Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Akron
Eagles Earn 11th Consecutive MAC Dual Win Over Akron
11/4/2017 5:02:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Nicole Swartz and Casey Gavigan paced the Eagles with two event wins apiece
Full Results (PDF)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Junior Nicole Swartz (Dayton, Ohio-Centerville) and sophomore Casey Gavigan (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) picked up two wins apiece to lead the Eastern Michigan University women's swimming and diving teams past defending Mid-American Conference champions Akron, 162-138, Saturday Nov. 4, at Jones Natatorium. With the victory, the Eagles secured their 11th consecutive MAC dual win and moved to 3-1 on the season.
Sophomore Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.- Grosse Pointe South), juniors Delaney Duncan (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg), Michal Liberman (Rosh Haayin, Israel-Begin), and Stephanie Johnston (Holland, Mich.) put the Eagles in front from the get-go, claiming the top spot in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:42.36, while another EMU cohort rounded out the top three as the relay of Gavigan, freshman Carlee Jones (Edgewood, Ky.-Notre Dame Academy), junior Dora Vrcic (Dubrovacka, Split, Croatia), and senior Chase Walker (Virginia Beach, Va.-Landstown) touched in a time of 1:46.38 for a third-place finish.
Paced by a pair of season-bests, the Eagles gained an early lead with a first and third-place finish in the 1000 freestyle. Swartz led the way, touching in with a season-best time of 10:06.82, while senior Sarah Dombkowski (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth) claimed third with a time of 10:19.65.
After a second-place finish by freshman Meike Staffeldt (Niedersachsen, Germany) in the 200 free, the Green and White used a pair of top-finishes in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke to distance itself from the Zips.
In the 100 back, Gavigan clocked in a season-best time of 55.39 while Young followed behind at 56.27, good for a third-place finish.
In the 100 breast, Duncan used her best performance of the season to nab the first-place spot, touching in at 1:01.74.
Akron cut into EMU's lead with a 1-2 finish in the 200 fly, but a third-place finish by junior Emilie Desnoyers (St. Albert, Alberta) in the event followed up with a pair of top-three finishes in the 50 free by Walker and Johnston, the Eagles remained in front through nine events.
EMU's diving squad came up huge for the Eagles as the Green and White had sweeps in both the 1 and 3-meter. Starting on the 3-meter, sophomore Brielle Johnston (Ottawa, Ontario-Catholique Franco-Quest) led the sweep, finishing with a score of 281.26. Seniors Emily Tubbs (Monroe, Mich-Monroe) and Alli Shereda (Fraser, Mich.-Fraser) rounded out the top-three with scores of 264.53 and 263.63, respectively. In the 1-meter it was Shereda this time leading the sweep, finishing the day with a score of 255.82. Johnston and senior Molly Miller (Farmington Hills, Mich.-Harrison) posted second and third-place scores of 246.45 and 239.92, respectively.
After the Zips snagged the top-two spots in the 100 free, the Eagles returned the favor with a 1-2 punch in the 200 back. With her second event win of the afternoon, Gavigan showed her strength in the opening split and continued the pace, finishing first at with a season-best time of 2:01.48. Young rounded out the top-two sweep, touching in at 2:03.04.
In the 200 breast, Duncan locked up second-place with a season-best time of 2:16.42 to extend EMU's advantage.
Moving to the 500 free, Swartz and Dombkowski turned in another pair of top-two finishes. Swartz continued to show her strength, taking the 500 free in a landslide at 4:56.52. On her heels was Dombkowski who touched in at 5:00.12, good for second-place.
Liberman added a second-place finish in the 100 fly before the Eagles closed out the individual events in the 200 individual medley. The Zips cut into the Eagles' lead significantly with a sweep in the IM, but Jones and Young posted fourth and fifth-place finishes to keep Eastern's lead intact.
With just a five point lead over Akron heading into the final event, the Green and White secured the MAC win with first and third place finishes in the 400 free relay. Armstrong, Staffeldt, Desnoyers, and Walker locked up 11 points with the nail biting win, finishing less than a second before the runner-up.
The Eagles are back in action with the men's team when they welcome Oakland University next weekend, Saturday, Nov. 11. Action is slated for 1 p.m. in Jones Natatorium.
EMU Individual Results
* Denotes season-best
1000 Free
1. Nicole Swartz 10:06.82*
3. Sarah Dombkowski 10:19.65*
4. Alyssa Shugarman 10:35.91*
x. Kaitlynd Scanlan 10:37.09*
200 Free
2. Meike Staffeldt 1:53.47*
4. Amelia Armstrong-Grant 1:54.43*
5. Marissa Marion 1:55.93
100 Back
1. Casey Gavigan 55.39*
3. Claire Young 56.27*
4. Michal Liberman 56.99*
x. Avrie Stewart 58.98*
100 Breast
1. Delaney Duncan 1:01.74*
6. Carlee Jones 1:07.73
8. Arianna Ortiz 1:09.68
200 Fly
3. Emilie Desnoyers 2:04.90
5. Rebecca Winnert 2:07.50
6. Abby Rapien 2:08.24
x. Kylie Sutherlin 2:09.17
x. Ali Staver 2:10.59
50 Free
2. Chase Walker 23.92*
3. Stephanie Johnston 24.00
6. Dora Vrcic 24.58*
x. Abby Saddler 24.70
x. Hannah Newell 25.39
3-meter
1. Brielle Johnston 281.26*
2. Emily Tubbs 264.53*
3. Alli Shereda 263.63
x. Molly Miller 262.35*
x. Gabrielle Mace 221.40
100 Free
3. Chase Walker 52.42*
4. Amelia Armstrong-Grant 52.57
5. Meike Staffeldt 52.74*
x. Marissa Marion 54.64
200 Back
1. Casey Gavigan 2:01.48*
2. Claire Young 2:03.04*
5. Riley Hofmann 2:09.92
x. Avrie Stewart 2:10.90*
200 Breast
2. Delaney Duncan 2:16.42*
5. Carlee Jones 2:24.28
7. Arianna Ortiz 2:29.19*
500 Free
1. Nicole Swartz 4:56.52*
2. Sarah Dombkowski 5:00.12*
4. Rebecca Winnert 5:10.98*
x. Alyssa Shugarman 5:14.54*
x. Sydney Thomas 5:18.49*
100 Fly
2. Michal Liberman 56.27
5. Dora Vrcic 58.83
6. Marcella Da Costa 58.98*
x. Ali Staver 59.23
x. Abby Rapien 1:00.48
1-meter
1. Alli Shereda 255.82
2. Brielle Johnston 246.45*
3. Molly Miller 239.92*
x. Sophia Tsafantakis 234.45*
x. Gabrielle Mace 188.70*
x. Bethany Berger 255.90*
x. Emily Tubbs 250.05*
x. Mikela Schempf 247.72*
200 IM
4. Carlee Jones 2:08.13*
5. Claire Young 2:08.16*
7. Riley Hofmann 2:11.00
x. Kylie Sutherlin 2:12.89
x. Ali Staver 2:15.02
Players Mentioned
