Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, February 27
Akron, Ohio
6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Championships
Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
Swim and Dive Readies for MAC Championships
2/26/2019 3:03:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Eagles look to break their four-year runner-up streak Feb. 27- March 2
AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team travels to Akron, Ohio for the Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championships this Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 27-March 2, inside Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium. The Eagles look to secure their first conference championship since 2007, while also hoping to break their four-year streak of finishing as runner-up at the event.
Last year's MAC Championships saw three Eagles snag four individual championships on their way to a second-place finish. Then-junior Nicole Swartz (Dayton, Ohio-Centerville) collected the top finishes in both the 1650 Freestyle and 400 IM events, earning her a part of the conference's Swimmer of the Year award. Fellow then-junior Delaney Duncan (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg) finished first in the 100 Breaststroke for the third-straight season, while then-sophomore Casey Gavigan (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) recorded her first-career individual conference championship with a school-record setting performance of 1:55.93 in the 200 Backstroke.
Returning all three swimmers, who secured 2018 individual conference championships, the Eagles are poised for another strong team performance. Eastern Michigan's distance efforts are once again led by Swartz, who holds the second-fastest conference 1000 Free performance, as well as the fourth-best 1650 Free time and ninth-best 500 Free effort. Also, holding top-conference performances in the 1650 Freestyle are sophomores Kaitlynd Scanlan (Waukesha, Wis-Pewaukee) and Alyssa Shugarman (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego), possessing the seventh and eighth-best performances by a league athlete in the event, respectively.
Duncan returns to the conference's title chase as the three-time champion in the 100 Breaststroke, currently holding the top time by a MAC athlete this season at 1:00.88 as well as the Eastern Michigan school record in the swim of 58.36. The Galesburg, Ill. native looks to become the only four-time champion of the 100 Breast in MAC history. Alongside Duncan, sophomore Elli Machado (Reading, Pa.-Exeter Township) will add depth to the Eagles' breaststroke efforts, as she has the third-fastest time in the conference in the same event. The duo will look to add big points to EMU's totals in the 200 Breast as well, holding the fourth and 12th-fastest times in the conference this season.
The Green and White's butterfly squad is led by 2018 MAC Championship top-10 finisher senior Emilie Desnoyers (St. Albert, Alberta), who looks to top her eighth-place 200 Fly and tied for 10th place 100 Fly finishes from a year ago. Desnoyers enters the championship competition holding the 13th-best 200 Fly time by a conference athlete this season. Fellow senior Dora Vrcic (Dubrovacka, Split, Croatia) and sophomores Ali Staver (Bettendorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley) and Avrie Stewart (Menominee, Mich.-Menominee) are also expected to compete for the Eagles in the Fly events. Vrcic has seen success throughout the season in the 100 Fly, as her time of 56.43 in the event at the Denison Invitational (Nov. 29) ranks within the top-25 performances seen in the conference all year.
One of the EMU's deepest lineups, the duo of Gavigan and junior Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.-Grosse Pointe South) hope to add big points for the Eagles after strong performances throughout the year. The pair hold the fourth and fifth-fastest time in the 100 Backstroke in the 2018-19 campaign, respectively. Furthermore, Young holds the fifth-best mark in the conference in the 200 Back and Gavigan holds the ninth-best MAC effort in the same event. Moreover, as two of the best backstroke specialists in EMU history, Young holds the second-fastest 100 and 200 Back marks in Eastern laurels and Gavigan holds the third-best effort in the 100 Back and the program's record in the 200 Back.
Swartz and Young are EMU's likely individual medley competitors, as Swartz hopes to defend her 400 IM title while Young will use her season's efforts, holding the 29th-best time by a conference swimmer in the 200 IM.
On the springboard, the Eagles will feel the loss of last year's bronze medalist and NCAA qualifier Alli Shereda, who recorded a career-best 3-meter point total of 326.50 to snag a podium finish in 2018. Hoping to fill her shoes are senior Gabrielle Mace (Clinton, Mich.-Chippewa Valley) and juniors Sophia Tsafantakis (Washington, Mich.-Romeo) and Brielle Johnston (Ottowa, Ontario-Catholique Franco Quest), who have all marked top-15 performances by a league athlete in both the one and three-meter dive throughout the Eagles' loss-less dual meet season. Mace leads all Eastern divers with the sixth-best 1-meter and eighth-best 3-meter efforts in the conference with her performances against Albion (Feb. 2) and Bowling Green (Jan. 26), respectively.
Championship competition begins Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. with the 800 Freestyle and 200 IM Relays. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday have similar schedules, with preliminary heats starting at 10:30 a.m. and championship heats set for 6:30 p.m. Live video is available for the preliminary heats through Akron All-Access, with links found on the Swimming and Diving schedule page on EMUEagles.com. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday's championship competitions will be shown on ESPN3 as well online at ESPN.com/watch. For more information about the meet, including daily schedules, click here or visit the Swimming and Diving schedule page for additional links.
