Swim and Dive Leads the Field After Day 1 of the Denison Invitational

GRANVILLE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team opened the 2019 Denison Invitational at the Trumbull Aquatics Center Thursday, Dec. 5. After the first day of competition, Eastern Michigan leads the field of five with 639 points.

During long course Olympic time trials, senior Casey Gavigan (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) earned her spot at the U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials in 2020. Her time of 1:02.11 in the 100 meter backstroke met the organization's qualifying standard of 1:02.69.

Junior Alyssa Shugarman (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) won both the preliminaries and finals of the 500 yard freestyle races, first with a time of 4:52.07 in the preliminaries, followed by a 4:49.36 showing in the finals. Her finals mark ranks seventh all-time in program history.

In 1-meter diving, juniors Micaela Schempf (Bowling Green, Ohio-Bowling Green) and Bethany Berger (Batavia, Ohio-Glen Este) both met NCAA Championship Diving Standards. Schempf won the event with a career-best mark of 289.95, while Berger finished in the two-spot with a score of 279.70.

Junior Abby Rapien (Cincinnati, Ohio-Taylor) set a new career-best time in the 500 yard freestyle, clocking it at 4:58.31 in the preliminaries. In the finals, Rapien would once again break her personal-best, taking a second-place finish with a 4:56.14 mark.

Also setting a new career-best mark in the 500 yard freestyle was senior Marcella Da Costa (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-Colegio Dom Bosco), touching the wall with 5:02.20 on the clock.

In addition, three Eagles set personal-best marks in the 200 yard individual medley. Senior Sydney Thomas' (Jamestown, N.Y.-Southwestern Senior) 2:07.56 marked a new career-best, while juniors Riley Hofmann (Ada, Mich.-Forest Hills Central) and Ali Staver (Bettendorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley) clocked in at 2:04.13 and 2:06.27, respectively, for new personal records.

The Green and White return to action tomorrow, Dec. 6, with preliminaries at 10 a.m., followed by diving prelims and finals at 12:30 p.m. Swimming event finals will take place at 6 p.m.

Denison Invitational Results
Day 1 – December 5, 2019

Team Results
1. Eastern Michigan University - 639
2. Denison University - 619
3. Emory University - 483
4. Wayne State University - 282
5. Washington University (St. Louis) -251

50 Meter Freestyle (LC)
3. Amelia Armstrong-Grant – 26.93

800 Meter Freestyle (LC)
1. Alyssa Shugarman – 9:04.15

100 Meter Backstroke (LC)
1. Casey Gavigan – 1:02.11!
3. Claire Young – 1:03.78

100 Breaststroke (LC)
2. Elli Machado – 1:13.19

200 Yard Free Relay (Prelims)
6. Eastern Michigan A – 1:34.93
10. Eastern Michigan B – 1:37.74

500 Yard Freestyle (Prelims)
1. Alyssa Shugarman – 4:52.07
4. Abby Rapien – 4:58.31*
6. Morgan Booth – 4:59.31
13. Marcella Da Costa – 5:02.20*
14. Savanna Mouat – 5:02.87
17. Amelia Kinnard – 5:03.13
20. Sydney Thomas – 5:08.22
21. Hannah White – 5:10.20
24. Casey Gavigan – 5:12.72
28. Anna Stephan – 5:14.86
29. Elli Machado – 5:17.39
33. Kayla Whitehead – 5:29.10

200 Yard IM (Prelims)
3. Claire Young – 2:03.96
7. Riley Hofmann – 2:04.86
10. Ali Staver – 2:06.36
17. Sydney Thomas – 2:07.56*
21. Kylie Sutherlin – 2:08.77
22. Carlee Jones – 2:09.22
23. Carlin Hudson – 2:09.39
28. Amelia Kinnard – 2:10.53
33. Aleida Wilkins – 2:12.57
35. Kelsi Hill – 2:14.12

50 Yard Freestyle (Prelims)
4. Amelia Armstrong-Grant – 23.50
7. Meike Staffeldt – 23.64
14. Rachel Stark – 24.23
31. Arianna Ortiz – 24.64
35. Hunter Ignasiak – 24.81
37. Avrie Stewart – 25.04
39. Aleida Wilkins – 25.16
42. Abbey Wenger – 25.39
43. Corinne Baber – 25.63

400 Yard Medley Relay (Prelims)
6. Eastern Michigan B – 3:54.42
7. Eastern Michigan A – 3:55.43

1-meter Diving (Prelims)
1. Bethany Berger – 282.70
2. Brielle Johnston – 273.05
4. Sophia Tsafantakis – 259.85
5. Micaela Schempf – 250.25
7. Keira Veltigian – 239.60
10. Angelia Daman – 230.40

1-meter Diving (Finals)
1. Micaela Schempf – 289.95*
2. Bethany Berger – 279.70
4. Sophia Tsafantakis – 261.90
5. Brielle Johnston – 261.20
8. Keira Veltigian – 220.40

200 Yard Freestyle Relay (Finals)
5. Eastern Michigan A – 1:34.42
10. Eastern Michigan B – 1:36.61

500 Yard Freestyle (Finals)
1. Alyssa Shugarman – 4:49.36
2. Abby Rapien – 4:56.14
5. Morgan Booth – 4:59.64
10. Savanna Mouat – 4:57.77
14. Amelia Kinnard – 5:01.27
15. Marcella Da Costa – 5:02.16
19. Casey Gavigan – 5:02.98
20. Sydney Thomas – 5:03.20
22. Hannah White – 5:04.71
24. Anna Stephan – 5:09.70

200 Yard IM (Finals)
3. Claire Young – 2:03.56
6. Riley Hofmann – 2:04.13*
12. Ali Staver – 2:06.27*
16. Sydney Thomas – 2:07.95
21. Carlee Jones – 2:08.20
22. Kylie Sutherlin – 2:08.40
25. Carlin Hudson – 2:09.06

50 Yard Freestyle (Finals)
5. Amelia Armstrong-Grant – 23.41
8. Meike Staffeldt – 23.75
12. Rachel Stark – 23.91

400 Yard Medley Relay (Finals)
2. Eastern Michigan A – 3:44.28
3. Eastern Michigan B – 3:46.40

! = Olympic Trials Qualifying Mark
* = Career-best time

Swim and Dive Leads the Field After Day 1 of the Denison Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Amelia Armstrong-Grant

Corinne Baber

Bethany Berger

Morgan Booth

Marcella Da Costa

Angelia Daman

Casey Gavigan

Kelsi Hill

Riley Hofmann

Carlin Hudson

Hunter Ignasiak

Brielle Johnston

Carlee Jones

Amelia Kinnard

Elli Machado

Sav Mouat

Arianna Ortiz

Abby Rapien

Micaela Schempf

Alyssa Shugarman

Meike Staffeldt

Rachel Stark

Ali Staver

Anna Stephan

Avrie Stewart

Kylie Sutherlin

Sydney Thomas

Sophia Tsafantakis

Keira Veltigian

Hannah White

Kayla Whitehead

Aleida Wilkins

Claire Young

Eastern Michigan Athletics