By sweeping every event at Saturday’s tri-meet, the Ohio State synchronized swimming team exceeded its coach’s expectations in its first technical competition of the season, said acting head coach Holly Vargo-Brown.
“The first meet is always difficult because we’re trying to see how our routines work,” Vargo-Brown said. “But in my opinion, they really exceeded my expectations for this early in the season.
Scoring 94 points, the five-time defending national champion Buckeyes had at least two entrants place in the top three of every event in Saturday’s home opener at the Mike Peppe Aquatic Center, which pitted the Buckeyes against the University of Michigan and Keuka College.
Keuka’s Rebecca Story finished second in the solo competition to add to Keuka’s final tally of 69.5 points for second place. Michigan did not place, and finished with total of 61 points.
“In the trio event, we got some really positive feedback on the choreography from the judges,” Vargo-Brown said. “Our execution will come during the season, but to win them over with our choreography is very important.”
Ohio State took first and second in the duo and trio competition. OSU junior Chelsea Luker won the solo competition with a score of 91.333.
“Chelsea did a really nice job,” Vargo-Brown said. “She has some fast movements in her routine and the judges rewarded us for that.”
Luker teamed up with junior Carly Grimshaw to win the duo event with a score of 92.667. Freshmen twin sisters Leah and Leayn Pinette took second with a score of 90.167.
Sophomore Becky Kim, who was a part of the 2004 national champion duo and trio teams, was unable to participate in the tri-meet because she was out of town for the weekend practicing with the the U.S. National Team.
“Part of her commitment is attending several training camps that require her to travel out to California,” Vargo-Brown said.
“There have been four of us preparing for the trio event so we did fine without (Kim),” senior Heather Burdick said. “As a team, we’re very focused on winning.”
Burdick won the event with senior Lindsay Newbill and sophomore Ellen Hacker.
“This early in the season we’re finishing up our routines and making any final changes, because we will use these for the rest of the season,” Vargo-Brown said.
The Buckeyes will use their upcoming dual meets to prepare for the Collegiate Championship in Gainesville, Fla. at the end of March.
“We use the dual meets and the tri-meets in an effort to gain experience,” Vargo-Brown said. “You have to use your smaller meets as training tools so you are prepared later in the season.”
“We’re going to push ourselves at every meet,” said Burdick, who is also working with the U.S. National Team. “We need to be putting in extra time to be our best until we get to the Collegiate Championship meet in March.
The Buckeyes will travel north to Canton on January 29 to swim against Walsh, then will return home February 5 to compete in the Ohio College Association Meet.