Last year's MAC Championships saw three Eagles snag four individual championships on their way to a second-place finish. Then-junior Nicole Swartz (Dayton, Ohio-Centerville) collected the top finishes in both the 1650 Freestyle and 400 IM events, earning her a part of the conference's Swimmer of the Year award. Fellow then-junior Delaney Duncan (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg) finished first in the 100 Breaststroke for the third-straight season, while then-sophomore Casey Gavigan (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) recorded her first-career individual conference championship with a school-record setting performance of 1:55.93 in the 200 Backstroke.
Returning all three swimmers, who secured 2018 individual conference championships, the Eagles are poised for another strong team performance. Eastern Michigan's distance efforts are once again led by Swartz, who holds the second-fastest conference 1000 Free performance, as well as the fourth-best 1650 Free time and ninth-best 500 Free effort. Also, holding top-conference performances in the 1650 Freestyle are sophomores Kaitlynd Scanlan (Waukesha, Wis-Pewaukee) and Alyssa Shugarman (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego), possessing the seventh and eighth-best performances by a league athlete in the event, respectively.
Duncan returns to the conference's title chase as the three-time champion in the 100 Breaststroke, currently holding the top time by a MAC athlete this season at 1:00.88 as well as the Eastern Michigan school record in the swim of 58.36. The Galesburg, Ill. native looks to become the only four-time champion of the 100 Breast in MAC history. Alongside Duncan, sophomore Elli Machado (Reading, Pa.-Exeter Township) will add depth to the Eagles' breaststroke efforts, as she has the third-fastest time in the conference in the same event. The duo will look to add big points to EMU's totals in the 200 Breast as well, holding the fourth and 12th-fastest times in the conference this season.
The Green and White's butterfly squad is led by 2018 MAC Championship top-10 finisher senior Emilie Desnoyers (St. Albert, Alberta), who looks to top her eighth-place 200 Fly and tied for 10th place 100 Fly finishes from a year ago. Desnoyers enters the championship competition holding the 13th-best 200 Fly time by a conference athlete this season. Fellow senior Dora Vrcic (Dubrovacka, Split, Croatia) and sophomores Ali Staver (Bettendorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley) and Avrie Stewart (Menominee, Mich.-Menominee) are also expected to compete for the Eagles in the Fly events. Vrcic has seen success throughout the season in the 100 Fly, as her time of 56.43 in the event at the Denison Invitational (Nov. 29) ranks within the top-25 performances seen in the conference all year.
One of the EMU's deepest lineups, the duo of Gavigan and junior Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.-Grosse Pointe South) hope to add big points for the Eagles after strong performances throughout the year. The pair hold the fourth and fifth-fastest time in the 100 Backstroke in the 2018-19 campaign, respectively. Furthermore, Young holds the fifth-best mark in the conference in the 200 Back and Gavigan holds the ninth-best MAC effort in the same event. Moreover, as two of the best backstroke specialists in EMU history, Young holds the second-fastest 100 and 200 Back marks in Eastern laurels and Gavigan holds the third-best effort in the 100 Back and the program's record in the 200 Back.
Swartz and Young are EMU's likely individual medley competitors, as Swartz hopes to defend her 400 IM title while Young will use her season's efforts, holding the 29th-best time by a conference swimmer in the 200 IM.
On the springboard, the Eagles will feel the loss of last year's bronze medalist and NCAA qualifier Alli Shereda, who recorded a career-best 3-meter point total of 326.50 to snag a podium finish in 2018. Hoping to fill her shoes are senior Gabrielle Mace (Clinton, Mich.-Chippewa Valley) and juniors Sophia Tsafantakis (Washington, Mich.-Romeo) and Brielle Johnston (Ottowa, Ontario-Catholique Franco Quest), who have all marked top-15 performances by a league athlete in both the one and three-meter dive throughout the Eagles' loss-less dual meet season. Mace leads all Eastern divers with the sixth-best 1-meter and eighth-best 3-meter efforts in the conference with her performances against Albion (Feb. 2) and Bowling Green (Jan. 26), respectively.
Championship competition begins Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. with the 800 Freestyle and 200 IM Relays. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday have similar schedules, with preliminary heats starting at 10:30 a.m. and championship heats set for 6:30 p.m. Live video is available for the preliminary heats through Akron All-Access, with links found on the Swimming and Diving schedule page on EMUEagles.com. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday's championship competitions will be shown on ESPN3 as well online at ESPN.com/watch. For more information about the meet, including daily schedules, click here or visit the Swimming and Diving schedule page for additional links.
Players Mentioned
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Swimming & Diving
Back
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/ IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/IM
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