Water Vike Update November 2018 Edition

A Note from Head Coach Paul Graham...

As we approach one of my favorite holidays, it is always great to share many of the things I am grateful for in my life. In the spirit of David Letterman, here are my Top 10 reasons I am grateful for being a coach at Cleveland State University-  The Busbey Natatorium  Rich Karban, Kevin Rapien and Tanner Barton  The amazing city of Cleveland    Incredibly engaged and supportive alumni  The opportunity to be around caring and dedicated support staff that work tirelessly for our program  The mentorship & friendship of Wally Morton  Cleveland winters???  The rich history of our swimming & diving program  The opportunity to learn from so many talented people  Working with student-athletes!! Happy Thanksgiving! Paul

Magnus Cup... A true team effort!

This weekend we wrapped up our 7th annual Magnus Cup. This year was our largest Magnus Cup as we welcomed 15 other teams to Cleveland. Our swimmers raced exceptionally well and our divers executed their dives. We had SO many swimmers record lifetime bests. Our men scored a meet record 1,871.5 points to clinch the top spot and our women placed 5th in a highly competitive field of 16 teams. Our Water Vikes are ready to build on this meet as we continue to move forward!

Our crew is always ready for a photo, even if they're stretching their legs and preparing to swim!

Special congratulations to Dominic Poletta for being named the Athletic Department Viking of the Week after his impressive Magnus Cup performances. Poletta captured two individual titles and was a part of two winning relays.

"Extra Mile" Update

CSU Swimming & Diving family members, friends and alumni have committed $100,000 in leadership gifts, $48,000 in locker sponsorships and over $7,000 in donations toward the "Extra Mile" campaign to renovate our locker rooms. THANK YOU to all of our supporters. By CONTRIBUTING TODAY , you will help make the "Wally Morton Locker Rooms" a reality, honoring Wally's 4 decades of service to our team, the University, Cleveland and the international world of swimming.   Here's how you can help: Sponsor a locker for $1,650 Reach out to other friends, family and teammates to jointly sponsor a locker Personally contact five others to encourage them to support this project. Check out these latest design concepts for an individual locker plaque. Each -person or group sponsoring a locker will be able to provide customization for their own unique plaque.

Our student athletes (pictured below) have sent letters and made numerous phone calls asking for support and encouragement. Please show your support for the team - past, present and future - by sponsoring one of the remaining 19 lockers or making a contribution of any level by December 5th. As the holiday season comes upon us, honor someone you know by donating a locker in their name, which will forever be a part of our CSU Swimming & Diving heritage. Please click here to donate and support our locker room renovations.

One of our sophomores, Lexi Kostelnik, went the extra mile this weekend by swimming the 1650 in 17:03.00 to set a new program record! Listen to Lexie as she encourages you to now go the extra mile!

Happy Thanksgiving from our CSU family to yours!

During this time of Thanksgiving, we want to thank you for being such an integral part of our CSU Swim and Dive family. Without your continued support and encouragement, our program wouldn't where we are today.

We discuss the importance of being grateful within our program. Although we make this a priority each and every day, we want to share the list of things we're grateful for with you on Thanksgiving...

The opportunity to work with dedicated and enthusiastic student-athletes. Support and encouragement from our University and Athletic Department. Meaningful relationships amongst our coaching staff. Daily opportunities to learn and grow. Quality time to spend with our loved ones.

The list could go on and on, but we know you're busy :) Have a blessed Thanksgiving and know that we are thankful for YOU!

Have you seen the Featured Vikings?

Each Wednesday we're highlighting one of our special student-athletes on social media. We want you to know our Vikings better because there is more to them than just swimming! Our first two Featured Vikings were Jason van der Touw and Michaela Bargardi. Be sure to follow us on Facebook , Instagram (@vikingswimdive) and Twitter to see our Featured Vikings!

November Birthdays Kim Jimenez (6th) Mason Romstadt (13th) Jack Krusinski (22nd) Matt Akers (30th)

Upcoming Events 12/1:  Kids Kicking Cancer, Community Service Project with University Hospitals 12/8:  Away Meet at Ashland University, 2:00 pm (co-ed meet) 1/1:  Team reports in San Juan, Puerto Rico for Training Trip

Didn't catch our October newsletter? Click here to read it!

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Women's Team Webpage // Men's Team Webpage

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