Tigers Have High Hopes As They Head To The NCAC Championships

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Steve Rader

After months of hard work, it all comes down to this for the Tiger men's and women's swimming and diving teams. The Tigers head to Canton, Ohio's C.T. Branin Natatorium for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet in hopes of qualifying several individuals to next month's NCAA Division III Championship meet in Atlanta, Ga. while scoring enough team points to hang tough with the top teams in the nation, Kenyon and Denison.

Freshman Rebecca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County Bloomington) and junior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/Cleveland St. Ignatius) have been the headliners all season, and this weekend they must again perform their best if the Tigers are going to meet the lofty expectations that Head Coach Leslie Ramsey has set for them. But while swimming has its individual features, at the college level, the team is just as important and number of other contributors must step forward.

Searcy has made three NCAA B cuts already this year, and she is well positioned to advance to the national meet. For the Tiger women to do well in this meet, Searcy must continue to lower her times in the 400-yard Individual Medley, the 500 freestyle and the 1650 free, and she will have to come up big in several relay events as well.

Searcy is one of three freshmen swimmers who are standing out on a talented women's team. Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) hopes to challenge for all-conference honors and national meet berths in the 100 and 200 backstroke events and the 200 IM as well. Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) is a challenger in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events and also hopes to score points in the 200 IM. Both will be key members of relay teams as well.

It's not all about the freshmen for the Tiger women, however. Three juniors are also doing well and will hopefully score big points in the sprint freestyle events and relays this weekend. Nicole Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Kettering Alter), Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) and Jessica Forsberg (Wickliffe, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) could score enough points to keep the Tigers in the hunt. In addition, sophomore Catherine Gray (Ft. Thomas, Ky./Highlands) could be a factor in the diving competition.

On the men's side, Rader is a returning All-American, and he is on stride for a repeat performance in 2003. Without an NCAA B cut heading into the conference meet for a second straight year, Rader is a high seed in several events and hopes to defend his NCAC title in the 200 IM. Junior Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) has made great improvements in 2002-03 and will be a factor in the breaststroke events. Juniors Matt Werbach (Painesville, Ohio/Hawken), Scott Olmsted (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek) and Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) have also been performing well this year and will be counted on to provide points to the team effort and strong times to the relays.

Next: 2/14-16 NCAC Championships
at Canton, Ohio