Wayne State University Athletics

Wayne State travels to Ohio to swim at Ashland tomorrow.

Men's Swimming & Diving 10/28/2022 10:31:00 AM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Swim and Dive Teams Ready for Dual Meet at Ashland

The Warriors defeated Ashland last season.

DETROIT -- After claiming a pair of victories over Davenport in the home-opening meet last Friday, the Wayne State University men's and women's swimming and diving teams will hit the road for a dual meet at Ashland on Saturday which begins at 1 PM.

ABOUT THE EAGLES
Ashland has only swam in one meet thus far, but the Eagles came out looking like a solid group. The women's team earned a 2-0 record at the Oberlin Early Bird Invitational, as the Eagles beat Oberlin College and Notre Dame College. The men's team split the meet, grabbing a win over Notre Dame, but falling to Oberlin. At last season's conference championship (GMAC) meet, Ashland performed well on both sides, as the men's team finished second out of 10 teams and the women's squad tallied a third-place finish out of 10 teams.

LAST MEETING
These two programs met a season ago, and the Green and Gold had no trouble getting by the Eagles. The Wayne State women's team won last year's meet by a final score of 180-58, while the men's team emerged with a 147-79 victory.

LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors looked strong in their home-opening meet, as both the men's and women's squads downed Davenport. The women's team claimed a 123-109 victory, while the men earned a 122-100 win. The men's team won 10 events on the night, while the women's team claimed the top spot in eight events. Thomas Jackowski (Wroclaw, Poland) and Luka Cvetko (Varazdin, Croatia) were strong for the men, as each won two individual races. On the women's side, Jordan Fox (Melbourne, Austrailia) won the 1,000 free and 200 back, and Elly Belmore (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview) won the 200 IM.

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 host Northern Michigan and Findlay on Nov. 4 inside the Matthaei Natatorium. The meet is set to begin at 5 PM.

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