Division II Weekly Preview: Let’s Get It Started In Here; Drury and Indianapolis Highlight GLVC Championships

Rodrigo-Codo-Berti-UINDY-Indianapolis-Greyhounds

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It is every swimmer’s favorite time of year. If taper didn’t exist, February might be everyone’s second least favorite month behind January. But one (major) bright spot about February is the presence of taper and shaving and plenty of fast swimming. The Division II landscape will get its first taste of taper swimming this upcoming weekend as Drury, Indianapolis and Truman State among others will be competing at the Great Lakes Valley Conference championships in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

The Drury men are going for five in a row as the women are going for a repeat. The Indianapolis men and women have also enjoyed a good season as they are hungry for success. The overall depth of Drury may prove to be too much however Indianapolis is looking for a top two finish after finishing third last year behind Missouri S&T men and Truman State women.

CSCAA rankings for GLVC teams:

2. Drury (men)
6. Indianapolis (men)
19. Missouri S&T (men)
22. Truman State (men)
23. McKendree (men)

1. Drury (women)
7. Indianapolis (women)
20. Truman State (women)

The men’s meet already looks to be closer on paper with five teams ranked in the CSCAA top 25. Drury is led by distance phenom Joan Casanovas who leads Division II in the 500. He will lock horns with Indy’s Guilherme Zavaneli in the 200 free where Zavaneli ranks first in Division II while Casanovas is third. That matchup will happen on Thursday night if both of them decide to swim it.

The women’s meet looks to be the Drury show as the Panthers are ranked first in the duel meet polls and are looking for their first NCAA team title since 2014, meaning this year’s senior class has not won a team title yet.

The psych sheet is below and most swimmers are in more than three events, so the psych sheet does not necessarily show what swimmers will be limited to. Bailee Nunn can enter any event and win, as she is entered in five events. Distance ace Erica Dahlgren will likely lean towards the 500 and up, but she could potentially clash with Indy’s Krystal Caylor in the 200 free if she elects to swim it.

The meet will start at 10 AM on Wednesday morning February 7 with prelims of the 200 IM, 50 free, and then the 1000. The 200 medley relays will finish out Wednesday’s night session.

Psych sheet

Top swimmers to watch:

Zuza Chwadeczko (Drury, 100 breast, 100 free)
Erica Dahlgren (Drury, 1000, 200 free, 500, 1650)
Vera Johansson (Drury, 100 fly, 200 fly)
Bailee Nunn (Drury, 200 IM, 50, 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 breast)
Katya Rudenko (Drury, 50, 100 back, 200 back)
Krystal Caylor (Indianapolis, 200 IM, 200 free, 100 free)
Darian Murray (Indianapolis, 200 IM, 100 fly, 200 fly)
Meredith Geyer (McKendree, 200 back)
Karlie Rimat (McKendree, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly)

Andrea Bazzoli (Drury, 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast)
Rodrigo Caceres (Drury, 50, 100 fly)
Joan Casanovas (Drury, 1000, 200 free, 500, 1650)
Alex Reinbrecht (Drury, 1000, 200 free, 500, 1650)
Pavel Semochkin (Drury, 50, 100 fly, 100 back, 100 free)
Rodrigo Codo Berti (Indianapolis, 200 IM, 100 back, 200 back)
Guilherme Zavaneli (Indianapolis, 50, 200 free, 100 free)
Daniel Bujis (McKendree, 100 back, 200 back)
Tim Samuelsen (Missouri S&T, 1000, 1650)
Will Shanel (Truman State, 200 IM, 400 IM)

There are only two other conference meets going on this coming weekend with Simon Fraser hosting a meet with only Canadian schools and Emmanuel doing battle in the Sun Coast Conference with NAIA Keiser.

January 30 recap
January 23 recap
January 16 recap
December 5 recap
November 20 recap
November 6 recap
October 29 recap
October 22 recap
October 16 recap

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Mary Beth Lyles LeSeure

6 years ago

Where’d it go?!?

Veyru

6 years ago

Epic.