EMU Women's Swimming and Diving: Women's Swimming and Diving Hosts MAC Championships

Transcription

1 Eastern Michigan University Sports Scores University Archives Winter EMU Women's Swimming and Diving: Women's Swimming and Diving Hosts MAC Championships Eastern Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: Recommended Citation Eastern Michigan University, "EMU Women's Swimming and Diving: Women's Swimming and Diving Hosts MAC Championships" (2015). Eastern Michigan University, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. EMU Archives, Digital EMU ( This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives at DigitalCommons@EMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sports Scores by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@EMU. For more information, please contact lib-ir@emich.edu.

2 W. Swim & Dive 2/24/2015 4:27:00 PM Women's Swimming and Diving Hosts MAC Championships The Eagles bring seven other MAC teams into Jones Natatorium, Feb YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) Eastern Michigan University's women's swimming and diving team is set to host the 2015 Mid-American Conference Championships, Wednesday through Saturday, Feb After being picked to finish sixth in the pre-season coaches' poll, the Green and White looks to improve on a fourth-place showing in last year's championship meet. The format for the meet has changed slightly since years past, with the addition of an evening session to kick action off inside Jones Natatorium. The meet is slated to begin Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., with the 200 medley and 800 free relays. On the remaining days, the preliminary heats will start at 11 a.m. with the consolation and championship heats beginning at 7 p.m. The cost of attendance will be $7 for a single session or $25 for the entire championship for adults. Students K-12 can purchase tickets for $5 per session or $15 for an all-sessions pass, while MAC students with a valid ID and children five and under will be given free admission. Doors will open to the public one hour prior to the first event of each session, with ticket sales beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday night. Live results will be provided through emueagles.com. With all eight of the conference's teams coming to Jones to compete, it is time to take a look at how the teams stack up against one another. The following is a preview of each team, based on current conference standings along with a comparison to last year's championship. Eastern Michigan The Eagles finished fourth at last year's championship, amassing 469 points and garnering 22 top-eight finishes, including eight in the top-four. Of the athletes who scored in the top-eight for the Green and White, Eastern returns nine members of the team while losing just Jackie Swartz and Danielle Hulvey to graduation.

3 The loss of Hulvey would seem to be a hindrance to the Eagles, as she was the MAC champion in the 1-meter dive and also was named the meet's Most Outstanding Diver, but the Eagles have a strong core of divers to fill the void left behind. Lauren Dark (Chelsea, Mich.-Chelsea) has been having a strong senior campaign, setting a personal record of points in the 1-meter dive, winning the event three times and finishing runner-up twice. Dark scored in the top-eight in both the 1-meter dive, with her highest finish being a third-place performance in the 3-meter dive. Dark has won the event twice and earned runner-up twice, with a season-high score of points. Dark is complemented by freshman Becky Deacon (Sherwood Park, Alberta-Vimy Ridge Academy), whose training with the Canadian National Team has been evident in her success. Deacon has won the title on the 1-meter springboard four times and placed second an additional two times, with a season-best score of points. She has also won twice on the 3-meter springboard, improving in every appearance to hit a , while she also won the platform dive on one occasion. Two other seniors will be seen in the diving lineup in Karly Taylor (Munster, Ind.- Munster) and Melynee Saya (Nashua, N.J.-Nashua), the latter of which placed seventh in the 3-meter last year. Eastern returns one more MAC champion to the roster in conference record holder Jessie Godlewski (Apex, N.C.- Apex). Godlewski will be looking for her third consecutive title in the 200 fly, as she currently ranks third in the conference at 2: Godlewski also has the sixth-fastest time in the conference and the fourth-fastest time on EMU's all-time list in the 100 fly (55.65), and is joined by sophomore Carly Jackson (La Porte, Ind.