The Observer, December 8, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 13
Rodjom dazzles as men swimmers finish third at Wooster
The Case swim team conquered the competition, as well as malaria, at the Wooster Invitational this past weekend. The Spartan men finished a commanding third out of eight teams with 1318.5 points. The Spartan women, meanwhile, racked up 839.5 points to place fifth out of ten teams.
Both squads also participated in the World Swim for Malaria, a team philanthropic effort spearheaded by senior John Erickson. To date, the team has raised just under $1600 to combat the deadly disease.
The men's team started the meet off on the right foot by taking second and seventh place in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Freshmen Jerry Lin and Dan Wolak, sophomore Brian Grady, and Erickson combined for a blazing 1:27.01, while junior Drew Kouri, freshmen Bryan Saltzman and Barak Daon, and sophomore John Somerville came in nearly four seconds later at 1:30.88.
The best was yet to come, as the relay team of freshman Drew Swartz, grad student Pat Rodjom, Daon, and Erickson took first place in the 200-yard medley relay (1:37.37). Somerville (4:24.39) and senior Dan Donato (4:25.44) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the men's 400-yard individual medley, and Daon finished fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (54.30).
The second day of competition, however, belonged to Rodjom. The All-American set a new pool and school record (56.55) in the preliminaries of the 100-yard breaststroke. The time is an NCAA Division III B cut. Rodjom placed first in the event (57.23), while Kouri took third (1:00.09), Lin took 11th (1:02.52), and Wolak placed 12th (1:03.71).
"I just stayed relaxed and confident before the race and focused on what I've been practicing," Rodjom said. "Positioning myself for nationals early in the season feels good."
Erickson swam a solid 49.15 in the 100-yard freestyle, good for seventh place.
"I always swim better when I swim for malaria," said Erickson. "And apparently so does the rest of the team, as many swimmers stepped up and had outstanding performances."
Rodjom reigned again in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:07.62), while Kouri (2:14.97) and Somerville (2:17.27) finished ninth and tenth, respectively. Daon placed seventh in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.85), and lone diver junior Bernie Jacobson won one and three meter boards.
On the women's side, junior Lauren Preyss captured first place in the 50-yard freestyle (24.29), while junior Becca Winarski took tenth in the event (25.87). Senior Camilla Cullis placed seventh in the 400-yard Individual Medley (5:04.06), while sophomores Betsy Howe (1:02.71) and Lisa McHale (1:03.22) finished seventh and tenth in the 100-yard butterfly, respectively.
Preyss continued to dominate, setting a new pool record in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.63). She also took first place in the 100-yard freestyle, and her time of 52.05 was a stronger NCAA Division III B cut than before.
Freshman Rachel Gostomelsky took eighth in perhaps the most grueling event of the meet, the 1650-yard freestyle (19:34.22). Sophomore Janine Machala took fourth place in the 200-yard breaststroke, swimming a personal best 2:34.61. Fellow breaststroker Carrie Stoila took ninth in the event with a time of 2:36.31.
"I am very proud of how the team performed," Stoila said. "Watching the meet, you could definitely tell how hard we have been working. That work is really paying off, and I am excited for the rest of the season."
The Spartan swimmers are off to sunny Delray Beach, Fla. for a week of training beginning Jan. 3. Chris Conlon's squad will be back in action on Jan. 13 at Carnegie Mellon.
Erickson and the swimmers are still looking to reach their goal of $2000 for Swim for Malaria. Those interested in making a donation or learning more about the initiative can find more information at http://www.WorldSwimForMalaria.com/CaseSwimTeam.
