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Spartan Women Set For Big Ten Swimming & Diving Championships
 
MSU (5-7) brings the league's youngest team (no seniors) into OSU this weekend
 
 
 

 
Junior Marlys Fuqua and the Michigan State women's swimming & diving team will compete at the Big Ten Championships Feb. 21-23 at Ohio State.
 
 

Feb. 20, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Michigan State women's swimming & diving team will compete at the 2008 Big Ten Championships this weekend at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at Ohio State. The Spartans went 5-7 in dual competition this season. Doors open to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with the competition starting with the 500 free at 11 a.m.

MSU is coming off a 145-98 dual meet win over Oakland on Jan. 25, a solid performance that saw the Spartans set four season top times. Junior Heather Kiluk, who has been one of the team's top performers all season, clocked a top time in the 500 free (4:59.05) and 200 IM (2:05.75), sophomore Sarah Biasello registered a 2:21.92 in the 200 breast and freshman Becca Ebner posted a top time of 2:05.07 in the 200 fly.

With nearly a month of training before competing in the Big Ten meet, head swim coach Matt Gianiodis says the team has trained well and is poised for a good performance.

"Like they have all year, the women have done a nice job in the pool the last couple of weeks," Gianiodis said. "We've been really encouraged with the way practices have gone, and based on our training, we're really excited to go down to Columbus and do the best we can."

Freshman Stephanie Fisher owns the Spartans' top performances in the backstroke, and junior Marlys Fuqua is the team's top distance swimmer. Fisher's top times of 56.52 (100 back) and 2:02.95 (200 back) came in Ohio State's pool during a multi-team invitational on Nov. 30. Fuqua also saw success in Columbus earlier this season, registering a time of 17:36.25 in the mile free.

"It helps having swum in their pool earlier this season," Gianiodis said. "Eric (Best, MSU's diving coach) and I were joking that we could swim there five times. We were there for an invite and a dual meet earlier this season, the Big Ten Championships are there, as well as the women's regional and women's NCAA Championships.

 

 

"Also, the last time the league meet was at Ohio State, Eric was named the Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year."

On the boards, juniors Danielle Williams and Alycia Mokedanz are MSU's best bets to score in the league meet standings. Williams placed sixth in one-meter diving and ninth on the three-meter boards at the Big Ten Championships in 2006. Mokedanz placed eighth in the one-meter in 2006.