-La Porte) to make a powerful pair of butterfly competitors. Jackson finished fourth in the 200 fly and sixth in the 100 fly last year, and she currently holds the sixth spot in the 200 (2:03.09) and the ninth in the 100 (56.06) for the season. Jackson has been nearly undefeated in the 100 fly all season, winning five out of six races and claiming runner-up in the sixth competition. Additionally, she has won the 200 fly five times while also garnering two second-place finishes. The Eagles can also rely on their strengths in the freestyle events to score points, boasting at least one swimmer in the top-10 in the 50, 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 free. Sara Ghaffari (Bolinas, Sweden-Torsbergsgynasiet) has become a staple in the 50 free group, posting a season-best time of for the ninth-fastest mark in the conference. Mary Kate MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Detroit Country Day) has also posted sub-24-second 50s on three occasions, the fastest being a 23.72; the junior was the only placer for the Eagles in the event last season, finishing eighth. Becca Detro (Carmel, Ind.-Carmel) leads the charge in the 200 free as well as the 100 free, posting the third-fastest time in the MAC in the 200 in 1:50.67 and winning four titles while placing runner-up twice. Swimming alongside the junior for most of the season has been Grace Van Allen(Indianapolis, Ind.-North Central). The sophomore has continued to improve from her freshman season, when she finished seventh in the 500 free at the MAC meet. Van Allen has won the 200 free twice and finished behind Detro an additional four times, while she has picked up four wins in the 500 free to go with two runner-up finishes. The Indianapolis, Ind. native is also strong in the distance swims, placing in the top-three in both appearances in the 1000 and 1650 free this year. This season, she holds the fifth-fastest time in the 1000 free (10:21.24), while the team standard in the 1650 free was set by Audra Burtch (Goshen, Ind.-Concord) in 16:54.83 for the fourth-fastest time in the MAC. Burtch was a solid competitor for the Eagles in the mile swim, taking fifth to pace the Green and White at last year's championship. The junior also holds the eighth-fastest 500 free time in the conference at 4: In the backstroke races, Alexis Mitcheltree (Moon Twp., Pa.-Moon Area) has stepped up in her sophomore campaign, finding her stride in January to go undefeated in the 100 and 200 back since the start of the year. Mitcheltree most recently posted a pair of personal records in both events for a pair of victories against Buffalo, Jan. 24, touching in at in the 100 back and 2:02.25 in the 200 back. Her time in the 200 back has moved the sophomore up to fifth in EMU's all-time record book, and is the 10th-fastest in the conference this year. Leading a strong core of breaststrokers is Monica Dorszewski (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine). The senior is the EMU record holder in the 100 breast, while she is also second on the all-time list for the 200 breast. This year, the 200 breast has been her strongest event, as she has won all but one race in seven appearances and her season-best time of 2:19.34 ranks seventh in the conference. Last season, Dorszewski finished third in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 breast. She has still seen success in the shorter distance, picking up four wins and two runner-up finishes on the season. Eastern arguably struggled in the relays at last year's championships, with the highest finish coming from a fourthplace performance in the 800 free relay. The Eagles return the entire lineup of Godlewski, Van Allen, Detro, and Dorszewski, but this season Sierra Wagner (Huntsville, Texas-Huntsville) has stepped into Dorszewski's spot to help the remaining trio post the fastest time of the season for the Eagles in 7:31.12, which ranks third in the conference. The Eagles are stronger in the freestyle relays, with both the 200 and 400 relays ranking fourth (1:34.31/3:25.90), while the 200 medley relay's time of 1:44.56 ranks seventh and the 400 medley time of 3:46.59 is good for sixth. Akron The University of Akron returns to the pool in hopes of repeating a championship effort after winning its first MAC

4 title in program history in The Zips won by a margin of nearly 80 points, amassing 574 points en route to their victory. The 2015 Zips return most of their scorers from the top-eight with nine athletes on the current roster, losing just Kendra Colby and diver Carla McNamara to graduation. Of the 27 top-eight finishes that Akron garnered last year, 14 were top-four placements. Leading the team in the freestyle events, Hannah Raspopovich will be aiming to reprise her championship title in the 50 free. This year, the junior is ranked fourth in the MAC with a time of seconds, and is also joined by Ashley Niznik and newcomer Susan Franz in sixth, as the pair has posted matching marks of seconds. Raspopovich also ranks in the 100 free at ninth (51.57), while Ashley Drazkowski is the top contenter for the Zips in the distance events. The junior has the 10th-fastest time in the 200 free (1:51.91), but posted the third-best time in the 500 free in 4:55.82 and also has the eighth spot in the 1650 free standings at 17: Last year, Drazkowski had her highest finish in the 500 free, placing third, while also taking sixth in the Akron is heavily stacked in the backstroke