Alex Berger
The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams will
open the season at the NCAC Relays at the College of Wooster this
weekend. The Tigers come into 2003-04 with plenty of momentum after
strong conference and national finishes a year ago. Third-year Head
Coach Leslie Ramsey welcomes back 11 letterwinners each on the
men's and women's teams, led by All-Americans Steve Rader
(Concord, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and Becca Searcy
(Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County).
Rader, a senior, is a three-year NCAA Division III Championships
qualifier, and he has posted three fourth-place finishes in
individual events in his outstanding career. As one of the top
returning swimmers in the nation, Rader will lead a squad blessed
with great talent and experience. The Tigers have high hopes of
competing with the best teams in the North Coast Athletic
Conference, which just happen to be the best teams in the nation as
well.
Among the other top returning swimmers on the men's side are senior
Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay), senior
Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) and junior
Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell). Berger
earned one NCAA "B" cut in the 100-yard breaststroke and has
multiple All-NCAC designations, Dunaway is a two-year team captain,
teaming with Rader in 2003-04, and Troxel scored numerous team
points in the NCAC meet, specializing in the individual medley and
breaststroke events. Among a group of six new swimmers, freshman
Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden), a diver,
and freshman Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake
Central), a freestyler, are expected to stand out.
Searcy competed in three events at the 2003 NCAA Division III
Championships and earned Honorable Mention All-America status in
two of them. She leads a deep and talented team, with a nucleus
that includes sophomore Betany Yeakley (Wilmington,
Ohio/Wilmington), sophomore Amy Conner
(Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and seniors Nicole
Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Kettering Alter),
Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn/Eagan) and
Jessica Forsberg (Wickliffe, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral
Latin). Yeakley posted two NCAA "B" cuts in both
backstroke events a year ago, Conner just missed a qualifying time
in both breakststroke events in her inaugural collegiate campaign,
Kinzeler has been part of a school-record relay and Galliger and
Forsberg are standouts on relays and team captains in 2003-04.
An outstanding group of freshmen figures to add a great deal to the
team's efforts in 2003-04, led by Jenny Mulligan (Cheyney,
Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) in the backstroke events and
Mollie Coulton (Dayton, Ohio/Xenia Christian) and
Katie Spittler (Carlisle, Ky./Lexington Catholic)
in the distance events.
Next: 10/25 NCAC Relays at Wooster