EMU Leads Heading Into Final Day of MAC Championships

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team will take a lead into the final day of the 2010 Mid-American Conference Championships. Jacob Hanson and Justin Griggs each captured a second title while three other individuals and both relay teams pulled in top-three as well.

Day two of championship finals was kicked off with the 200 medley relay. Missouri State and Eastern Michigan entered the event with the top two seed times and each relay team held true to form with MSU (Roko Simunic, Cajun Skinner, Nicolas Villarroel, Dillon Burns) taking it with a B-cut and pool record time of 1:29.96. EMU (Jacob Hanson, Scott Murphy, Justin Griggs, Keith Coghlan) followed closely behind in second place with a time of 1:30.43.

The Eagles opened up their lead from the get-go, finishing 1-2-6 in the first individual event of the day, the 400 IM. Hanson won his second MAC title of the meet by turning in a time of 3:54.49. He greeted teammate Troy Esentan who finished right behind him and one lane over with a time of 3:55.58. EMU's Tyler Capen turned in a sixth place finish with a mark of 4:02.02. After two events the Eagles held a 301-266 advantage over second place Missouri State in the team standings.

In the 100 butterfly, Griggs became the second Eagle to win to MAC titles, touching the wall in a B-cut time of 48.30. Owen Grey finished sixth with a time of 49.86 while Michael Kinross and Alan Duski turned in 10th and 14th place finishes, respectively, in the consolation final.

After a 1-2-3 finish by Matt Kruse (SIU), Matt Hogan (UB) and Chris Gunnels (MU) in the 200 freestyle, places 2-4 shifted as Buffalo and Miami climbed a spot to second and third, respectively, while Missouri State fell from second to fourth place through four events on day two. Just 12.5 points separated second through fourth place while the Eagles held a strong 41.5-point, first place edge with 356 points.

With four representing EMU in the 100 breaststroke championship final, the Eagles looked to increase its lead even more and they did by widening the gap to 82.5 points over second place Buffalo. SIU's Jameson Kuper took first with a B-cut time of 55.30, but the Eagles followed up with a second place finish by Scott Murphy (55.99), a third place finish by Matt Lifka (56.00), a fifth place finish by Sam Dolato (56.37) and an eighth place mark by Doug Brooks (57.70).

The final individual event of the night was the 100 backstroke in which MSU recorded three of the top four seed times entering the championship final. The Bears' Roko Simunic set a new pool record with a time of 46.67. Matt Schwippert of Buffalo took second place while Nicolas Villarroel and Pat Bergin took third and fourth place, respectively. The lone finalist for EMU was Alan Duski who took eighth in the event with a time of 51.13.

In the seventh and final event of the day, the 800 freestyle relay, the Eagles (Keith Coghlan, Troy Esentan, Gilles Renard, Jacob Hanson) finished with the bronze medal with a time of 6:42.76 behind Buffalo (6:40.70) and event winner Southern Illinois (6:38.86). The Eagles will secure a 459-417.5 lead over second place Buffalo heading into the final day of competition.

Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 13

1. Eastern Michigan University       459

2. University at Buffalo                   417.5

3. Missouri State University               397

4. Miami University (Ohio)              366.5

5. Southern Illinois University            336

6. Ball State University                  167.5

7. University of Evansville               106.5

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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