Swim and Dive Heads to Buffalo for the Mid-American Conference Championships

Swimming and Diving at MAC Championships
Date	Wednesday, Feb. 26-Saturday, Feb. 29 \| Prelims: 10:30 a.m., Finals: 6:30 p.m.
Venue	Buffalo, N.Y. \| University at Buffalo Alumni Arena Pool
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stream	Wednesday Thursday Prelims \| Thursday Finals Friday Prelims \| Friday Finals Saturday Prelims \| Saturday Finals
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Twitter	@EMUSwimDive \| @EMUAthletics

BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team treks to Buffalo, N.Y. for the Mid-American Conference Championships beginning Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the University at Buffalo Alumni Arena Pool. The meet will run through Saturday, Feb. 29.
   The meet will be live streamed via YouTube. Livestats for the meet will be available through MeetMobile. Links are available on the schedule page of EMUEagles.com. In addition, the action will be tweeted from the team's twitter account, @EMUSwimDive.

AGAINST THE MAC: Eastern has faced four MAC opponents in dual meets this season, compiling a 3-1 record. The Eagles defeated Miami, 152-148, Oct. 26, 2019, followed by Ball State, 167-133, Nov. 2. EMU fell to Akron, 175-125, Jan. 18, and finished with a win against Bowling Green, 203.5-96.5, Jan. 24.
   The Green and White faced Bowling Green once more, along with Buffalo, to open the season, Oct. 19. The Eagles finished third with 585.9 points.

LAST SEASON AT THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Eastern Michigan has finished in the runner-up spot at the MAC Championships for the last five seasons. In 2019, the Eagles finished with 583 points, and saw individual MAC Championship titles from former Eagles Delaney Duncan (100 & 200 breaststroke) and Nicole Swartz (1,650 free).

BACKSTROKE'S BACK: Eastern Michigan seniors Casey Gavigan and Claire Young have dominated backstroke events in the last seven meets. In the 13 backstroke events over seven meets, the Eagles have won all but one of them. Gavigan has won nine of the 13 events (four 100 yard and five 200 yard), while Young has won the remaining three (two 100 yard and one 200 yard).
   Young leads EMU with her 54.56 mark in the 100 yard backstroke, while Gavigan has a team-best 1:57.94 in the 200 yard event.

QUEENS OF FREESTYLE: Senior Amelia Armstrong-Grant and junior Alyssa Shugarman lead the Eagles in freestyle events. Armstrong-Grant holds the top times in sprints, with a 23.41 50 yard and 50.46 100 yard mar. Shugarman holds the top sports in the 200 (1:49.27), 500 (4:49.36), and 1,650 (16:27.88) yard swims.

BREASTSTROKE SUCCESS: Junior Elli Machado holds the top time for the Green and White in the 100 breaststroke at 1:03.99, while classmate Carlee Jones holds the standard in the 200 yard swim at 2:19.31.

STAVER STAYS FLY: Junior Ali Staver leads the Eagles in both the 100 and 200 yard butterfly events. The Bettendorf, Iowa native marked 55.12 in the 100 yard event and 2:00.22 to lead the team, both set at the Denison Invitational.

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY LEADERS: Senior Claire Young has the fastest time for EMU in the 200 IM at 2:03.56, while junior Riley Hofmann holds the top spot in the 400 yard segment with a 4:22.53.

TROPHIES IN THE CASE(Y): Senior Casey Gavigan is the lone Eagle on the 2019-20 team with an individual MAC title. The East Setauket, N.Y. native won the 200 yard backstroke at the 2018 MAC Championships with a 1:55.93, then-NCAA 'B' cut performance.

BREAKING STANDARDS: In addition to leading the MAC with her 16:27.88 mark in the 1,650 yard freestyle, junior Alyssa Shugarman became the first Eagle swimmer to meet a NCAA Standard Cut. The third-fastest time in program history earned the Oswego, Ill. native a NCAA 'B' Cut.

AGAINST THE FALCONS: Jan. 24 against Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan came away with a dominating 203.5-96.5 win over its MAC foe. Leading the way for Eastern was senior Amelia Armstrong-Grant, who claimed wins in the 100 yard freestyle (51.99) and 200 yard freestyle (1:52.79), while freshman Hannah White swept the butterfly events with marks of 57.01 in the 100 yard final and season-best 2:06.61 time in the 200 yard event.
   The Eagles also swept breaststroke events for the first time this season, with junior Elli Machado winning the 100 yard race in 1:06.32, while classmate Carlee Jones won the 200 yard event in 2:23.42.

GET IN THE ZONE: Four Eastern Michigan divers have met the NCAA Qualifying Standard in 1-meter diving, while three of those four have also qualified in 3-meter diving. Seniors Brielle Johnston and Sophia Tsafantakis, along with junior Bethany Berger, have met the qualifying standard in both events, while junior Micaela Schempf has qualified for the 1-meter event at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in March.

OMAHA BOUND: Eastern Michigan senior Casey Gavigan punched her ticket to the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb. at the long course time trials hosted by Denison University on Dec. 4, 2019. The East Setauket, N.Y. native clocked in at 1:02.11 in the 100-meter backstroke to qualify for the 2020 trials.

EAGLES ON TOP: Eastern Michigan has won six of its last seven meets, including a five-meet win streak beginning Oct. 26. After defeating Miami, 152-148, Ball State 167-133, Nov. 2, Oakland and Florida Gulf Coast with 150.5 points, Nov. 9, capturing the title at the Denison Invitational with 2,223 points, Dec. 7, and defeating I-94 rival Wayne State, 193-49, Jan. 11, the win streak came to end Jan. 18 at Akron, 175-125. The Green and White got themselves back into the win column Jan. 24, defeating Bowling Green, 203.5-96.5.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team was picked to finish third in the Mid-American Conference by the league's eight head coaches.

2019 MAC Women's Swimming and Diving Coaches' Preseason Poll
1. Akron (8) - 64
2. Buffalo - 53
3. Eastern Michigan - 46
4. Miami -41
5. Ohio - 35
6. Bowling Green - 22
7. Ball State - 15
8. Toledo - 12

   The defending MAC Champions from Akron were selected to defend their title once again, earning 64 points and all eight first-place votes. Buffalo followed the Zips with 53 points, with Eastern close behind in third place at 46 points.

ON THE HORIZON: After the MAC Championships, Eastern Michigan divers will head to Lexington, Ky. for the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships beginning Thursday, March 12. Swimmers that meet a NCAA qualifying standard during the championships or during the "last chance" time trials meet immediately following will head to the NCAA Championships, March 18, in Athens, Ga.

Swim and Dive Heads to Buffalo for the Mid-American Conference Championships

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Amelia Armstrong-Grant

Bethany Berger

Delaney Duncan

Casey Gavigan

Riley Hofmann

Brielle Johnston

Carlee Jones

Elli Machado

Micaela Schempf

Alyssa Shugarman

Ali Staver

Nicole Swartz

Sophia Tsafantakis

Hannah White

Claire Young

Eastern Michigan Athletics