races, returning all four swimmers that placed in the top-eight of the 200 back last year. The Zips are led by Luka Szynal, who has broken the MAC record in the 200 back this season at 1: After placing third in the 200 back and sixth in the 100 back at the 2014 MAC Championships, Szynal is having a stellar sophomore season and is leading the conference in not only the 200 back but also the 100 back in seconds. Niznik also stands in the MAC's top-10, sitting at seventh in the 100 back and sixth in the longer distance. The Zips lost their lead breaststroker Colby to graduation, but senior Amanda Lawson has stepped up to hold the seventh time in the MAC (1:03.53), while Raspopovich holds down the eighth spot at 1: In the 200 breast, freshman Kristen Vargas paces the team, sitting at 10th in the MAC in 2: Vargas also holds the top times for the team in the 200 and 400 IM. Her mark of 2:04.54 in the 200 IM is good for eighth, while she has the sixth-fastest time in the conference in the 400 IM in 4: Placing third in the 100 fly and fifth in the 200 fly in 2014, Erin Seiler now holds the fastest and second-fastest times in the MAC in the respective events. Siler paces the MAC in in the 100 fly, while her time of 2:01.19 in the 200 fly is good for second in the conference. Akron will also look to repeat its success in the short distance relays after claiming the championship title in both the 200 free and medley relays. Raspopovich, Nizknik, Franz, and Taylor Hart hold the top time in the MAC in 1:33.06, as Franz has taken the spot of the departed Colby. The lineup for the 200 medley relay also holds the top time in the conference at 1:41.65 behind the lineup of Szynal, Amanda Lawson, Seiler, and Raspopovich. Additionally, Akron placed in the top-four in all five relays last year. In 2015, the 400 medley relay lineup sits at fourth (3:44.27), followed by the 400 free relay in fifth (3:25.90) and the 800 free relay (7:34.84) in sixth. Ball State After taking eighth last year with 334 points, Ball State University could see some struggles in the upcoming MAC Championships, returning four top-eight placers and losing five seniors to graduation. Included in the departing senior class is the MAC champion in the 100 and 200 breast as well as a member of the winning 400 medley relay team, Bridgette Ruehl. In fact, three members of the championship relay team have left the team with Mallory Miles and Haley Richter closing out their careers along with Ruehl last season. The trio was involved in every one of the Cardinals' top-three finishes, as Miles took third in the 100 back and Richter finished runner-up in the 50 free and placed third in the 100 free and 100 fly. The three seniors also swam legs of the third-place 200 medley relay team. The Cardinals do return Carlena Magley for her senior season, who swam the anchor leg of the championship 400 medley relay team. Magley currently holds the third-fastest time in the conference in the 100 free at seconds, and is one of just three Cardinals to hold a top-10 time in the conference. Along with Magley are freshman Amanda Kedzierski at ninth in the 100 breast (1:04.00) and sophomore Katie Horn in 2:04.00 for ninth in the 200 fly. The Ball State relays have also struggled this season, holding either the seventh or eighth spot in all five races. Bowling Green Bowling Green took third in 2014 with 476 points and returns eight top-eight finishers while losing five athletes from last season. Last year, BGSU claimed 22 top-eight placements, with nine top-four performances. The Falcons return a host of competitive freestylers, paced by sophomore Victoria Griffin. Griffin finished runner-up in the 100 free and placed third in the 200 free last year, while also swimming the lead leg of the runner-up 400 and 800 free relays along with the third-place 200 free and 400 medley relays. Currently, the sophomore ranks third in the MAC in the 50 free (23.27), second in the 100 free (50.19), and first in the 200 free (1:50.23). She has also returned to all four relays, which rank third in the 200 and 400 free as well as the 400 medley relays (1:33.80/3:24.96/3:43.56) and fourth in the 800 free relay (7:31.29). Joining Griffin in the 50 free rankings is Kayla Effinger, whose mark of seconds is good for fifth in the conference. After not having an athlete place in the top-eight last year in the backstroke races, the Falcons have brought in Mexican transfer Estela Davis. The sophomore has cracked the top-three in the conference during her debut season

