Eastern Michigan Athletics
Senior Spotlight: Swimming and Diving
6/16/2020 2:00:00 PM | Swimming & Diving, General
EMU Athletics applauds the accomplishments of the Class of 2020
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team celebrates the accomplishments of the Class of 2020.
An Ypsilanti native, Amelia Armstrong-Grant (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Saline) captured 11 wins and 34 additional top-five finishes in her three-year career with the Eagles. Armstrong-Grant closed out her final season in the Green and White by appearing in nine meets, including an impressive showing at the 2019 Denison Invitational where she set three season-best times in the 50 yard freestyle (23.41), 100 yard freestyle (50.46), and 200 yard freestyle (1:49.70).
She is a two-time Academic All-Mid-American Conference selection and graduated this past spring with a degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice.
Marcella Da Costa (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-Colegio Dom Bosco), a MAC Swimmer of the Week honoree for the Eagles, finishes her career in the Green and White with 19 top-five finishes. During her senior season, she tet new career-best times in the 500 (5:02.16) and 1,650 (17:20.80) yard freestyle events and 100 (56.32) and 200 (2:04.01) yard butterfly events at the Denison Invitational.
Da Costa is a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and completed her degree in hotel and restaurant management with a minor in marketing.
A Second Team All-MAC selection during her tenure at Eastern, Brielle Johnston (Ottawa, Ontario-Catholique Franco-Quest) also earned a MAC Diver of the Week accolade during her career. Johnston recorded career-best scores of 301.21 in 1-meter diving against Albion in 2018, and 316.73 in 3-meter diving at Buffalo in 2017. She notched eight wins as an Eagle, including sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter titles against Miami during her senior season.
Johnston is a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and graduated with degrees in actuarial science and economics.
Arianna Ortiz (Jupiter, Fla.-Jupiter) 16 top-five finishes in her career. During her final season in the Green and White, Ortiz notched top-five finishes at Wayne State and against Bowling Green, with a 25.82 mark in the 50 yard freestyle and 53.89 showing in the 100 yard freestyle, respectively, while also setting a career-best time of 1:57.31 in the 200 yard freestyle at the Ohio State Winter Invitational.
Ortiz graduated this past spring with a degree in hotel and restaurant management.
A team captain for the 2019-20 campaign, Kylie Sutherlin (Fishers, Ind.-Hamilton Southeastern) ends her time as an Eagle with 28 career top-five finishes, as well as two wins. During her senior season, Sutherlin set a new career-best mark in the 100 yard backstroke at the MAC Championships with a time of 58.00, while also adding season-best times of 55.60 in the 100 yard butterfly and 2:06.34 in the 200 yard individual medley at the MAC Championships.
She is a two-time Academic All-MAC selection while studying elementary special education with an emphasis in cognitive impairments.
A four-year member of the swim and dive team, Sydney Thomas (Jamestown, N.Y.-Southwestern Senior) leaves the program with 15 top-five finishes over her career. During her final season at Eastern, Thomas swam in nine meets, and set new career-best marks of 28.60 in the 50 yard backstroke and 1:02.66 in the 100 yard individual medley at Buffalo, while also setting new career-best times of 56.35 in the 100 yard backstroke and 2:00.65 in the 200 yard backstroke at the Ohio State Winter Invitational.
Thomas is a three-time Academic All-MAC selection while pursuing a degree in exercise science.
A College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America All-American, two-time Second Team All-MAC Selection, four-time NCAA Zone C Diving Championships qualifier and MAC Diver of the Week, Sophia Tsafantakis (Washington, Mich.-Romeo) ends her career decorated career as an Eagle with 34 top-five finishes, including eight wins. Tsafantakis recorded career-best marks of 302.47 in 1-meter and 322.65 in 3-meter against Albion in 2018. During her senior campaign, she posted a season-best 1-meter score of 308.63 against Bowling Green, Jan. 24, and finished runner-up in the 3-meter event with a score of 302.22 at the MAC Championships.
Tsafantakis has been named to the Academic All-MAC team three times while studying therapeutic recreation with a minor in social work.
Players Mentioned
