Green and White Claims Four Medal Finishes on Second Day of MAC Championships

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)—Eastern Michigan University's women's swimming and diving retained one of the top spots at the 2015 Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with the close of the second day of action, Feb. 26. The Eagles currently sit in second place with 221 points, with only reigning MAC champions Akron amassing more points with 242 points. Trailing Eastern are Buffalo (211), Miami (184), Bowling Green (168), Ohio and Toledo (111.50), and Ball State (79).

Eastern advanced one swimmer to the consolation final and another in the championship final in the 500 free. Carly Jackson (La Porte, Ind.-La Porte) finished with the fourth seed in the event, clocking in at 4:52.87 to gain entry into the championship heat. Finishing 10^th in the preliminary heat was Monica Dorszewski (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) in a career-best 4:54.59. Dorszewski's mark dropped in the consolation heat, as the senior finished sixth in the B final and 14^th overall with a time of 4:56.51. The championship title was won by reigning MAC champion in the event, Buffalo's Jess Powers, while Jackson took home third in 4:51.57. Her time moves the sophomore up to fourth on EMU's all-time list, while Dorszewski retains her spot at seventh in EMU laurels.

Senior Jessie Godlewski (Apex, N.C.-Apex) kept her speedy swims going in the final MAC Championships of her career. The Apex, N.C. native earned the fourth seed into the championship heat in 2:02.70 and went on to cut her time by more than a second, finishing runner-up with an NCAA consideration mark of 2:01.57. Godlewski's time moves her up to second on EMU's all-time list, as the senior is just the second Eagle in program history to swim below a 2:02.00. Though no other members of the Green and White qualified past the preliminary heat, the trio of Haley Shaw (Fenton, Mich.-Fenton), Genna Worthley (Portland, Maine-Deering), and Makenzie Garringer (Napoleon, Ohio-Napoleon) all notched personal records in the opening heats.

The Eagles were extremely well represented in the 50 free compared to last season. After Mary Kate MacLean (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Detroit Country Day) was the only Eagle to qualify to a final heat in the 2014 MAC Championships, the Green and White had two swimmers in the championship heat and an additional two in the consolation heat. MacLean set a personal record of 23.15 in the prelims, ranking fourth all-time in EMU records, and went on to finish fifth in 23.19. Swimming alongside MacLean was Sara Ghaffari (Bolinas, Sweden-Torsbergsgynasiet), who also swam a career best in the prelims of 23.16, the fifth-fastest time on EMU's all-time list.

In the consolation heat, Sierra Wagner (Huntsville Texas-Huntsville) won in a personal-best 23.29 seconds, good for fifth in EMU history after qualifying with a 23.58. Alexis Mitcheltree (Moon Twp., Pa.-Moon Area) took home third in the B final in 23.54 seconds, posting her best mark in the prelims with the seventh-fastest time in the books in 23.47 seconds.

Eastern was able to slide from fourth into second with the 1-meter dive. Lauren Dark (Chelsea, Mich.-Chelsea) and Becky Deacon (Sherwood Park, Alberta-Vimy Ridge Academy) both earned spots to the championship heat, where they finished runner-up and third, respectively behind a MAC meet record-breaking performance behind Miami's Pei Lin. Dark scored 305.65 points in the final, with her best dive coming off a 55-point effort on a back 1.5 somersault with a 1.5 twist. Deacon scored 229.25 points, with her top dive of 52.80 points thanks to a reverse 1.5 somersault.

The Eagles also sent four divers to the consolation final, led by Karly Taylor (Hammond, Ind.-Munster) with 259.30 points, while Alli Shereda (Fraser, Mich.-Fraser) finished 13^th with 252.10 points, Emily Tubbs (Monroe, Mich.-Monroe) took 14^th with 238.00 points, and Melynee Saya (Nashua, N.J.-Nashua) claimed 16^th with 217.85 points.

Capping off the day, the lineup of Wagner, Godlewski, MacLean, and Ghaffari finished fourth in the 200 free relay, touching in at 1:31.78. The mark is one of four times that fell below the previous Jones Natatorium pool record, and the Eagles were able to remain in second place at the end of the day.

The MAC Championships will resume tomorrow, Feb. 27, inside Jones Natatorium, beginning with the preliminary heats of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 breast as well and will be followed by the prelims for the 3-meter dive. Championship heats are slated to begin at 7 p.m. and live results will be provided through EMUEagles.com.

	Finals	Prelims
500-yard Freestyle
3. Jackson, Carly	4:51.57*	4:52.87
14. Dorszewski, Monica	4:56.61	4:54.59*
17. Burtch, Audra		4:57.54
19. Detro, Becca		4:57.97
22. Van Allen, Grace		4:59.34
23. Dombkowski, Sarah		5:00.31*

200-yard IM
2. Godlewski, Jessie	2:01.57*B	2:02.70
19. Shaw, Haley		2:06.56*
22. Worthley, Genna		2:06.71*
29. Garringer, Makenzie		2:07.96*

50-yard Freestyle
5. MacLean, Mary Kate	23.19	23.15*
7. Ghaffari, Sara	23.34	23.16*
9. Wagner, Sierra	23.29*	23.58
11. Mitcheltree, Alexis	23.54	23.47*
35. Wimmer, Emily		29.53
36. Rowe, Brooke		30.15*

1-meter Diving
2. Dark, Lauren	305.65	299.60
3. Deacon, Becky	299.25	286.05
10. Taylor, Karly	259.30	242.10
13. Shereda, Alli	252.10*	244.10
14. Tubbs, Emily	238.00	230.45
16. Saya, Melynee	217.85	245.40

200-yard Freestyle Relay
4. Wagner, Godlewski, MacLean, Ghaffari	1:31.78

Green and White Claims Four Medal Finishes on Second Day of MAC Championships

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Players Mentioned

Lauren Dark

Becky Deacon

Monica Dorszewski

Makenzie Garringer

Sara Ghaffari

Jessie Godlewski

Carly Jackson

Mary Kate MacLean

Alexis Mitcheltree

Melynee Saya

Haley Shaw

Alli Shereda

Karly Taylor

Emily Tubbs

Sierra Wagner

Genna Worthley

Eastern Michigan Athletics