28 October 1998 CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206
14 Letterwinners Return for IWU Swim Teams
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Seven letterwinners return for both the Illinois Wesleyan University menâs and womenâs swimming and diving teams, who hope an off-season conditioning program results in better performances this winter.
The Titans open their season with the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin relay meet Friday at Carthage, followed by a home dual meet against Benedictine Saturday at 1 p.m.
ãThe team members took it upon themselves last spring to do some additional conditioning, and that carried through the summer,ä said head coach Teresa Zurick. ãWe are a lot stronger physically, which should make our team considerably better.ä The IWU men finished fourth and the women placed fifth in last yearâs CCIW championships.
Leading the returning female swimmers is Laura Carroll, a junior from Orland Park (Sandburg HS) who has been the Titansâ ãMost Valuable Performerä in both of her two college seasons. Last year she set school records in the 50 and 200 freestyle events and posted an NCAA Division III qualifying time in the 100 free. She finished second in the 100 free and third in both the 200 and 500 free events at the CCIW meet.
ãLaura had bronchitis prior to the conference meet, so was disappointed by her performance there,ä said Zurick. ãShe has made it her goal to have a better year than last.ä
Carroll holds six individual school records and is part of four school-record relay teams and was ãMost Valuable Performerä in the CCIW meet as a freshman.
This season, Carroll is joined on the team by her sister, Kathy, a freshman whose time in the 100 butterfly as a high school senior is better than the NCAA Division III national qualifying time. ãKathy is faster than Laura was as an incoming freshman, but we donât plan to use her in the same events,ä said Zurick.
Sophomore Bethany Schoenbeck (Lockport HS) missed qualifying for the 1998 national meet in the 100 butterfly by two-tenths of a second and has been working to lower her times. ãShe has seen that qualifying is a possibility and has made it a realistic goal for this season,ä said Zurick.
Also returning for IWU are sophomores Megan Rettberg (Elk Grove, Conant HS), freestyle; Vicki Nastasowski (Schaumburg HS), distance freestyle and butterfly; Tammy Pittayathikhun (Sparta, Illinois Math & Science Academy), freestyle and breaststroke; and Kara Boyden (Galesburg HS), backstroke and freestyle, who was chosen as the ãMost Improved Performerä for the womenâs team last year.
Zurick expects help for her relay teams from a variety of freshmen, including Lisa Diersen (Park Forest, Rich East HS) and Angie Galloway (Galesburg HS), both of whom were state qualifiers last year as high schoolers.
No fewer than six Olympia High School graduates will play a role on this yearâs menâs team, including sophomores Justin Allen and Brian Rawlins, seniors Jake Burkhart and Jeremy Melick, and freshmen Michael Melick and David Rossi.
ãAllen is already swimming faster times in the 100 backstroke and freestyle than he was swimming last season prior to the conference meet,ä Zurick said. ãRawlins has been a pleasant surprise since his first day as a freshman. Heâs versatile, has been training very well and is way ahead of last year.ä Rawlins was chosen as the ãMost Improved Performerä for the men's team as a freshman.
Burkhart was all-conference in the 1-meter diving event but plans to concentrate on swimming the 100 breaststroke this season.
Freshman Tom Howard (Peoria, Richwoods HS), who swims butterfly and freestyle events, has been a good find for the men's team. ãHe is a physically strong swimmer and is learning how to use that to his advantage,ä said Zurick.
Zurick is also anxious to monitor the progress of senior freestyler Don Kura (Park Ridge, Maine South HS), junior Michael Zalokar (Wheaton, North HS), and sophomore distance freestyler Ken Perry (Orland Park, Sandburg HS).ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1998-99 WOMEN'S AND MEN'S SWIMMING
Fri., Oct. 30 CCIW Relay Meet Invite at Carthage 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 31 BENEDICTINE 1 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 6 at Rose-Hulman 6 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 14 GRINNELL, KNOX 1 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 21 IWU INVITATIONAL 10 a.m.
Fri., Dec. 4 at Lincoln College Invitational 6 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 9 at Principia 1 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 15 vs. Millikin, Webster at Millikin 6:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 16 DePAUW 1 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 22 Illini Classic, Champaign 8 a.m.
Sat., Jan. 30 vs. Wheaton, North Central at Wheaton 1 p.m.
Thurs.-Sat., Feb. 11-13 CCIW Championships at Wheaton
Fri.-Sat., Feb. 19-20 Midwest Invitational at Wheaton
Thurs.-Sat., Mar. 11-13 NCAA Division III Women's Nationals at Miami (Ohio)
Thurs.-Sat., Mar. 18-20 NCAA Division III Men's Nationals at U. of Minnesota
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 1998-99 WOMEN'S & MEN'S SWIMMING ROSTERS
Head Coach: Teresa Zurick Assistant: Steve Boone
NAME YR. EVENTS HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL)
Amy Attivissimo Fr. Distance freestyle Oak Lawn (HS)
Kara Boyden * So. Backstroke, freestyle Galesburg (HS)
Missy Caldwell Fr. Backstroke, freestyle Effingham (St. Anthony HS)
Lindsay Carlson Fr. Butterfly, individual medley Bradley (Bradley-Bourbonnais HS)
Shannon Carr ** Jr. Breaststroke Rockford (Auburn HS)
Kathy Carroll Fr. Butterfly, freestyle Orland Park (Sandburg HS)
Laura Carroll ** Jr. Freestyle Orland Park (Sandburg HS)
Lisa Diersen Fr. Breaststroke Park Forest (Rich East HS)
Kate Edwards Fr. Backstroke, freestyle Darien, Wis. (Delavan HS)
Angie Galloway Fr. Freestyle Galesburg (HS)
Becky Hoyt Fr. Backstroke St. Louis, Mo. (Webster Grove HS)
Vicki Nastasowski * So. Dist. freestyle, butterfly Schaumburg (HS)
Tammy Pittayathikhun * So. Freestyle, breaststroke Sparta (Illinois Math & Science Academy)
Megan Rettberg * So. Freestyle Elk Grove (Conant HS)
Bethany Schoenbeck * So. Butterfly, backstroke Lockport (HS)Justin Allen * So. Backstroke, butterfly Atlanta (Stanford Olympia HS)
Jake Burkhart II * Sr. Breaststroke Bloomington (Stanford Olympia HS)
Mike Enervold Jr. Diving Verona (Seneca HS)
Tom Howard Fr. Butterfly, freestyle Peoria (Richwoods HS)
Don Kura * Sr. Freestyle Park Ridge (Maine South HS)
Jeremy Melick *** Sr. Backstroke Danvers (Stanford Olympia HS)
Michael Melick Fr. Distance freestyle Danvers (Stanford Olympia HS)
Greg Mollerud Jr. Breaststroke Salem, Ore. (Colorado Springs, Colo. Palmer HS)
Ken Perry * So. Distance freestyle Orland Park (Sandburg HS)
Brian Rawlins * So. Freestyle, individual medley Atlanta (Stanford Olympia HS)
David Rossi Fr. Butterfly, breaststroke Hopedale (Stanford Olympia HS)
Matt Toman Fr. Breaststroke, freestyle Tinley Park (HS)
Michael Zalokar ** Jr. Distance freestyle, individual medley Wheaton (North HS)*--Indicates letters earned. #--Indicates captains.