Scots Host Ohio Northern in Final Prep for NCAC Championships

Kate Kosenick

The College of Wooster swimming and diving teams will be back in the water for a competition at Timken Natatorium again this weekend, as the Fighting Scots have one final tune-up before the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 8-10. On Saturday, Jan. 27, Wooster hosts Ohio Northern University (7-3 men, 6-4 women) in a 1 p.m. dual meet. The Polar Bears recently captured the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season championships in both genders. Ohio Northern and the Scots also closed the dual-meet portion of the 2005-06 season, with the Wooster women prevailing 142-98 and the men dropping a close 164-134 decision.

    Last Week: On Jan. 20, the Scots faced off against Grove City College, with the women breezing past the Wolverines 212-76 and the men falling by a 127-110 score.
    For the Wooster women, four swimmers earned double victories in Amanda Bailey (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake), Alice Case (Berkeley Hts., N.J. / Mount Saint Mary Academy), Syd Kelly (Edina, Minn. / Edina), and Kate Kosenick (Fanwood, N.J. / Scotch Plains-Fanwood). Bailey touched first in the 1000 freestyle (11:45.24), while also capturing the 500 free in 5:36.59. Case was victorious in two sprint events, winning both the 100 butterfly (1:02.72) and 100 free (55.15). Kelly swam to first-place showings in both breaststroke events, winning the 100 in 1:10.81 and the 200 in 2:34.71, while Kosenick swept both backstroke events, taking the 100  in 1:02.80 and the 200 in 2:17.69. Also producing victories for the Scots were Kathryn Lehner (Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Township) in the 200 fly (2:23.13) and Lindsey Dorko (Chardon, Ohio / Perry) in the 200 individual medley (2:23.70), as well as diver Caitlin McNulty (Sequim, Wash. / Sequim), who was the victor on both the one- and three-meter boards with scores of 203.00 and 202.50, respectively.
    In addition, both Wooster relay teams placed first with the 200 medley team of Kosenick, Kelly, Case, and Allie Kibler-Campbell (Benton Harbor, Mich. / St. Joseph) clocking in at 1:55.73, and the 200 freestyle team of Molly Bittner (Westfield Center, Ohio / Cloverleaf), Kosenick, Denise Koessler (Knoxville, Tenn. / Farragut), and Kibler-Campbell touching in 1:45.92.
    Leading the Scot men once again was freshman Eric Babbitt (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. / Santa Margarita Catholic), who won both the 200 fly (2:00.18) and the 500 free (5:05.06) against Grove City. Matt Dominski (Winnetka, Ill. / New Trier Township) was victorious in the 100 fly (54.55), while Logan LaBerge (Towson, Md. / Towson) touched first in the 200 back (2:03.60). Kyle Oaks (Franklin, Ind. / Franklin Community) won the 100 back (56.76), while Andrew Olsen (Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Township) hit first in the 100 breast (1:03.73). Rounding out Wooster’s top swimmers was Joe Witkowski (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Groves) who captured the 1000 free (10:56.41).