Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, February 28
Oxford, Ohio
6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Championship
Men's Swimming and Diving Looks to Defend MAC Title
2/26/2018 2:45:00 PM | M. Swim & Dive
The Eagles look to lock up their fourth consecutive championship title
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — In search of its fourth consecutive Mid-American Conference title, the Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team travels to Oxford, Ohio for the MAC Championships this week, Feb. 28-March 3. The four-day event is hosted by Miami University, and will take place inside the Corwin Nixon Aquatic Center.
The Green and White return four All-MAC selections from a season ago, but will be without the contributions of three other honorees, including 2017 MAC Outstanding Diver and Diver of the Year, Alex Chan.
Eastern Michigan claimed the top spot in three events at last years championship meet, including the 1- and 3-meter dives, and 200 backstroke.
The Eagles enter the championship season owning a 7-1 dual record, having only fallen to the University of Kentucky, Oct. 14. EMU currently holds 66 of the top-20 marks in the MAC this season, including the fastest 400 freestyle relay time.
In the freestyle sprints, the Eagles have been paced by freshman Carter Swift (Shepparton, Victoria, Australia) throughout the season. Swift owns the best 100 free time in the MAC, while notching the third-best in the 50 free. The freshman has already etched his name into program history as his 100 free time of 44.75 ranks 10th-best in EMU laurels. Eastern also has junior Jake Tyson (Ipswich, England-Northgate) and freshman Andrew Torres (Muncie, Ind.-Delta) who can both score major points for EMU. Tyson owns the fourth-best 100 free time in the league and looks to improve on his third-place finish last year. Torres has recorded a pair of top-three finishes in the 50 free and tied for eighth in the conference with a time of 20.99
The Eagles depth in the mid-distance freestyle will allow EMU to garner massive points at the championships. In the 200 free, Swift holds the top-time for Eastern at 1:39.61, good for third in the MAC, while Tyson, junior Tosh Kawaguchi (Cary, N.C.-Cary) and sophomore Matan Segal (Lehavim, Israel-Hof HaSharon) are all slotted in the league's top-10. Meanwhile, in the 500 free, Kawaguchi is joined by sophomores Alex Arrieta (Miami, Fla.-Doral Academy Center) and Parker Saladin (Buchanan, Mich.-Buchanan) who will all compete for lanes in the championship heat.
In the 1650 free, the Eagles have three swimmers who are slotted in the conferences top-20 times in the form of sophomores Tanner Olmos (Clovis, Calif.-Buchanan), Jacob Ehrman (Saline, Mich.-Saline), and Corey Smith (Lansdale, Pa.). Olmos headlines the mile for the Eagles, as he has placed in the top-six twice this season, including a second-place finish at the EMU Invitational.
Backstroke has been one of Eastern Michigan's strongest events as it placed four in both 100 and 200 back at last year's championships. The duo of senior Logan Burton (Chesapeake, Va.-Hickory) and Kawaguchi pace the Eagles. Burton holds the second-best 100 back time in the conference, while Kawaguchi leads the MAC in the 200. Kawaguchi looks to defend his 200 back title from the 2017 MAC Championships and improve on his third-place finish in the 100 back. Segal, junior Ricky Perez (Greenfield, Wis.-Greenfield) and freshman Chris O'Shea (Miller Place, N.Y.-Rocky Points) are also expected to be major point contenders for EMU.
A returning All-MAC selection, Burton will lead the way in the butterfly, after finishing in third-place a season ago. Burton owns the second-best time in the league at 1:46.45 in the 200 fly, while posting a time of 48.59 in the 100 fly for third. Sophomore Matthew Martin (Brecksville, Ohio-Brecksville, Broadview Heights), Perez, Arietta, and O'Shea are also ready to make an impact.
Kawaguchi will be looked to in the individual medley has he owns a pair of top-10 MAC times in the 200 and 400 IM. The 200 IM is the junior's top time where he is slotted fifth with a mark of 1:50.04, while his 400 IM time of 4:05.39 ranks 10th. Perez and Saladin have both proven themselves to be an impact in the IMs as they have a combined four top-five finishes this season.
On the springboard, EMU Head Diving Coach Buck Smith has his group poised for another outstanding showing. Despite the loss of Chan, the Eagles will rely on senior Peter Rusenas (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville), junior Tom Gillis (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Citadel), sophomore Noah Galluzzo (Mexico, N.Y.), and freshmen Al'x Pierre (London, Ontario-St. Thomas Aquinas) and Jacob Lowe (Brunswick, Ohio). This season, Rusenas has paced the Green and White on the 1-meter, while Pierre has notched impressive scores on the 3-meter. Last season, Gillis was awarded the 206 MAC Freshman of the Year and looks to improve his third and fifth place finish in the 1- and 3-meter dives, respectively, in 2017.
