Eagles Wrangle Bulls in Senior Day Victory

Complete Results

Photo Gallery

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)—Eastern Michigan University's women's swimming and diving team wrapped up its final dual of the 2014-15 season, earning a Senior Day victory over Mid-American Conference foe the University at Buffalo, 181-117, Jan. 24. With the win, the Eagles advance to 5-1-1 (4-1 MAC), while Buffalo falls to 6-2 (1-2 MAC).

Before the start of the meet, Lauren Dark (Chelsea, Mich.-Chelsea), Monica Dorszewski (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine), Sara Ghaffari (Bolinas, Sweden-Torsbergsgynasiet), Jessie Godlewski (Apex, N.C.-Apex), Melynee Saya (Nashua, N.J.-Nashua), Karly Taylor (Munster, Ind.-Munster), and Pauline Vigneron (Mouscron, Belgium-College Ste. Marie) were honored by the team as a part of the meet's Senior Day activities.

In addition to it being Senior Day, it was also Alumni Day for the Green and White. During the break before the 200 IM, 11 former EMU swimmers and divers were welcomed on deck to be recognized by the crowd, including: Chris Alberty, 2010; Wesley Blassneck, 2013; Tyler Capen, 2013; Kevin Doak, 2003; Alan Duski, 2012; Gus Everson, 2014; Mark Johnson, 1997; Aaron Lawson, 2014; Gilles Renard, 2012; Jackie Swartz, 2014; and Lesley Viurraga, 2011.

Eastern secured 10 victories on the afternoon, with the seniors performing exceptionally well in their final home dual. The meet started off with a win in the 200 medley relay, in which Alexis Mitcheltree (Moon Twp., Pa.-Moon Area), Genna Worthley (Portland, Maine-Deering), Ghaffari, and Mary Kate MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Detroit Country Day) touched in at 1:44.56. Immediately following was the 1000 free, with Sarah Dombkowski leading the way in her second meet as an Eagle in 10:23.68 for third.

The first individual victor of the day came by way of Becca Detro (Carmel, Ind.-Carmel)'s dominating win in the 200 free. The junior cut nearly a second off her season-best, finishing well ahead of the field in 1:50.67. Also swimming her fastest 200 of the season was Grace Van Allen (Indianapolis, Ind.-North Central), who claimed runner-up in 1:51.76. Van Allen also took second in the 500 free, keeping pace with Buffalo's Jess Powers after falling behind a body length early on to touch in at 5:00.64 while Dombkowski claimed third in 5:07.50. The sophomore picked up a final runner-up placement at the close of the meet's individual events, finishing second in the 200 IM in 2:08.02 while Godlewski clinched third in 2:08.20.

Rounding out the freestyle races, Ghaffari sprinted to a second-place finish in the 50 free, clocking in at 23.82, and MacLean finished a split-second behind her teammate in 23.83 for third. MacLean later paced the Green and White in the 100 free, earning runner-up in 52.72 seconds.

Carly Jackson (La Porte, Ind.-La Porte) once again swept the butterfly races for the Eagles, while Godlewski helped deliver a 1-2 punch in both the 100 and 200 fly. Jackson paced the field in 56.06 seconds while Godlewski clocked in half a second later in 56.67, and the pair also claimed the top two spots in the 200 fly with Jackson finishing in 2:03.78 and Godlewski shortly after in 2:04.69.

The backstroke events were controlled by Mitcheltree, whose times of 57.08 seconds in the 100 back and 2:02.25 in the 200 back both marked career bests for the sophomore. Picking up second in the 100 back was Haley Shaw (Fenton, Mich.-Fenton) in 59.98 seconds, while Abby Aumiller (Canton, Mich.-Salem) placed third in the 200 back with a time of 2:08.21.

Dorszewski continued her strong swims in the breaststroke events, picking up a pair of wins with second-wide margins of victory in each. In the 100 breast, the Palatine, Ill. native finished in 1:04.70, two and a half seconds ahead of Buffalo's first finisher, while Worthley grabbed second in 1:05.52 and Emily Wimmer (Hammond, Ind.-Munster) placed third in 1:05.71. Dorszewski was then the only competitor to post a sub-2:20.00 200 breast, clocking in at 2:19.34, while Brooke Rowe claimed third in 2:22.22.

