Feb. 20, 2007

Both the Wayne State men's and women's swimming and diving teams will set out to defend the GLIAC Championship this week as Ashland University hosts the 2007 conference meet beginning Wednesday.

"It will be a very exciting and fast meet," said head coach Sean Peters. "All the teams in the conference just keep getting better and it will result to a GLIAC Championships like we have never seen. I know we are very eager to finally get to this point as everyone on the team has worked very hard and we are prepared for this challenge."

In 2006, Wayne State became just the second school - the first being Oakland University - in GLIAC history to win both titles in the same year.

For the fifth consecutive year, Peters earned GLIAC Men's Coach of the Year. He is tied with his former coach, Oakland University's Pete Hovland, for most Coach of the Year awards in GLIAC history. Peters also earned the distinction on the women's side for the first time in his career following the 2006 championship.

The men's team finished with 773 points at last year's championship hosted by Northern Michigan, 76 ahead of second-place Indianapolis, on its way to its third conference title in the last four years. The Warriors maintained their lead over the field through all four days of competition.

Junior A.J. Erard (Troy, Mich.) won the 400 individual medley for the second straight year in 2006, while also taking first in the 200 IM and setting NMU pool records in both events. He will also swim both events at nationals, as well as the 200 breaststroke.

Sophomore Guilherme Veiga (Vinton, Va.) comes into this year's meet as the defending conference champion in the 1650 freestyle, an event for which he has already achieved an NCAA "A" cut this season.

Senior Jared Troyer (Portage, Mich.) will head to Ashland still seeking a national "A" cut. He has five "B" cuts, including the 400 IM and 1650 free, events in which he finished second and third, respectively, at the 2006 GLIAC meet.

Bruno Blanco (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) won the 100 butterfly last year, as did the Wayne State quartet in the 200 medley relay.

Rookies Cauli Bedran (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Tiago Oliveira (Raul Soares, Brazil), along with diver Cayce Bolt (Royal Oak, Mich.), are looking to make an impact this season. Bedran will go to the NCAA Championships in four events, while Oliveira has three "B" cuts and is in search of an "A" qualifier. Bolt, along with teammates Chris Totten (Garden City, Mich.) and Dan Fleming (Portage, Mich.), will represent WSU on both the three-meter and one-meter boards at nationals.

The women's team also had great success in 2006, capturing its first GLIAC Championship in school history. The Warriors finished 56 points ahead of the second-place Grand Valley State Lakers.

Melissa Duff (Howell, Mich.), recipient of the GLIAC Women's Freshman of the Year award, won the 500 free (5:08.86) and 1650 free (17:38.31) and placed second in the 1000 free (10:37.65) in 2006. She comes into this year's meet having already achieved a national "A" cut in the 1650 free and "B" cuts in the 1000 and 500 free.

The team also received record-breaking individual performances last year from junior Katie Harrigan (Portage, Mich.) in the 200 IM (2:08.76) and redshirt junior Amber Staudacher (Rockford, Mich.) in the 100 (1:06.95) and 200 (2:26.05) breaststroke events. Both Warriors have "B" cuts this season that they will look to improve upon to make it to nationals.

Junior diver Erika Barczak (Williamston, Mich.) won the three-meter diving (400.35) and placed second in the one-meter diving (320.20) at last year's GLIAC meet.

Freshmen Elaina Hogle (Kentwood, Mich.) and Ashley St. Andrew (Grand Rapids, Mich.) will likely have significant influence on the outcome of the championship, as they go to Ashland with four NCAA "A" cuts and three "B" cuts between them.

The 2007 GLIAC Championships begin Wednesday, Feb. 21, and continue through Saturday, Feb. 24.