Jan. 25, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio swimming and diving team is set to host rival Miami this Saturday on Senior Day at the Aquatic Center. It will be the final home meet for nine Ohio seniors as the Bobcats look to win their fifth-straight dual meet.

Senior Day at the Aquatic Center
Ohio vs. Miami - Saturday, Jan. 26 @ 1 p.m.
(Admission to the meet is $1 per person. Each spectator will automatically be entered into a raffle for a chance to win the gate proceeds.)

Ohio enters the meet with a 9-1 dual-meet record and a 4-1 record in the MAC. On Tuesday the Bobcats defeated Marshall, 182-131, to remain a perfect 6-0 at home. Ohio senior Ilse Petersen (Johannesburg, South Africa), freshman Stacey Huber (Gainesville, Fla.), freshman Amanda Cecere (Chelmsford, Mass.) and sophomore diver Ali Giordano (Pleasanton, Calif.) combined to win eight individual events, posting two wins apiece to pace the Bobcats.

Bobcat Seniors
Jamie Acks (Solon, Ohio)
Jamie joined the Bobcats as a sophomore and has become a large part of the team's success over the last three years. This season she has placed first in five diving events for the Bobcats, including establishing a new personal best in the 3-meter dive with a mark of 235.50 in back-to-back meets against Buffalo and Bowling Green. Last year at the MAC Championships Jamie placed 14th in the 1-meter dive with a score of 207.80. Jamie is the daughter of Harvey and Cherie Acks. She is an economics and business major.

Lindsey Connor (Venetia, Pa.)
Lindsey set a personal best this season in the 100 back with a time of 1:00.76 at the Zippy Invite. Last season at the MAC Championships she swam the 200 back in a time of 2:11.48 in the preliminaries, the fourth-fastest time for the Bobcats that season. Lindsey is the daughter of Larry and Diane Connor. She is a middle childhood education major.

Lindsey DeStefano (Wildwood, Mo.)
Lindsey has had a strong senior season this year. This season she has won the 50 free three times, touching the wall first against Akron, Buffalo, and Marshall. As a sophomore Lindsey finished seventh at the MAC Championships in the 50 free with a personal best time of 23.90. Lindsey is the daughter of James and Christine DeStefano. She is an early childhood education major.

Michaela Hahn-Lawson (Painesville, Ohio)
Michaela has been one of Ohio's top swimmers over the last four years. In each of her first three seasons she has been named to the All-MAC First Team. Last season she was named to the Academic All-MAC team. She is in the top ten in school history in the 200 individual medley, the 100 breaststroke, the 200 breaststroke, and the 400 individual medley. Michaela has also been a part of four MAC Championship relay teams. She is the daughter of Petra Hahn-Lawson and is a political science and pre-law major.

Molly Kravitz (Solon, Ohio)
Molly has mainly competed in the breaststroke and the individual medley for the Bobcats. Last year at the MAC Championships she set a new personal best in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:14.16. This year, she established a new personal best and the fastest time this season for the Bobcats in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:06.50 against Eastern Michigan. Molly is the daughter of Lee and Kathleen Kravitz. She is a dietetics major.

Ilse Petersen (Johannesburg, South Africa) - Co-Captain
Ilse has been named First Team All-MAC each of the last three seasons. Last year at the MAC Championships she established two personal best times and finished in the top four in the 500 free, 200 free and 100 free. The senior co-captain has the third-fastest 200 free time in school history, the fifth-fastest 500 free time, and the sixth-fastest 100 free time. Ilse is the daughter of Detlev and Valerie Petersen. She is a marketing and international business major.

Mallory Rico (Mentor, Ohio)
Last year as a junior Mallory earned second team All-MAC honors. At the 2007 MAC Championships she set three personal bests, placing fourth in the 50 free, seventh in the 100 backstroke and 10th in the 100 free. Mallory also anchored the 200 medley relay team and swam the second leg of the 200 free relay team which both finished second at the championships. This year she has posted the two fastest times for Ohio in the 50 free. Mallory is the daughter of Frank and Laura Rico. She is a retail merchandise major.

Sigal Simsolo (Kibbutz Yakum, Israel)
Sigal has been named Second Team All-MAC each of the last two seasons. Last season she finished third in the 200 back, ninth in the 100 back and ninth in the 200 individual medley at the MAC Championships. As a sophomore she placed second in the 200 back at the MAC Championships and as a freshman she took fourth place. Sigal is the daughter of Carlos and Rina Simsolo. She is a sport management major.

Emily Wylam (Yorktown, Pa.) - Co-Captain
Emily has been named first team All-MAC the last two years and was selected second team All-MAC as a freshman. She has placed first at the MAC Championships in the 200 back and 100 back each of the last two years, setting an Ohio school record and a new conference record time in the 100 back with a mark of 55.69 in 2006. Emily's time of 2:00.95 in the 200 back at the 2007 championships is the second fastest time in school history. The senior co-captain is the daughter of John and Lisa. She is a psychology major.

Scouting Miami
Head Coach: Dave Jennings (26th Season)
2007-08 Overall dual-meet record: 5-3
MAC dual-meet record: 3-1

Earlier this season Miami had its 48 dual-meet winning streak in the MAC come to an end with a 170-130 loss to Toledo (Nov. 9). Head Coach Dave Jennings has led the RedHawks to 14 MAC titles, including winning four of the last six. Jennings' MAC dual-meet record over his 26 years stands at 127-23. Last year the Miami finished third at the MAC Championships, behind Eastern Michigan and Ohio.

Last Time Out
Miami traveled to Purdue in its last dual meet, falling to the Boilermakers 195-100. Senior Kathryn Stephens and junior Malarie Schmidt led the RedHawks with one win each. Stephens won the 100-yard butterfly (57.52) and Schmidt took the 400-yard individual medley (4:34.14).

Ohio vs. Miami
Order of Events
200-yard Medley Relay
1650-yard Freestyle
200-yard Freestyle
100-yard Backstroke
100-yard Breaststroke
200-yard Butterfly
50-yard Freestyle
1-Meter Dive
100-yad Freestyle
200-yard Backstroke
200-yard Breaststroke
500-yard Freestyle
100-yard Butterfly
3-Meter Dive
400-yard Individual Medley
400-yard Freestyle Relay

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Wes Liles is the swimming and diving contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.