Eagles Hit Road for Duals Against Purdue and Ball State

Complete Notes (PDF)
Live Results vs. Purdue

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- After a six-week hiatus, the Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team returns to competition this weekend, Jan. 15-16, for a pair of duals. Hitting the road for the first time this season, the Eagles will take on Purdue University, Jan. 15, before battling Mid-American Conference foe, Ball State University, in Muncie, Ind., Jan. 16.

NEW YEAR BRINGS ON NEW CHALLENGES: With the calendar's flip to 2016, the Eagles will take on a test they have not had to face yet this season - competing away from Jones Natatorium.
   The Green and White open the new year with a pair of road competitions, including their first taste of Mid-American Conference action this season. The Eagles kick off the new year, Jan. 15, against Purdue. A one-day turnaround will see the Eagles trek east for a MAC dual against Ball State University, Jan. 16.

BATTLING THE BOILERMAKERS: Purdue owns a 3-2 record in dual action this season, winning their latest matchup, 188/112 over conference rival, Iowa, Nov. 6. Taking a two-month long break from dual competition, Purdue took part in the Purdue Invitational and USA Diving Winter Nationals. The Boilermakers won their own event, besting Wyoming, Notre Dame, Missouri State, and Southern Illinois.
   Breaststroke standout Marat Amaltdinov has led the Boilermakers efforts in the pool this season and will likely swim alongside EMU's Chris Hodges and Kyle Aerne. Hodges hopes to remain perfect (4-for-4) in the 200 Breast this season when he faces his toughest task of the year in Amaltdinov. In addition to Amaltdinov, the Boilermakers need Joe Cifelli to challenge EMU's Alex Chan and company in the diving events. Cifelli has been named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week four times this season, consistently excelling on the 3-meter springboard.

COLLIDING WITH THE CARDINALS: Saturday's dual pits the Eagles (2-1, 0-0 MAC) against Ball State (0-2, 0-0) in Mid-American Conference competition for the 25th time in Head Coach Peter Linn's tenure. Ball State has fallen on tough times this season, dropping a pair of duals to Xavier and IUPUI, leaving them winless in head-to-head competition.
   Cole Smith's performances in Freestyle events has been a bright spot for the Cardinals, as Smith holds two top-20 times in the conference rankings. Competing in the 50 and 100 Free, Smith will likely square off with EMU's Andrew Henry.

STACKING UP AGAINST B1G COMPETITION: The Boilermakers are the third Big Ten Conference opponent Eastern Michigan will face off against this season, but first they will tangle with away from the friendly confines of Jones Natatorium. EMU has compiled an even 1-1 record against the Rosemont, Ill. based conference during the 2015-16 campaign. EMU opened the season with a win over Northwestern, 182-118, before falling short against No. 8 Ohio State, 203.5-96.5, Nov. 14.

EAGLES > CARDINALS: The Eagles have reigned supreme over the Cardinals historically, holding a 23-1 edge in meeting's during Peter Linn's tenure. Ball State topped the Eagles 135-108 during the 1991-92 season but the Green and White have won 20 consecutive duals against the Cardinals since the setback.

KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE: When the Eagles dip into the pool against the Ball State Cardinals, Jan. 16, they will be seeking their 69th consecutive MAC dual victory. In prepartation for a strong MAC dual season and another championship showing at the 2016 MAC Championships, the Green and White take on stiff competition to begin the season.

FRESHMAN PHENOMS: Freshmen Tosh Kawaguchi and Jake Tyson have made seamless transitions to collegiate swimming, serving as key pieces to the Eagles' success this season. Through the first half of the season, the freshmen duo has racked up nearly 30 top-three finishes. Kawaguchi has three individual first place finishes to his credit, including the top time of the season for the Eagles in the 100 Back (49.95). In 13 individual races, the Cary, N.C. product has finished inside the top three 10 times. Tyson has seen similar success, claiming the first individual win of his career at the EMU Invitational, Dec. 5, when he bested the field in the 200 Individual Medley.
   In addition to their individual successes, Kawaguchi and Tyson have been major contributors to Eastern Michigan's relay success. Kawaguchi has been apart of two first place relays while Tyson's squads have won 4-of-5 races.

CLOSING IN ON 250: Head Coach Peter Linn's 27-year tenure at Eastern Michigan has guided the Eagles to a number of successes over the years. Following EMU's sweep of Oakland, Linn's career record on the women's side sits at 61-36 while he owns a 185-57 at helm for the men. Additionally, the win moves Linn's total coaching record to 246-93, good for a .726 winning percentage. With plenty of opportunities on the schedule for each of Linn's teams, he could reach the 250 win mark this season.

SENIORS CONTINUE TO SOAR: Seniors Chris Hodges and Andrew Henry continued to serve as catalysts for the Eagles at the EMU Invitational, Dec. 4-5, as the veterans have done all season.
   Hodges competed in five races on the weekend, winning four of them. Individually, Hodges collected his second win of the season in the 100 Breaststroke before remaining perfect in the 200 Breast later in the day. The Lincolnshire, Ill. native touched in with a season-best time of 2:01.76 in the 200 Breast for his fourth win in the event in as many tries.
   Henry went a perfect 7-for-7 at the two-day event, while remaining unbeaten in the 100 and 200 Freestyle this season. The freestyle specialist later added his first win of the season in the 500 Free.
   The senior swimmers teammed up for first place finishes in the 400 Medley Relay, while Hodges added another win to his weekend as part of the 200 Medley Relay squad. Serving as the anchorman for the Eagles, Henry added victories in the 200, 400, and 800 Free Relay.

HENRY DOES IT AGAIN: A perfect outing at the EMU Invitational, Dec. 4-5, earned senior Andrew Henry his third Mid-American Conference Swimmer of the Week honor this season. Accounting for 220 of EMU's 1252 points, Henry claimed the award for the sixth time in his career. The Garner, N.C. product was also named MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week for his performance. A construction management major, Henry carries a 3.78 grade point average.

EAGLES CLAIM TOP SPOT AT EMU INVITATIONAL: The Eastern Michigan University's men's swimming and diving won its fourth consecutive title in the annual EMU Invitational, Dec.4-5, handily taking the victory by a margin of almost 500 points. The Eagles finished with 1,252 points, followed by Wayne State (761.5), Ball State (643), Ashland (558), Tiffin (138.5) and IUPUI (91).

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Players Mentioned

Kyle Aerne

Alex Chan

Andrew Henry

Chris Hodges

Tosh Kawaguchi

Jake Tyson

Eastern Michigan Athletics