5 in the MAC, sitting at third in the 100 back (54.80) and second in the 200 back (1:57.80). Davis is also the top contender in the individual medleys, with the fifth-fastest time in the 200 IM (2:04.15) and the second-best mark in the 400 IM (4:20.11). BGSU also has two other athletes who are in the standings for the stroke, as Maya Skorupski is sixth in the 100 (55.60) and freshman Franziska Wohlert is eighth in the 200 (2:00.99). The Falcons return Daniela Carrillo to make a move for the championship titles in the breaststroke races. Carrillo finished runner-up to Ball State's Ruehl in both the 100 and 200 breast. This year, Carrillo along with Kristin Filby are the team's top breaststrokers. Filby holds the edge in the 100, ranking fourth while Carrillo is fifth (1:02.87/1:03.07),.Conversely, Carrillo's time of 2:14.27 in the 200 breast is good for second in the conference while Filby's mark of 2:18.39 sits at fifth. BGSU also struggled to put up points in the butterfly races, only having Jordan Bullock take fifth in the 200 fly. Bullock returns to the upper portion of the MAC standings in the event, holding fourth in the rankings in 2: Buffalo The University at Buffalo placed fifth at the 2014 MAC Championships with 446 points, and return five athletes to the roster from the top-eight placements while also losing five. Of the Bulls' 18 top-eight placements, 14 of their events placed in the top-four. Buffalo lost one of the conference's most dominant swimmers in Brittany Kuras, who was named both the meet's Most Outsanding Swimmer and the Most Outstanding Senior. Kuras is the MAC record holder in both the 100 free and 200 IM, claiming victories in both events last year as well as the 200 free and anchored the winning 400 and 800 free relays. Nonetheless, Buffalo has a core of strong swimmers that post some of the fastest times in the MAC. Returning for the Bulls are the MAC champion in the 500 and 1650 free, Jess Powers as well as reigning 400 IM champion and 200 IM runner-up Spencer Rodriguez. Powers has continued her domination in the distance events, holding the best time in the MAC in the 1000 free (10:15.39), while Rodriguez holds the top time in the 400 IM at 4: Coming into the mix during her freshman campaign is Megan Burns, who holds the conference season standard in the 50 (23.11) and 100 free (49.93). Rodriguez also appears on the top-10 list for the 100 free at seconds for sixth in the MAC and is second in the 1650 free in 16: Buffalo does not have any swimmers in the top-10 in the backstroke or breaststroke races, but Taylor Steffl returns for her senior campaign and holds the fifth-fastest time in the 100 fly. Steffl took fourth at last year's conference meet, and currently holds a season-best mark of seconds. In the 200 fly, Brittney Walters is fifth in conference standings (2:03.05), while freshman Saoirse Palu-Benson is eighth in 2: With the loss of Kuras, Buffalo's relays have lost some of their punch. Their strongest lineup is in the 400 free relay, where Rodriguez, Steffl, Burns, and Eve Kosten have posted the second-fastest time in the conference in 3: The 200 medley relay also ranks well at third (1:42.57), but the 200 free, 800 free, and 400 medley relays rank in the bottom-three of the MAC. Miami Miami University was upset by Akron at last year's championship, as the RedHawks finished second with 496 points. Out of 23 top-eight finishes, Miami had 12 top-four finishes but did not have a MAC champion crowned. The RedHawks return 11 members of the team from last years' top-eight scorers, and also lose four to graduation. Miami is likely to suffer a slight blow with the loss of Nikki Craft, who finished runner-up in both the 1- and 3-meter dives. This year, Miami is stacked across the board, with at least one swimmer in the top-10 of the conference in every event except the 200 fly. Senior Annie Marquiss holds the second-fastest time in the MAC in the 50 free in seconds, and finished third at the MAC Championships last season. Marquiss also ranks seventh in the 100 free (51.12), but the team leader is Elise Campbell in seconds for fourth. Campbell also ranks fifth in the 200 free (1:51.04), and one if not both members of the duo appear on the lineups of the fastest relay teams for the season. The RedHawks boast the top time in the MAC in the 400 free relay, paced by Campbell, Marquiss, Sara Krueger, and Natalie Rohr in 3: Campbell and Marquiss are also in the lineup for the second-fastest 200 free relay team in the conference (1:33.34), along with Katherin Kuhl and Gabrielle Veri. Last year, the RedHawks finished third in the 400 free and fourth in the 200 free, while also taking fourth in the 200 and 400 medley relays. Miami's weakest relay seems to be the 800 free, but the RedHawks still rank in at fifth in 7:31.44 for the season. In the distance freestyle events, Miami will look to Stephanie Pearce to score some big points for the team. Pearce currently holds the top time in the 500 (4:51.62) and 1650 free (16:46.46) while also holding the second spot in the 1000 free (10:17.82). The senior has been a known presence in the water in the events finishing second in the 500 and fourth in the 1650 last season. Pearce is not Miami's only distance swimmer, as freshman Shay Spelman has been having a formidable rookie campaign by posting the second-fastest time in the conference in the 500 free (4:54.13) as well as the third times in the 1000 and 1650 free (10:20.10/16:53.27). In the backstroke, Miami can fall back on a number of athletes to score, including Brittany Dudzinski, Kuhl, Michele Rielly, and Emma Szcuzupakiewicz. Stephanie Lemire is the team's leader in the breaststroke races, boasting the

