TIFFIN, Ohio - Having an All-American in the first season of a program is not a typical occurrence. The Tiffin University men's and women's swimming and diving teams exceeded expectations all season long. The Dragons had an All-American, a GLIAC champion and 24 top 16 finishes at the GLIAC Championships.
"I don't think I have enough words to describe how proud I am of my team and what they have been able to achieve this season," said head coach Margarita Kalmikova. "I would be lying if I said that it was easy. We have worked very hard, every day, every practice. We definitely had some ups and downs but what was amazing is how the team overcame every challenge on their way. Every single person brought something to the table and helped me build this program. They were my teammates in this process."
For the men, Tiffin (4-3-1) were ranked 46th in the final CollegeSwimming.com NCAA Division II poll totaling 542.44 points. At the NCAA Championships, freshman Kyle Doss placed 15th in the 200-yard butterfly to earn NCAA All-American honors. He also competed in the 100 fly and 200 individual medley. TU scored two points to tie for 27th.
At the GLIAC Championships, Doss made school history by winning the 200 fly (1:48.45, school record, NCAA B cut). Finishing fourth was freshman Ygor Zanardo, Doss, junior Ty Collins and junior Pedro Van Isschot in the 800 freestyle relay and the 200 and 400 free relay of Zanardo, Doss, freshman Lucas Merigue and Van Isschot.
"The work we put in the pool was the hardest work they have done in their lives," continued Kalmikova. "Every single swimmer and diver had their career best performances this year. The highlight was our conference championship. Kyle winning the 200 fly and qualifying for the NCAA's his freshman year is a great achievement for him and our program. Our sprinters Ygor, Pedro and Lucas have represented TU in all free sprint events."
Qualifying for championship finals were Doss (100 fly, 200 IM) and senior Alex Weaver (1- and 3-meter boards). The Dragons scored 257 points to finish sixth, nine points out of fifth. During the regular season, Tiffin was undefeated in GLIAC action beating arch rival Findlay and tying Lake Erie. TU also posted wins over Defiance, Edinboro and Wilmington.
"Ty was an amazing competitor in his 400 IM swim, beating people to the finish in his last 50 yards," added Kalmikova. "I have to give a lot of credit to Logan, Rasheed and Matt for all their work they have done this season, which showed in the form of shaving seconds off their best times. Mitch and Alex did a fantastic job on the boards. They handled the pressure of the conference judges very well."
For the women at the GLIAC Championships, Tiffin scored in the 200 and 400 free and 200 and 400 medley relays. All four teams were composed of sophomore Kristine Guballa and freshmen Brooke Hill, Lauren Sprenger and Melinda Ulbrecht.
"Our women have improved a lot throughout the year," stated Kalmikova. "They have had a very tough year. Having just four of them at the conference championship and swimming every relay plus their own individual events was not an easy task. But they did it and did it great! Melinda, Brooke, Lauren and Kristen were my four musketeers. Brenda and Trey were not able to compete this season, but their hard work will pay off next year. And they have already swum their best times at our home pool."
Tiffin finished ninth with 64 points. Ulbrecht set school records in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, 200 free and 200 IM. The Dragons beat Defiance and Ursuline in their very first meet.
"I wanted to mention every single kid on my team because they are the first class in the history of the program," concluded Kalmikova. "They helped me start an intense and competitive program. I am looking forward to the bright future of Tiffin University Swimming and Diving."
-TIFFIN UNIVERSITY-
