Bobcat Freshmen Women Lead Ohio Past Youngstown State

ATHENS, OH, October 30. THE Ohio University women's swimming and diving squad kicked off their 2004-05 campaign with a dual meet victory over Youngstown State Friday evening, 151-91, per school reports.

Freshman Lindsey DeStefano (Wildwood, Mo.) led the Bobcat attack by winning both the 1000 freestyle (10:44.08) and the 100 butterfly (1:00.75). DeStefano wasn't the only rookie to capture an event, however.
All seven of Ohio's individual swimming event victories were earned by freshmen. Joanie Carpenter (Birmingham, Ala.) took first in the 200 freestyle (2:01.50) while Sigal Simsolo (Kibbutz Yakum, Israel) finished ahead of the competition in the 400 individual medley (4:37.07).

Other Bobcat newcomers to get in on the action included Ilse Petersen's (Johannesburg, South Africa) victory in the 100 freestyle (53.81) and Casey Welsh's (Crestwood, Ky.) first place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:01.61). Molly Kravitz (Solon, Ohio) rounded out individual competition with a win in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.23)

The Bobcats won nine of 13 overall events in the meet, including all but two of the swimming events. Ohio took first in the 200 medley relay as Emily Wylam (Yorktown, Va.), Kravitz, Welsh, and Carpenter teamed for a 1:53.00 finish. The only other relay, and final event of the meet, also went to the Bobcats as Barbara De Sa (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil), Jenna Shumaker (Westerville, Ohio), Simsolo, and Peterson recorded a time of 1:41.72 in the 200 freestyle.

Other notable Ohio swimming performances by freshmen include Kendall Arch's (Marietta, Ga.) two second place finishes in the 400 individual medley (4:38.87) and the 100 backstroke (1:03.32). Lindsey Connor (Venetia, Pa.) was Ohio's highest finisher in the 50 freestyle (25.85) with a second place performance. Welsh finished second to DeStefano in the 100 butterfly (1:00.82) and Rachelle Harrison (New Philadelphia, Ohio) was runner-up to Peterson in the 100 freestyle (56.67).

Shumaker was the lone Ohio upperclassman to place in the top two of an individual event. The junior took second in the 500 freestyle (5:26.01).

Ohio freshman Debbie Thornbury (Orange Park, Fla.) finished second place in both the one- and three-meter dives. Kalyn Leveto won each event to pace the Youngstown State effort.

Both the Bobcat women and men will be back in action tomorrow when they host defending Division III national champions Kenyon College. The meet is set to start at 2 p.m., at the Ohio Aquatics Center.

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