6 fastest time in the MAC in the 200 breast (2:13.41) and the third-fastest mark in the 100 breast (1:02.41). Lemire is also a strong competitor in the 200 IM after finishing fourth last season, and she currently holds the second-fastest time in the event (2:02.64), bested only by Campbell (2:02.03) in the conference standings, while Aubrey Kluth holds the third-fastest mark. Ohio Ohio University finished sixth last year with 362 points, and returns six top-eight finishers while losing six. The Bobcats had 18 top-eight performances, with seven in the top-four and three MAC titles. Ohio's biggest losses come in the diving events, with the departure of 3-meter MAC champion Morgan Srail and sixth-place finisher in the 1- and 3-meter, Mary Rose Hilstrom. Highlighting the lineup is the MAC champion in the 100 fly and 100 back, Abby Ferguson. Ferguson leads the team in the 100 back again this year with a time of seconds for the secondfastest time in the conference, but has been edged out by sophomore Laura Dawson in the 100 fly. Dawson has posted the second-fastest mark in the conference in the event (54.73), followed by Ferguson in fourth (55.30). Dawson also leads the team in the 200 fly with the seventh-best mark in the conference (2:03.36) and the fourthfastest time in the 200 IM (2:03.89) and the 200 back (1:58.51). Haley Clark leads the team in the freestyle sprints, posting the 10th and eighth-fastest times in the 50 and 100 free, respectively (23.65/51.30). Dawson is also in the standings for the 200 free at fourth in the MAC (1:50.76), and is followed by Bianca Hauzer in sixth (1:51.34), who leads the team in the 500, 1000, and 1650 free. Hauzer's marks in the 500 and 1000 are the fourth-fastest in the conference (4:56.33/10:20.17), while her time of 16:56.22 in the mile is good for seventh. Ohio's relays have mixed success this season, with the 200 and 400 free relays falling to the bottom of the MAC while the medley and 800 free relays have been the cream rising to the top of the conference. The Bobcats have the fastest time in the MAC in the 800 free in 7:28.92, led by Dawson, Huzer, Josephine Barker, and Myriah Ariza-Balter. Likewise, the 400 medley relay is the fastest in the MAC at 3:42.68 behind the lineup of Feguson, Bagan, Dawson, and Clark, while the same lineup has posted the second-fastest mark in the 200 medley relay (1:41.76). Toledo The University of Toledo finished seventh last year with 348 points, and was dealt a heavy blow with the departure of Beth Rogers and Christina Noens along with two others that finished in the top-eight, while returning four athletes. Half of Toledo's 16 top-eight finishes were also in the top-four, with six of the placements courtesy of Rogers and Noens. Noens was the only MAC champion for the Rockets last year, winning the 200 back, while she also finished second in the 400 IM and fourth in the 100 back. Rogers was also successful individually, finishing runner-up in the 100 and 200 fly, and the pair swam two legs of the fourth-place 400 medley relay. Nonetheless, the Rockets have posted numerous top times in the conference. Brooke Edwards, who is the only returning member of the 200 and 400 free relay teams, has swam on all five of the team's fastest relay lineups throughout the year and also paces the team in the 50, 100, and 200 free. Toledo's strongest relays are in the longer distances, as it holds the second-fastest times in both the 800 free and 400 medley relay. Edwards was joined by Katrin Streicher, Maggie Hack, and Lauren Comer to post a time of 7:29.39 in the 800 free relay, while Edwards, Streicher, and Richart teamed up with Maria Bargardi to swim a 3:43.19 in the 400 medley relay. Individually, Edwards is fourth in the MAC in the 50 free (23.54), fourth in the 100 free (50.88), and second in the 200 free (1:50.51). Bargardi had a strong season last year in the backstroke events, finishing second in the 200 back behind Noens and seventh in the 100 back. This year, she ranks fifth in the conference in the 100 (55.53), while her time of 1:58.16 in the 200 is good for third. The Rockets also have some of the top breaststrokers in the conference, as freshman Jessica Avery paces the team in the 200 breast for third in the conference (2:18.00), which Samantha Richart has the second-fastest 100 breast mark (1:01.53) and the sixth-best in the 200 (2:18.90). Freshman swimmer Streicher has been a huge asset in the butterfly as well as the individual medley. The German native boasts the top time in the conference in the 200 fly (2:01.14) as well as the second-fastest time in the 100 fly (54.73), while her mark of 2:04.47 in the 200 IM puts her at seventh. In the distance IM, a familiar name to an Eastern swimmer graces the top-10, as Sarah Dombkowski (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth)'s sister Mary is seventh in the MAC in the 400 IM (4:24.97).