Swimming and Diving Opens Season Against Denison Saturday

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)- The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team opens its 2018-19 season with a dual meet at home against Denison University, Saturday, Oct. 20. The meeting with the Big Red in Jones Natatorium is set to begin at 1 p.m.

EMU's 2018-19 campaign marks Head Coach Peter Linn's 14th year at the helm of the swimming and diving program. After a fourth consecutive runner-up finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships, the Eagles look to use their strong veteran core of returning swimmers to propel them through the season. Leading Linn's squad are seniors Emilie Desnoyers (St. Albert, Alberta), Delaney Duncan (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg), Stephanie Johnston (Holland, Mich.-Hamilton), Michal Liberman (Rosh Haayin, Israel-Begin), Gabrielle Mace (Clinton, Mich.-Chippewa Valley), Marissa Marion (Rockford, Mich.-Rockford), Nicole Swartz (Dayton, Ohio-Centerville), Dora Vrcic (Dubrovacka, Split, Croatia), and Rebecca Winnert (Buffalo, N.Y.-Williamsville).

Sprints-Middle Distance Freestyle
Eastern Michigan looks to juniors Amelia Armstrong-Grant (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Saline) and Rachel Stark (Avon, Ohio- Avon) to take leadership of the Eagles' sprint efforts with the loss of senior Chase Walker. The Ypsilanti, Mich. native led the squad in the 100 and 200 Free, placing in seventh and eighth at the MAC Championships, respectively. In addition, Armstrong-Grant's time of 23.30 in the 50 Free registered her career-best time, and was good for a 12th place finish. Stark owned six top-five finishes in the 100 and 200 free last season, including event titles in the 100 Free in duals against Albion and Ball State.

The Eagles also return sophomore Meike Staffeldt (Niedersachsen, Germany) and Johnston, who each added points for the Eagles in the 2017-18 season. Expected to make an immediate impact in her season-debut for the Eagles is freshman Corinne Baber (Kings Mill, Ohio-Kings Local), a four-time First Team All-Eastern Cincinnati awardee.

Distance
With the return of reigning MAC Co-Swimmer of the Year Nicole Swartz, the Eagles are set for a dominant season in the distance events. The Dayton, Ohio native is coming off a stellar junior campaign, where she went undefeated in the 1000 Free and compiled 26 top-three finishes, including 20 first-place finishes. Swartz enters her senior season as the prevailing conference 1650 Free and 400 Individual Medley champion.

In addition to Swartz, EMU will also rely on the efforts of sophomores Alyssa Shugarman (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) and Kaitlynd Scanlan (Waukesha, Wis.-Pewaukee). In her inaugural season, Shugarman earned nine top-five finishes, as well as finishing 14th, 17th, and 12th at the MAC championships in the 200 free, 500 free and 1650 free, respectively. Scanlan swam in nine meets for the Green and White, earning top-20 finishes in the 500 and 1650 free at the MAC championships.

Butterfly
EMU returns its entire Butterfly lineup from 2017-18, led by Desnoyers, junior Kylie Sutherlin (Fishers, Ind.-Hamilton Southeastern), and sophomore Ali Staver (Bettendorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley). Desnoyers earned two top-10 finishes at the league championships, as her time of 55.50 in the 100 Fly was good for a 10th-place finish, while her time of 2:02.81 in the 200 Fly ranked eighth-best.

Sutherlin's sophomore campaign included 10 top-five finishes and one event win against Denison, Oct. 21, 2017, in the 200 IM. She recorded her career-best 100 Fly, 200 Fly, and 200 IM times at the Ohio State Invitational, Feb. 10-11, 2018, earning her two third place finishes and a fifth-place finish, respectively. Staver's debut season in the Green and White included eight top-five finishes in 11 meets swam, marking her career-best times of 56.51 in the 100 Fly and 2:04.39 in the 200 Fly at the MAC Championships. With the addition of freshman Anna Stephan (San Diego, Calif.-Scripps Ranch), the Eagles are set to soar over the competition.

Backstroke
The Green and White returns two of the conference's best backstrokers in juniors Casey Gavigan (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) and Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.-Gross Pointe South). Gavigan's efforts at the MAC Championship earned her the 200 Back title, while her time of 1:55.93 is the fastest time in Eastern Michigan history. In addition, her third-place finish with a time of 54.17 in the 100 Back was her career-best and the third-fastest in EMU's laurels. The First Team All-MAC and Academic All-MAC selection notched 25 top-three finishes last season, including 16 first-place finishes.

