DETROIT - The GLIAC Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships begin Wednesday night in Jenison, Mich., and for the Wayne State Warriors - who have won one or both titles every year since 2006 - this week presents another opportunity to add to the program's sterling record over the last decade.
The Wayne State men's team has triumphed in six of the last nine conference championships, while the women have won five of the last six GLIAC crowns including two straight. Last season, the Warriors swept the championships for the third time in the last six years.
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Senior
Andrey Seryy (Saint Petersburg, Russia), who in 2011 became the third male swimmer in program history to be named GLIAC Swimmer of the Year, has three conference titles to defend including the 50 and 100 freestyle events. He enters this week as the top seed in both, and is one of three Warriors seeded in the top 10 in the 200 freestyle, along with
Kristian Larsen (Frederiksberg, Denmark) and
Kyle Taylor (Holland, Mich.), who are also among the top-10 in the 500 freestyle.
The Warriors are deep on the men's side in the backstroke with seniors
Nathan Hesche (Jackson, Mich.) and
Jimmy Lee (Windsor, Ont./Riverside), as well as freshman
Lucas Fernandez Vilanova (Valencia, Spain).
Junior
Joaquin Abascal Gallegos (Madrid, Spain), a six-time GLIAC champion in 2010, will compete for conference titles in the breaststroke and individual medley events.
Kevin Galerneau (Washington, Mich./Eisenhower), last season's GLIAC Men's Swimming Freshman of the Year, will look to follow up on his 200 and 400 IM championships from 2011.
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The men's diving corps will be led by junior
Jeff Grant (Belleville, Mich.), last year's one-meter champion and the GLIAC Diver of the Year, and sophomore
Darrin Driesenga (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa), the defending three-meter champion. Freshman
Dylan Szegedi (Oregon, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales) may also compete for a diving title.
Leading the charge for the women's team is sophomore
Carol Azambuja (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who is seeded either first or second in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events, as well as the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Her versatility, however, makes Azambuja – the 2011 GLIAC champion in the 200 IM – a threat in many events.
Kayla Scott (Rochester, Mich./Adams), last year's GLIAC Freshman of the Year on the women's side, will contend for championships in the breaststroke swims after finishing second to former teammate
Ana Gonzalez Pena in the 2011 meet. Freshman
Kei Cze Prentis (Shelby Twp., Mich./Utica Eisenhower) is a Warrior to watch in the individual medleys.
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Wayne State has tremendous depth in the distance freestyle events, led by senior
Catherine Leix (Flint, Mich./Southwestern) who is the defending champion in the 500 and 1650 freestyles. Sophomores
Alycen Wiacek (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) and
Kelsey Dischler (Macomb, Mich./Henry Ford II), as well as freshmen
Kaylee Dolinski (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson) and
Brittany Wilkins (Dearborn, Mich./Edsel Ford), will all be in a position to accumulate valuable points for the Warriors.
Carly Sevald (Royal Oak, Mich./Mercy), the 2011 champion in three-meter diving, will join fellow junior
Emily Mitzelfeld (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) and sophomore
Paige Kortman (Holland, Mich.) to lead the talented WSU women's diving squad.
An eight-time GLIAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year,
Sean Peters earned both the GLIAC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year awards for the third time in 2011. He was presented with the women's award in 2008 and 2010 also, as Peters has garnered one or both of the awards every year since 2002.
The 2012 GLIAC Swimming and Diving Championships will be held over four days beginning Wednesday evening at the Jenison Aquatics Center.
