The meet will begin at 4 PM.

Men's Swimming & Diving 10/20/2022 2:00:00 PM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Swim and Dive Teams Gearing Up for Home Opener Against Davenport

The meet will begin at 4 PM.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's and women's swimming and diving teams will begin their home schedule with a dual meet against Davenport on Oct. 21 at 4 PM inside the Matthaei Natatorium. The Warriors swam at Oakland to open the season back in early September.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Davenport finished sixth out of seven teams on the men's side and last on women's side at last season's GLIAC Championships, but the Panthers are off to a hot start in 2022-23. The men's team went undefeated at a quad meet at Bethel University before downing Indiana Wesleyan on Oct. 8. The Panthers' women's squad has been strong as well, earning three wins at the Bethel Quad Meet, while splitting against Hillsdale and Indiana Wesleyan at the Hillsdale Tri-Meet. Davenport's men's team was receiving votes in the initial College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll.

LAST MEETING
The Warriors handled the Panthers in last year's dual meet, but they also met up with Davenport at the Don Kimble Invitational and GLIAC Championships. In the dual meet, the Wayne State men's team won by a final score of 127-104, while the WSU women claimed a 136-106 win. At the Don Kimble Invitational, both Warriors squads came out on top. The women's team dominated the field, winning by nearly 300 points, while the men's squad was just under 100 points better than the second-place finisher. Davenport finished third out of six teams on the women's side and third out of five teams in the men's event.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
As the Warriors get ready for the true beginning of their season, they will have a target on their back. Both teams were ranked in the top 20 of the initial College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll, which was released on Oct. 14. The Wayne State women's team will start the year at No. 19, while the men's squad will open at No. 20. Both teams will compete against four programs that were ranked or receiving votes in the initial poll.

KEY RETURNERS
Both the men's and women's squads bring back key pieces from last year's teams. The men's team will be headlined by senior Luka Cvetko (Varazdin, Croatia) and junior Michael Wolsek (Trenton, Mich.). Both competed at the NCAA Championships last season, helping the Warriors claim 15th place at the national meet and third at the GLIAC Championships. Last season, Wolsek earned four First Team All-GLIAC honors, along with two Second Team accolades and one Third Team award prior to being a five-time All-American (1 First Team Individual, 1 First Team Relay and 3 Honorable Mention Relays) at the National Championships. Wolsek earned fifth place in the 100 fly (46.82) at the NCAA Championship meet. For Cvetko, he earned two First Team All-GLIAC awards, one Second Team honor and two Third Team accolades before earning six All-American (1 First Team Individual, 1 First Team Relay, 1 Honorable Mention as an Individual and 3 Honorable Mention Relays) certificates.

On the women's side, seniors Jordan Fox (Melbourne, Austrailia) and Marina Tarlev (Athens, Greece), along with junior Barbara Munoz (Yumbo, Colombia) should have strong seasons for the Warriors. Fox returns after collecting four individual top-12 finishes at the NCAA Championships. She also earned one First Team All-GLIAC honor, along with five Second Team certificates and one Third Team award.

Tarlev and Munoz will also be key contributors as the duo brings back a wealth of national championship and GLIAC experience. Both swam at the 2022 national championship meet, and the two combined to earn seven All-GLIAC awards. Munoz tallied one First Team honor to go with a pair of Second Team awards, while Tarlev added a First Team honor and three Second Team accolades.

Diving wise, the Warriors should be strong again, as juniors Mikaela Senkus (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Academy for International Studies) and Marissa Woida (Lincoln Park, Mich. / Wyandotte Roosevelt) return for another season. At last year's national championship meet, Senkus placed third in the one-meter diving event and 11th on the three-meter board. Woida was also strong for the Green and Gold, notching 16th place in the one-meter diving competition.

FRESH FACES
After a successful 2021-22 campaign, the Warriors will welcome several newcomers to each roster. The men welcomed Quinn Aho (Chassel, Mich. / Houghton), Alex Duhaime (Harrison Township, Mich. / Macomb Dakota), Muhammed Eliwat (Riverview, Mich.), Trevor Frerichs (Pontiac, Mich. / Stoney Creek), Keanu Gorecki (Woodhaven, Mich.), Matt Hernandez (Lake Orion, Mich.), Thomas Jackowski (Wroclaw, Poland), Andy Maiz (Northville, Mich.), Mitchell McMath (Midland, Mich.), and James Violassi (West Bloomfield, Mich. / North Farmington).

For the women, nine new student-athletes joined the program. Those include Elly Belmore (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview), Megan Delaere (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester), Rose Haney (Fenton, Mich.), Hasten Horling (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview), Diana Muccioli (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North), Saree Schlitt (Bay City, Mich. / John Glenn), McKenzie Valencia-Moore (South Lyon, Mich.), Alli Vassilakos (Clarkston, Mich.), and Madison Verbeke (Clarkston, Mich.).

WHAT'S NEXT?
Wayne State will hit the road for a meet at Ashland on Oct. 29. The meet is slated to begin at 1 PM.

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Players Mentioned

Luka Cvetko: Free/Back; 6' 1"; Senior

Trevor Frerichs: Distance Free; 5' 9"; Freshman

Thomas Jackowski: Sprint Free; 6' 3"; Freshman

Andy Maiz: Diving; 5' 8"; Freshman

James Violassi: Sprint Free; 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

Michael Wolsek: Sprint/Fly; 6' 0"; Junior

Elly Belmore: IM/Breast; 5' 6"; Freshman

Megan Delaere: Distance Free; 5' 7"; Freshman

Jordan Fox: Back/Free; 5' 11"; Senior

Hasten Horling: Breast/IM; 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Luka Cvetko
: 6' 1"; Senior
: Free/Back

Trevor Frerichs
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: Distance Free

Thomas Jackowski
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: Sprint Free

Andy Maiz
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: Diving

James Violassi
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: Sprint Free

Michael Wolsek
: 6' 0"; Junior
: Sprint/Fly

Elly Belmore
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: IM/Breast

Megan Delaere
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: Distance Free

Jordan Fox
: 5' 11"; Senior
: Back/Free

Hasten Horling
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: Breast/IM