Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 1
Akron, Ohio
10:30 a.m./ 6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Championships
Photo by: University of Akron Athletics
Duncan Makes History in Third Day of MAC Championships
3/1/2019 9:21:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Delaney Duncan becomes the only female conference swimmer to ever win four 100 Breaststroke titles
Day Three Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery.
AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - Senior Delaney Duncan (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg) made history Friday night, March 1, as the Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team completed its third day of competition at the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championships inside Ocasek Natatorium on the campus of University of Akron. Duncan became the first female swimmer in conference history to win the 100 Breaststroke title four times with her gold medal swim, tapping the wall with a time of 58.25.
The Galesburg, Ill. native not only established a new school record, but also recorded the natatorium record, MAC Championship record, and an NCAA "A" qualifying effort with her performance Friday night. The 100 Breast championship heat not only saw Duncan's record-breaking performance, but sophomore Elli Machado (Reading, Pa.-Exeter Township) also snagged another spot on the podium for the Eagles with a fourth-place finish of 1:01.29.
After three days of competition, host Akron sits in first place with 564 points, followed by the Eagles in second with 368 and University at Buffalo in third with 339. Fourth, fifth, and sixth place are held by Miami University, Ohio University, and Bowling Green State University with 320, 271, and 209 points, respectively. The University of Toledo and Ball State University round out the standings with 124 and 122 points, good for seventh and eighth.
Before championship heats began, the Eagles' divers competed in the 3-meter dive, as four of the five EMU competitors earned scores to send them to tomorrow night's championship heat. Sophomore Bethany Berger (Batavia, Ohio-Glen Este) led all EMU divers with a prelims score of 276.65, followed closely behind by senior Gabrielle Mace (Clinton, Mich.-Chippewa Valley) with 272.30 points and junior Brielle Johnston (Ottawa, Ontario-Catholique Franco-Quest) with 262.10 points. Rounding out the qualifiers for tomorrow's championship heat was Sophia Tsafantakis (Washington, Mich.-Romo) with a score of 255.85. Sophomore Micaela Schempf (Bowling Green, Ohio-Bowling Green) finished 13th-overall in the preliminary heats with a score of 241.80, and in the consolation finals placed 15th with a mark of 242.75.
The third day of competition saw some of Eagles' best individual finishes thus far. Junior Casey Gavigan's (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) silver medal finish in the 100 Backstroke came with a career-best time of 52.87. Just behind her was fellow junior Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.-Grosse Pointe South) with a personal-best 53.17, good for fourth overall. The duo still holds the second and third-fastest efforts in the 100 Backstroke, but Gavigan's second-place finish moved her past Young into second on the top performances list. Additionally, sophomore Ali Staver (Betterdorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley) and junior Avrie Stewart (Menominee, Mich.-Menominee) added points to the board for the Eagles with 14th and 15th-place finishes, respectively.
Sophomore Alyssa Shugarman (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) once again recorded her top-collegiate effort in the 200 Freestyle championship heat, finishing sixth with a time of 1:48.54. In the consolation final, junior Amelia Armstrong Grant (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Saline (Iowa)) snagged the top finish with a time of 1:49.68, .32 seconds faster than her prelims effort, while sophomore Meike Staffeldt (Niedersachsen, Germany) earned a 12th-place finish with a career-best time of 1:50.01.
In the 100 Butterfly consolation finals, Staver and junior Kylie Sutherlin (Fischers, Ind.- Hamilton Southeastern) registered 12th and 13th-place overall finishes with times of 55.47 and 55.57, respectively.
EMU finished off day three's competition with a second place finish in the 400 Medley Relay with a time of 3:37.01, almost two seconds faster than the Eagles' 2018 championship effort.
The final day of MAC Championship competition kicks off at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, March 2, with preliminary heats for the 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, and 200 Fly. Preliminary heats for the 1650 Free begin at 4:30 p.m. Coverage of the preliminary heats will be available from Akron All Access, linked on the Women's Swimming and Diving Schedule page on EMUEagles.com.
Team Standings
1. Akron- 564
2. Eastern Michigan- 368
3. Buffalo- 339
4. Miami- 320
5. Ohio- 271
6. Bowling Green- 209
7. Toledo- 124
8. Ball State- 122
EMU Individual Results
*Denotes season-best
#Denotes career-best
& Denotes program-best time
@ Denotes Ocasek Natatorium record
400 IM
12. Nicole Swartz- 4:22.67
100 Fly
12. Kylie Sutherlin- 55.47
13. Ali Staver- 55.57
200 Free
6. Alyssa Shugarman- 1:48.54*#
9. Amelia Armstrong-Grant- 1:49.68*
12. Meike Staffeldt- 1:50.01*#
100 Breast
1. Delaney Duncan- 58.25*#&@
4. Elli Machado- 1:01.29
100 Back
2. Casey Gavigan- 52.87*#
4. Claire Young- 53.19*#
14. Ali Staver- 56.17
15. Avrie Stewart- 56.20
3-meter Preliminary Heat
4. Bethany Berger- 276.65
5. Gabrielle Mace- 272.30
7. Brielle Johnston- 262.10
8. Sophia Tsafantakis- 255.85
13. Micaela Schempf- 241.80
3-meter Consolation Finals
15. Micaela Schempf- 242.75
AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - Senior Delaney Duncan (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg) made history Friday night, March 1, as the Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team completed its third day of competition at the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championships inside Ocasek Natatorium on the campus of University of Akron. Duncan became the first female swimmer in conference history to win the 100 Breaststroke title four times with her gold medal swim, tapping the wall with a time of 58.25.
