Jan. 3, 2007

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Lewis University men's swimming team is ranked 19th in the nation according to the latest CollegeSwimming.com NCAA Division II Top 25 Power Ranking, and several Lewis swimmers and relay teams are ranked among the nation's swimming leaders through the halfway point of the season.

CollegeSwimming.com produces a Power Ranking for NCAA Division II institutions based on each team's best dual meet lineup as judged and submitted by participating teams. Rankings are announced four times throughout the season. The Flyer men captured 129 points in the latest poll. By comparison, No. 1 North Dakota garnered 179 points.

On an individual basis, four men are ranked among the leaders in nine events. Senior Michael Lapustin has four top swims to his credit. He has posted the nation's fourth-fastest time in the 200 backstroke (1:50.14), the eighth-best mark in the 200 IM (1:55.18), the 12th-quickest time in the 100 backstroke (51.59) and the 23rd-best result in the 100 freestyle (46.97).

Junior Adam Brown owns the nation's ninth-fastest time in the 200 butterfly and the 14th-quickest swim in the 500 freestyle (4:39.02). Senior Jevgenijs Pesins is ranked 19th in the 200 butterfly (1:55.59) and 23rd in the 100 butterfly (51.53).

Freshman Jared Zimmer has posted the nation's 10th-best swim in the 1650 freestyle (16:15.61).

Five of the men's relay teams also have cracked the top times report. The relay squad of Pesins, freshman Adam Olszeski, Zimmer and Lapustin clocked the 15th-fastest mark in the 800 freestyle relay. The 400 freestyle relay team of Lapustin, sophomore Greg Marx, freshman Aidan Murphy and Pesins own the 16th fastest time (3:12.05).

Lapustin, senior Steve O'Leary, Pesins and Marx turned in the 17th-fastest 400 medley relay time (3:33.31), and Lapustin, Murphy, Pesins and Marx combined for the 20th best swim in the 200 medley relay. The 200 freestyle relay group of Lapustin, Zimmer, Murphy and Marx are ranked 29th (1:33.07).

On the women's side, junior Stephanie White-Olson has recorded the nation's 10th-fastest swim in the 200 breaststroke (2:23.28) and is ranked 16th in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.49), and she has been a part of three of the five women's relay teams that have swam top times.

The team of senior Leigh Dodd, White-Olson, senior Michelle Sliva and freshman Nicole Marano clocked the 21st-quickest mark in the 400 medley, and the turned in the 25th-fastest time in the 200 medley (1:52.03).

Marano, senior Tristine Schmidt, Sliva and Dodd combined for the nation's 23rd-best effort in the 400 freestyle (3:43.64) and 27th-best run in the 800 freestyle (8:13.22). The 200 freestyle team of Marano, sophomore Tracey Kueltzo, White-Olson and freshmen Bridget Bettenhausen clocked the nation's 32nd-fastest swim.

The Lewis swimming team resumes action this week, competing at the Indianapolis Invitational on Friday and Saturday.