Women's Swimming and Diving Edges Out BGSU for EMU Invitational Title

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)—Eastern Michigan University's women's swimming and diving team held on to the lead over the field at the EMU Invitational, Dec. 5-6, to take the victory with 908 points. The Eagles edged out Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green by eight points, which was trailed by Oakland (881.5), Ball State (643.5), Wayne State (301), and Olivet Nazarene (85).

Eastern had solid performances throughout the morning and evening sessions, with the lead Eagle finishing no lower than fifth in every race. The morning session started off with the 200 medley relay, in which EMU's A team finished fourth in 1:45.42 with Mary Kate MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Detroit Country Day), Genna Worthley (Portland, Maine-Deering), Carly Jackson (La Porte, Ind.-La Porte ), and Sara Ghaffari (Bolinas, Sweden-Torsbergsgynasiet) in the leading Eagle lineup. The Eagle relays saw consistent success throughout the two sessions, as the 200 free and 400 medley relays finished third while the 800 free relay team garnered a victory for the Green and White. In the long-distance free relay, Sierra Wagner (Huntsville, Texas-Huntsville), Jessie Godlewski (Apex, N.C.-Apex), Becca Detro (Carmel, Ind.-Carmel), and Grace Van Allen (Indianapolis, Ind.-North Central) won in 7:31.12, edging out BGSU's lineup by a close .17 seconds.

In the morning session, the Eagles were able to nab one other victory thanks to a personal record by Godlewski in the 100 fly, clocking in at 55.65 seconds. Behind Godlewski's performance, which ranks fourth on EMU's all-time list, Jackson swept in for the runner-up finish in 56.62 seconds. The other events saw two fourth-place finishes in the 100 back and 100 breast as well as a pair of fifth-place swims in the 400 IM and 200 free. In the 100 back, Alexis Mitcheltree (Moon Twp., Pa.-Moon Area) recorded a time of 58.16 to pace the Green and White, while Monica Dorszewski (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) nabbed fourth in the 100 breast in 1:04.50, pacing a fifth-place performance by Worthley in 1:05.59.

Pacing the team in the 200 free, Detro clocked a 1:52.74 in the event for a fifth place finish. In the 400 IM, Audra Burtch (Goshen, Ind.-Concord) led the way for the Eagles with a time of 4:30.97 for fifth. Burtch would go on to win the 500 free in the evening session, winning by over three seconds as the only sub-five-minute swim in 4:57.32.

In the afternoon diving session, the Eagles once again reaped success on the springboards. Lauren Dark (Chelsea, Mich.-Chelsea) swept the dives at the meet with a win on the 3-meter springboard, amassing 329.80 points. Two more seniors landed in the top-four as Melynee Saya (Nashua, N.J.-Nashua) compiled 308.30 points for third and Karly Taylor (Munster, Ind.-Munster) finished fourth with 291.05 points.

Two more individual events were swam alongside the relays and the 500 free to wrap up the meet. In the 200 IM, Godlewski had the top time for the team in 2:05.31, and MacLean recorded her fastest mark of the season in the 50 free, touching in at 23.72 seconds for fourth. The meet ended with a third-place showing in the 400 medley relay, in which Mitcheltree, Dorszewski, Godlewski, and MacLean teamed up for a 3:46.59 finish behind the pool record-breaking effort from BGSU. Despite the Falcons' strong relay showing, they still fell eight points behind Eastern in the final tally, as the Eagles soared to the win.

Eastern will take nearly a month's break before jumping into the pool for its next competition. The Eagles will flock south to Miami, Fla. for the FIU Invitational to ring in the new year, Jan. 4, 2015.

EMU Individual Results (* signifies a personal best)

200-yard Medley Relay
4. MacLean, Worthley, Jackson, Ghaffari	1:45.42
8. Mitcheltree, Dorszewski, Garringer, Wagner	1:47.93

400-yard Individual Medley
5. Burtch, Audra	4:30.97
9. Van Allen, Grace	4:32.31
14. Daniel, Clarice	4:45.88
16. Murslack, Allison	4:49.80

100-yard Butterfly
1. Godlewski, Jessie	55.65*
2. Jackson, Carly	56.62
9. Ghaffari, Sara	57.79
11. Garringer, Makenzie	58.25

200-yard Freestyle
5. Detro, Becca	1:52.74
9. Wagner, Sierra	1:55.03
14. Yockey, Rosalie	1:57.62*
17. Saddler, Abby	1:58.65*

100-yard Breaststroke
4. Dorszewski, Monica	1:04.50
5. Worthley, Genna	1:05.59
10. Wimmer, Emily	1:06.04

100-yard Backstroke
4. Mitcheltree, Alexis	58.16
11. Shaw, Haley	59.40
14. Aumiller, Abby	59.74
16. MacLean, Mary Kate	1:00.27

800-yard Freestyle Relay
1. Wagner, Godlewski, Detro, Van Allen	7:31.12
4. Dorszewski, Jackson, Burtch, Yockey	7:40.13

3-meter Diving
1. Dark, Lauren	329.80
3. Saya, Melynee	308.30
4. Taylor, Karly	291.05
6. Shereda, Alli	268.80*

200-yard Freestyle Relay
3. Ghaffari, Godlewski, Van Allen, MacLean	1:34.31
4. Wagne,r Detro, Mitcheltree, Garringer	1:35.44

500-yard Freestyle
1. Burtch, Audra	4:57.32
3. Dorszewski, Monica	5:00.98
5. Jackson, Carly	5:02.84
12. Detro, Becca	5:07.28

200-yard Individual Medley
3. Godlewski, Jessie	2:05.31
9. Van Allen, Grace	2:09.05
10. Garringer, Makenzie	2:09.54*
16. Daniel, Clarice	2:13.78

50-yard Freestyle
4. MacLean, Mary Kate	23.72
8. Ghaffari, Sara	24.08
9. Wagner, Sierra	24.44
13. Saddler, Abby	24.64

400-yard Medley Relay
3. Mitcheltree, Dorszewski, Godlewski, MacLean	3:46.59
4. Shaw, Worthley, Jackson, Ghaffari	3:49.82

Women's Swimming and Diving Edges Out BGSU for EMU Invitational Title

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Players Mentioned

Audra Burtch

Lauren Dark

Becca Detro

Monica Dorszewski

Sara Ghaffari

Jessie Godlewski

Carly Jackson

Mary Kate MacLean

Alexis Mitcheltree

Melynee Saya

Karly Taylor

Mary Grace Van Allen

Sierra Wagner

Genna Worthley

Eastern Michigan Athletics