high in the 1000 free with a 10:26.67 at the Northern Sun Championships.
Fresh faces to the distance group in first year swimmers Rob Stafford (Durango, Colo.) and Steven Wood (Chaska). Stafford hails from Durango High School in Colorado, while Wood is a school record holder at Chaska High School and was a state participant in swimming.
"We expect great things out of Rob (Stafford) and Steven (Wood)," said Hegle.
Breaststroke
Matt Girard (Bloomington), Alex Jaholkowski (Papilion, Neb.), Christian Nasset (Fargo, N.D.) and Justin Vandenberg (Hutchinson) will vie for top finishes in the breaststroke events this season.
Girard enters into his senior season after swimming the first semester last year and eventually taking a medical red-shirt season. Jaholkowski competed in nine events during his rookie stint and on Dec. 5 & 6 at the Carthage Invite, he had a career day, setting new personal highs in both the 100 breast (:59.58) and the 200 breast (2:14.3).
Nasset is also back for his sophomore season after competing in nine meets last year. At the 2009 Northern Sun Championships, Nasset swam to runner-up honors with a career high 58.65 in the 100 breast and also set a career best mark in the 200 IM (2:00.57). Vandenberg also had a solid season last year as a junior, competing in nine events and he closed the season earning sixth place honors in the 100 breast (1:02.43) and a seventh place tally (2:16.25) in the 200 breast at the Northern Sun Championships.
Mike Larch is a great addition to the breaststroke crew. A native of Monticello, Larch is a state tournament participant that earned All-Conference and All-State accolades throughout his prep career at Monticello High School.
Sprinters
The Huskies return one of the best groups ever in school history to the sprint events in 2009-10. Nine upperclassmen are back for another season, while St. Cloud State welcomes three new athletes to the sprint events this season.
Kyle Cordry (Las Cruces, N.M.) and Landon Mishler (Kenai, Alaska) are the senior sprinters back on the squad.
Cordry was a national qualifier in the 50 and 100 free, and all five relays in 2008-09. He charted three All-American Honorable Mention nods at the NCAA’s, swimming on the 13th place 200 medley relay (1:32.96), 15th place 800 free relay (6:53.23) and the 16th place 400 medley relay (3:25.84). Cordry also was the Northern Sun champion in the 100 free swimming a 45.65 for his best time of the year and the Northern Sun Champion in the 200 free relay (1:23.94) and the 400 free relay (3:03.83) as well.
Mishler competed in nine meets during his junior season in the 50 and 100 free, and the 100 fly. In the final meet of the season at the Minnesota Challenge he set season highs with a 22.57 on the 50 free and a 58.54 in the 100 fly.
"Both Kyle (Cordry) and Landon (Mishler) will be great leaders in the sprint events this season," said Hegle.
Five sophomores round out the returners in the sprint events this season. Those sophomores include Will Anzion (Minnapolis), Andrew Fuller (Faribault), Joel Gregory (Richmond), Zac Hanson (Holmen, Wis.), David Nedrud (Granite Falls) and Robb Rotramel (Ramsey).
Anzion swam the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly, along with each relay as a rookie. His career best mark in the 200 free (1:57.82) came on Dec. 6 at the Carthage Invite. Fuller competed in nine events during the season, swimming almost exclusively the freestyle events and on Nov. 1 had his best performance in the 500 free with a 5:18.52. Gregory swam the free and fly events and also competed in all five relay events as a rookie. In his final meet of the season at the Minnesota Challenge set career highs in the 100 free (50.32) and the 100 fly (55.69). Hanson charted his first career win on Jan. 17 in the 200 free relay (1:28.21) against St. Olaf and set three career highs at the Carthage Invite on Dec. 5 & 6 in the 50 free (21.95), the 100 free (49.58) and the 100 fly (56.07). Nedrud also had a strong first season, competing in nine meets and appearing mostly in the sprint free events, with some time in the fly, back and IM.
Rotramel made an immediate impact becoming one of the Huskies top, and most consistent, performers. As a rookie, he garnered five Honorable Mention All-American honors at the 2009 NCAA championships and also is a part of five school record relay teams.
"Robb (Rotramel) had an amazing first year and we can hardly wait to see what the future holds for him," said Hegle.
The Huskies are happy to welcome Chris Dickey (Lakeville), Jake Hausauer (Minnetonka) and Jake Larson (Brainerd) to the sprint unit.
"Chris (Dickey), Jake (Hausauer) and Jake (Larson) were all top swimmers in Minnesota last year and they all have bright collegiate futures ahead of them," said Hegle.
Dickey is a three-time letterwinner from Lakeville North High School where he tabbed All-State and All-Conference honors. Hausauer is a six-time letterwinner from Minnetonka High School were he landed on the All-Conference, All-State and All-American teams three seasons. Larson lettered four times at Brainerd High School and charted All-Conference accolades four times in his career, along with being named All-State.
Backstroke
St. Cloud State welcomes back a senior, three juniors and a sophomore to the backstroke entity. Team co-captain Brian Jacobs (Clive, Iowa) leads the helm, returning for his senior season after taking a red-shirt season in 2008-09.
Kyle Green (Hope Mills, N.C.), Justin Nelson (Richfield) and Matt Verwey (Red Deer, Alberta) are back for their junior stints.
Green had a superb sophomore year after charting five All-American Honorable Mention nods at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships. He was one of the Huskies most valuable swimmers and at the Northern Sun Championships, he placed third in the 100 back (52.73), fourth in the 200 IM (1:56.01) and fifth in the 200 back (1:55.32). He also swam on the Northern Sun Championship 400 free relay team (3:03.86) that hit the national qualifying mark and clinched the meet win for the Huskies.
Nelson competed mostly in the backstroke, with limited appearances in the free and IM and set a career high in the 100 back on Feb. 20 with a 53.11 on his way to a fifth place finish in the event at the Northern Sun Championships. Also at the Northern Sun Championships, Nelson broke the two minute barrier for the first time on his way to a career high of 1:58.31 in the 200 back and a seventh place finish.
Verwey, who took a red-shirt season last year, returns to the Husky squad as a four-time All-American Honorable Mention swimmer and he currently holds school records in the 200 back and 400 IM.
"Kyle (Green), Justin (Nelson) and Matt (Verwey) are incredible swimmers and play a crucial role in success of our team this season," said Hegle.
Another swimmer returning to the backstroke crew is sophomore Paul Hoffman (Mexico City, Mexico), who gained a lot of experience last year competing in nine events during the season, mainly swimming the back and IM events.
Shane Broermann (Sauk Centre), Landon Hartwig (Boone, Iowa) and Carter Smith (Anoka) are new to the Husky squad and bring with them long lists of accolades from their prep careers.
Broermann served as a team captain at Sauk Centre High School and participated in the Minnesota State Tournament in the 400 relay in 2007. Hartwig is a four-time letterwinner in swimming from Boone High School and holds the Iowa state record in the 200 medley relay. Smith also had a successful high school career and stems from Anoka High School.
The Schedule
The 2009-10 stint of St. Cloud State men’s and women’s swimming and diving begins on Oct. 2 with the Intersquad meet at Halenbeck Hall Aquatic Center. True competition will begin on Oct. 16, as the Huskies travel to Moorhead for a meet at MSU Moorhead.
To view the complete 2009-10 schedule, click here.
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