Action inside the Corwin Nixon Aquatic Center begins Wednesday night, Feb. 28, with a pair of relays and continues through Saturday, March. 3. Live results for the four-day meet can be followed using the MeetMobile app.
The Green and White return four All-MAC selections from a season ago, but will be without the contributions of three other honorees, including 2017 MAC Outstanding Diver and Diver of the Year, Alex Chan.
Eastern Michigan claimed the top spot in three events at last years championship meet, including the 1- and 3-meter dives, and 200 backstroke.
The Eagles enter the championship season owning a 7-1 dual record, having only fallen to the University of Kentucky, Oct. 14. EMU currently holds 66 of the top-20 marks in the MAC this season, including the fastest 400 freestyle relay time.
In the freestyle sprints, the Eagles have been paced by freshman Carter Swift (Shepparton, Victoria, Australia) throughout the season. Swift owns the best 100 free time in the MAC, while notching the third-best in the 50 free. The freshman has already etched his name into program history as his 100 free time of 44.75 ranks 10th-best in EMU laurels. Eastern also has junior Jake Tyson (Ipswich, England-Northgate) and freshman Andrew Torres (Muncie, Ind.-Delta) who can both score major points for EMU. Tyson owns the fourth-best 100 free time in the league and looks to improve on his third-place finish last year. Torres has recorded a pair of top-three finishes in the 50 free and tied for eighth in the conference with a time of 20.99
The Eagles depth in the mid-distance freestyle will allow EMU to garner massive points at the championships. In the 200 free, Swift holds the top-time for Eastern at 1:39.61, good for third in the MAC, while Tyson, junior Tosh Kawaguchi (Cary, N.C.-Cary) and sophomore Matan Segal (Lehavim, Israel-Hof HaSharon) are all slotted in the league's top-10. Meanwhile, in the 500 free, Kawaguchi is joined by sophomores Alex Arrieta (Miami, Fla.-Doral Academy Center) and Parker Saladin (Buchanan, Mich.-Buchanan) who will all compete for lanes in the championship heat.
In the 1650 free, the Eagles have three swimmers who are slotted in the conferences top-20 times in the form of sophomores Tanner Olmos (Clovis, Calif.-Buchanan), Jacob Ehrman (Saline, Mich.-Saline), and Corey Smith (Lansdale, Pa.). Olmos headlines the mile for the Eagles, as he has placed in the top-six twice this season, including a second-place finish at the EMU Invitational.
Backstroke has been one of Eastern Michigan's strongest events as it placed four in both 100 and 200 back at last year's championships. The duo of senior Logan Burton (Chesapeake, Va.-Hickory) and Kawaguchi pace the Eagles. Burton holds the second-best 100 back time in the conference, while Kawaguchi leads the MAC in the 200. Kawaguchi looks to defend his 200 back title from the 2017 MAC Championships and improve on his third-place finish in the 100 back. Segal, junior Ricky Perez (Greenfield, Wis.-Greenfield) and freshman Chris O'Shea (Miller Place, N.Y.-Rocky Points) are also expected to be major point contenders for EMU.
A returning All-MAC selection, Burton will lead the way in the butterfly, after finishing in third-place a season ago. Burton owns the second-best time in the league at 1:46.45 in the 200 fly, while posting a time of 48.59 in the 100 fly for third. Sophomore Matthew Martin (Brecksville, Ohio-Brecksville, Broadview Heights), Perez, Arietta, and O'Shea are also ready to make an impact.
Kawaguchi will be looked to in the individual medley has he owns a pair of top-10 MAC times in the 200 and 400 IM. The 200 IM is the junior's top time where he is slotted fifth with a mark of 1:50.04, while his 400 IM time of 4:05.39 ranks 10th. Perez and Saladin have both proven themselves to be an impact in the IMs as they have a combined four top-five finishes this season.
On the springboard, EMU Head Diving Coach Buck Smith has his group poised for another outstanding showing. Despite the loss of Chan, the Eagles will rely on senior Peter Rusenas (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville), junior Tom Gillis (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Citadel), sophomore Noah Galluzzo (Mexico, N.Y.), and freshmen Al'x Pierre (London, Ontario-St. Thomas Aquinas) and Jacob Lowe (Brunswick, Ohio). This season, Rusenas has paced the Green and White on the 1-meter, while Pierre has notched impressive scores on the 3-meter. Last season, Gillis was awarded the 206 MAC Freshman of the Year and looks to improve his third and fifth place finish in the 1- and 3-meter dives, respectively, in 2017.
Action inside the Corwin Nixon Aquatic Center begins Wednesday night, Feb. 28, with a pair of relays and continues through Saturday, March. 3. Live results for the four-day meet can be followed using the MeetMobile app.
Players Mentioned
Free/Fly
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Fly
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Fly
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
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Free
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Fly
/ M. Swim & DiveEastern Michigan Head Coach Peter Linn
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2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Champions: Eastern Michigan
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Day 1 Recap: 2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
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