In the diving competitions, Becky Deacon (Sherwood Park, Alberta-Vimy Ridge Academy) earned the top mark in the 1-meter dive with a score of 282.60 to lead a sweep of the event along with Dark and Taylor, who notched 270.45 and 236.10 points, respectively. Dark took top honors in the 3-meter dive after posting a score of 321.45 points, and Alli Shereda (Fraser, Mich.-Fraser) finished second with 264.53 points.

The Eagles had secured the victory well before the close of the meet and opted to swim the 400 free relay as an exhibition. Buffalo's A team also swam the event as an exhibition, but the two teams still battled in the final event and featured a surge from UB's anchor, Megan Burns, to edge out the Eagles' top lineup by .08 seconds.

Eastern's schedule will feature one more competition leading up to the 2015 MAC Swimming and Diving Championships, as the team will head to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State Invitational. The meet is a two-day event, Feb. 14-15.

EMU Individual Results (* signifies personal best)

200-yard Medley Relay
1. Mitcheltree, Worthley, Ghaffari, MacLean	1:44.56
3. Shaw, Dorszewski, Jackson, Godlewski	1:47.24
5. Aumiller, Rowe, Trace, Saddler	X1:50.47

1000-yard Freestyle
3. Dombkowski, Sarah	10:23.68*
4. Burtch, Audra	10:32.58
5. Murslack, Allison	10:42.51

200-yard Freestyle
1. Detro, Becca	1:50.67
2. Van Allen, Grace	1:51.76
5. Wagner, Sierra	1:54.98
6. Yockey, Rosalie	X1:56.31

100-yard Backstroke
1. Mitcheltree, Alexis	57.08*
2. Shaw, Haley	59.98
4. Aumiller, Abby	1:00.15
6. Garringer, Makenzie	X1:00.32

100-yard Breast
1. Dorszewski, Monica	1:04.70
2. Worthley, Genna	1:05.52
3. Wimmer, Emily	1:05.71
4. Rowe, Brooke	X1:05.80

200-yard Butterfly
1. Jackson, Carly	2:03.78
2. Godlewski, Jessie	2:04.69
4. Daniel, Clarice	2:07.63
8. Vigneron, Pauline	X2:16.37

50-yard Freestyle
2. Ghaffari, Sara	23.82
3. MacLean, Mary Kate	23.83
6. Saddler, Abby	24.54
8. Newell, Hannah	X25.40

3-meter Diving
1. Dark, Lauren	321.45
2. Shereda, Alli	264.53
4. Taylor, Karly	221.41
6. Tubbs, Emily	X216.38

100-yard Freestyle
2. MacLean, Mary Kate	52.72
3. Detro, Becca	52.78
6. Wagner, Sierra	53.33
7. Saddler Abby	X54.30
8. Newell, Hannah	X54.85

200-yard Backstroke
1. Mitcheltree, Alexis	2:02.25*
3. Aumiller, Abby	2:08.21

200-yard Breaststroke
1. Dorszewski, Monica	2:19.34
3. Rowe, Brooke	2:22.22*
4. Worthley, Genna	2:24.36
8. Wimmer, Emily	X2:28.27

500-yard Freestyle
2. Van Allen, Grace	5:00.64
3. Dombkowski, Sarah	5:07.50*
4. Burtch, Audra	5:09.02
7. Yockey, Rosalie	X5:13.98
8. Murslack, Allison	X5:15.14

100-yard Butterfly
1. Jackson, Carly	56.06
2. Godlewski, Jessie	56.57
4. Ghaffari, Sara	57.51
6. Trace, Betsy	X58.84
9. Vigneron, Pauline	1:02.00

1-meter Diving
1. Deacon, Becky	282.60
2. Dark, Lauren	270.45
3. Taylor, Karly	236.10
6. Tubbs, Emily	X223.65
8. Shereda, Alli	X214.95

200-yard Individual Medley
2. Van Allen, Grace	2:08.02*
3. Godlewski, Jessie	2:08.20
6. Worthley, Genna	2:12.38
7. Garringer, Makenzie	X2:13.12
9. Daniel, Clarice	X2:14.11

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Abby Aumiller

Lauren Dark

Becky Deacon

Becca Detro

Sarah Dombkowski

Monica Dorszewski

Sara Ghaffari

Jessie Godlewski

Carly Jackson

Mary Kate MacLean

Alexis Mitcheltree

Brooke Rowe

Melynee Saya

Haley Shaw

Alli Shereda

Jackie Swartz

Karly Taylor

Mary Grace Van Allen

Pauline Vigneron

Emily Wimmer

Genna Worthley

Eastern Michigan Athletics