Young returns to the water after two second-place finishes at the Mac Championship in the 100 and 200 Back events. Her time of 53.47 in the 100 Back moved her to second-best all-time in Eastern's record books, while her 1:56.65 finish in the 200 Back also locked up the second-best time in school history. The Grosse Pointe, Mich. native earned 15 event wins last season, and posted all of her career-best times in the 50, 100, and 200 back in her junior campaign.

In addition to the dynamic duo, the Eagles add freshman Amelia Kinnard (Dexter, Mich.-Dexter), an All-American Scholar and 2015 Michigan Division II State Champion. In addition to Kinnard, the Eagles return Dora Vrcic and Avrie Stewart (Menominee, Mich.-Menominee) to add even more depth to one of their best events.

Breaststroke
Two-time All-American swimmer and team captain, senior Delaney Duncan, heads Eastern's Breaststroke lineup. Her 2017-18 campaign included 14 first-place finishes and four career-best performances in the 100 and 200 Breast, along with the 100 Fly and 200 IM. At the conference championships, Duncan earned her third-straight 100 Breast MAC title, while notching a second-place finish in the 200 Breast. Her fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship made her the first Eastern Michigan All-American First team member since 2013. In addition, Duncan's performance in the 100 Breast at the NCAA's bettered her school-record best time (58.36). The senior team captain is aided by sophomores Elli Machado (Reading, Pa.-Exeter Township) and Carlee Jones (Edgewood, Ky.-Notre Dame Academy), who both added points for EMU in the event last season.

Individual Medley
EMU brings back one of the best individual medley lineups in the conference, headlined by Swartz, who won the 400 IM MAC title, while also setting a new Eastern Michigan school record in with her 4:14.08 finish in the event. In addition to the senior, five of Eastern's all-time best IM swimmers are in the 2018-19 lineup, including Duncan, Young, Jones, Scanlan and junior Sydney Thomas (Jamestown, N.Y.-Southwestern Senior). Duncan holds EMU's all-time best finish in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.94, while Young locked up the seventh-best time in school history with her 2:02.59 finish at the MAC Championships. Jones, Thomas, and Scanlan hold the Green and White's seventh, ninth and 10th all-time best 400 IM times, respectively.

Relays
The Eagles have to fill the shoes of Chase Walker, an integral part of the three Eagles' top-five MAC relay teams. Liberman, Gavigan, Staver, Vrcic, Sutherlin and sophomore Riley Hoffman (Ada, Mich.-Forest Hills Central) all saw time on a relay last season and are potential members of this year's relay team.

Eastern's medley relay lineup will remain largely the same, following last season's 400 yard medley runner-up finish at the conference championships. The Green and White will look to a combination of Gavigan, Young, Duncan, Machado, Ali Staver (Bettendorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley), Vrcic, Johnston, and Armstrong-Grant to lead the team's efforts.

Diving
The 2017-18 MAC Diving Coach of the Year, Buck Smith will have big shoes to fill in departures of NCAA Championship qualifying diver Alli Shereda, as well as Molly Miller and Emily Tubbs. The 19-year head coach will look to the leadership of junior Sofia Tsfantakis (Washington, Mich.-Romeo), who earned a sixth-place finish on the 3-meter at the 2018 MAC Championships. Along with Tsfantakis, 2018 Freshman Diver of the Year Micaela Schempf (Bowling Green, Ohio-Bowling Green) returns with hopes of building on her stellar season, which earned her ninth and 16th place finishes at the MAC Championships on the 1-and-3-meter, respectively. The 2018-19 squad is rounded out by senior Gabrielle Mace, 2017 MAC Freshman Diver of the Year Brielle Johnston (Ottawa, Ontario-Catholique Franco-Quest) and sophomore Bethany Berger (Batavia, Ohio-Glen Este).

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Players Mentioned

Amelia Armstrong-Grant

Corinne Baber

Bethany Berger

Emilie Desnoyers

Delaney Duncan

Casey Gavigan

Brielle Johnston

Stephanie Johnston

Carlee Jones

Amelia Kinnard

Michal Liberman

Gabrielle Mace

Elli Machado

Marissa Marion

Molly Miller

Kaitlynd Scanlan

Micaela Schempf

Alli Shereda

Alyssa Shugarman

Meike Staffeldt

Rachel Stark

Ali Staver

Anna Stephan

Avrie Stewart

Kylie Sutherlin

Nicole Swartz

Sydney Thomas

Emily Tubbs

Dora Vrcic

Chase Walker

Rebecca Winnert

Eastern Michigan Athletics