The Galesburg, Ill. native not only established a new school record, but also recorded the natatorium record, MAC Championship record, and an NCAA "A" qualifying effort with her performance Friday night. The 100 Breast championship heat not only saw Duncan's record-breaking performance, but sophomore Elli Machado (Reading, Pa.-Exeter Township) also snagged another spot on the podium for the Eagles with a fourth-place finish of 1:01.29.
After three days of competition, host Akron sits in first place with 564 points, followed by the Eagles in second with 368 and University at Buffalo in third with 339. Fourth, fifth, and sixth place are held by Miami University, Ohio University, and Bowling Green State University with 320, 271, and 209 points, respectively. The University of Toledo and Ball State University round out the standings with 124 and 122 points, good for seventh and eighth.
Before championship heats began, the Eagles' divers competed in the 3-meter dive, as four of the five EMU competitors earned scores to send them to tomorrow night's championship heat. Sophomore Bethany Berger (Batavia, Ohio-Glen Este) led all EMU divers with a prelims score of 276.65, followed closely behind by senior Gabrielle Mace (Clinton, Mich.-Chippewa Valley) with 272.30 points and junior Brielle Johnston (Ottawa, Ontario-Catholique Franco-Quest) with 262.10 points. Rounding out the qualifiers for tomorrow's championship heat was Sophia Tsafantakis (Washington, Mich.-Romo) with a score of 255.85. Sophomore Micaela Schempf (Bowling Green, Ohio-Bowling Green) finished 13th-overall in the preliminary heats with a score of 241.80, and in the consolation finals placed 15th with a mark of 242.75.
The third day of competition saw some of Eagles' best individual finishes thus far. Junior Casey Gavigan's (East Setauket, N.Y.-Ward Melville) silver medal finish in the 100 Backstroke came with a career-best time of 52.87. Just behind her was fellow junior Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.-Grosse Pointe South) with a personal-best 53.17, good for fourth overall. The duo still holds the second and third-fastest efforts in the 100 Backstroke, but Gavigan's second-place finish moved her past Young into second on the top performances list. Additionally, sophomore Ali Staver (Betterdorf, Iowa-Pleasant Valley) and junior Avrie Stewart (Menominee, Mich.-Menominee) added points to the board for the Eagles with 14th and 15th-place finishes, respectively.
Sophomore Alyssa Shugarman (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) once again recorded her top-collegiate effort in the 200 Freestyle championship heat, finishing sixth with a time of 1:48.54. In the consolation final, junior Amelia Armstrong Grant (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Saline (Iowa)) snagged the top finish with a time of 1:49.68, .32 seconds faster than her prelims effort, while sophomore Meike Staffeldt (Niedersachsen, Germany) earned a 12th-place finish with a career-best time of 1:50.01.
In the 100 Butterfly consolation finals, Staver and junior Kylie Sutherlin (Fischers, Ind.- Hamilton Southeastern) registered 12th and 13th-place overall finishes with times of 55.47 and 55.57, respectively.
EMU finished off day three's competition with a second place finish in the 400 Medley Relay with a time of 3:37.01, almost two seconds faster than the Eagles' 2018 championship effort.
The final day of MAC Championship competition kicks off at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, March 2, with preliminary heats for the 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, and 200 Fly. Preliminary heats for the 1650 Free begin at 4:30 p.m. Coverage of the preliminary heats will be available from Akron All Access, linked on the Women's Swimming and Diving Schedule page on EMUEagles.com.
Team Standings
1. Akron- 564
2. Eastern Michigan- 368
3. Buffalo- 339
4. Miami- 320
5. Ohio- 271
6. Bowling Green- 209
7. Toledo- 124
8. Ball State- 122
EMU Individual Results
*Denotes season-best
#Denotes career-best
& Denotes program-best time
@ Denotes Ocasek Natatorium record
400 IM
12. Nicole Swartz- 4:22.67
100 Fly
12. Kylie Sutherlin- 55.47
13. Ali Staver- 55.57
200 Free
6. Alyssa Shugarman- 1:48.54*#
9. Amelia Armstrong-Grant- 1:49.68*
12. Meike Staffeldt- 1:50.01*#
100 Breast
1. Delaney Duncan- 58.25*#&@
4. Elli Machado- 1:01.29
100 Back
2. Casey Gavigan- 52.87*#
4. Claire Young- 53.19*#
14. Ali Staver- 56.17
15. Avrie Stewart- 56.20
3-meter Preliminary Heat
4. Bethany Berger- 276.65
5. Gabrielle Mace- 272.30
7. Brielle Johnston- 262.10
8. Sophia Tsafantakis- 255.85
13. Micaela Schempf- 241.80
3-meter Consolation Finals
15. Micaela Schempf- 242.75
Players Mentioned
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Swimming & Diving
Back
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/IM
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