AKRON, Ohio - The Cleveland State University men's and women's swimming & diving teams opened action in the Akron Zips Classic Friday evening at the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium.
The CSU men sit in fourth place after the opening session with 145.5 points while the women are in sixth place with 81 points.
Junior Dominic Poletta, an offseason transfer, had the best individual finish for CSU Friday in his first individual swim as a Viking. He was second in the 50 freestyle in 20.90 seconds.
Poletta was one of seven Vikings in the top 20 in the event that featured 58 competitors. Juniors DJ Arslanian and Jack MacDonald were seventh (21.38 seconds) and 10th (21.49), respectively. Sophomore Ryan Sedlak (21.59), freshman Mason Romstadt (21.69) and seniors Jason van der Touw (21.76) and Sean Mulvin (21.78) were also among the top 20.
Van der Touw swam the anchor leg on CSU's 400 medley relay that took runner-up honors in 3:19.84. Sophomore Dominik Niedzialek led off and was followed by freshman Jack Krusinski and junior Matthew Martin.
Niedzialek was CSU's top finisher in the 500 freestyle, taking eighth place in 4:39.88. Sophomore Timothy Kubacki was 14th in 4:43.20, a new career best.
Krusinski added an individual top-10 finish in the 200 IM in 1:56.20, a new career best. Senior Jared Stergar (1:57.78), junior Tyler Stevenson (1:58.02) and sophomore Josh Hodges (1:58.85) were also among the top 20.
On the women's side, the Vikings had a pair of top-10 relay finishes.
The 400 medley relay, consisting of freshman Riley Drummond, sophomore Libby Smith, senior Molly McNamara and junior Gabriella Marinelli took ninth in 3:54.16.
CSU's 800 freestyle relay also took ninth as sophomore Irena Weclawiak, senior Claudia Zido, Marinelli and sophomore Lexie Kostelnik finished in 7:50.44.
McNamara, Zido and Drummond each finished among the top 25 in the 200 IM in 2:11.09, 2:11.29 and 2:11.50.
Marinelli and Weclawiak both contributed top-30 finishes among the field of 68 in the 50 free. Marinelli stopped the clock in 24.74 seconds while Weclawiak finished in 24.95 seconds.
Kostelnik was the top Viking finisher in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 5:13.55.
The meet will conclude Saturday with 10 individual events and three relays spread across two sessions.
