Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, October 18
Cleveland, Ohio
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Cleveland State
Swim and Dive Set to Open 2024-25 Season Friday at Cleveland State
10/16/2024 9:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
The meet will begin at 3 p.m.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swimming & diving team is set to travel to Cleveland, Ohio, where it will open its 2024-25 season with a meet against the Vikings of Cleveland State University Friday, Oct. 18, 3 p.m.
Fans can stay tuned to EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap with full results attached. Also, stay tuned to the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook for live in-meet content.
ALL-TIME AGAINST CLEVELAND STATE
The Eagles hold a perfect 12-0 record against the Vikings, dating back to the two institutions first all-time meeting, Nov. 9, 1990, a 164-134 win for the Eagles. The Eagles and Vikings last met in the 2004-05 season, Nov. 12, when Eastern bested CSU, 169-66. On average, Eastern has won meets against Cleveland State by 64 points.
ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS
The program is entering its sixth year under Head Swimming Coach Derek Perkins. Overall, Perkins holds a 12-19 record, and 9-10 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition. The program has seen 64 Academic All-MAC selections and four College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America teams.
THE SEASON AHEAD
Eastern is set to compete in nine regular season meets in 2024-25, culminating in the MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1. The Eagles will attend meets in the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Washington.
TOM GIMM – HEAD DIVING COACH
Perkins announced the hiring of Tom Gimm as the Eagles' Head Diving Coach, June 20. Gimm brings extensive club coaching experience and has also coached in the MAC, as he served as the Head Diving Coach at Ohio University from 2016-18. Gimm most recently served as the Head Diving Coach/Director of Diving Operations for Moss Farms Diving, a junior diving powerhouse with a state-of-the-art facility in Moultrie, Ga. Most recently, his Flying Tigers placed second in the 2024 USA Diving Zone B Championships held at the Moss Farms Diving Facility. Gimm also coached high school standout Tuck Gregory to a Georgia High School Association Individual State Championship in 2024.
RETURNERS/NEWCOMERS
This year's Eagles team returns 23 letterwinners from the 2023-24 squad, and welcomes nine newcomers to the team, all of which are freshmen, including Riess Estep (Smyrna, Ga./Whitefield Academy), Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent), Nehir Guven (Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Atanur Oguz Okullari), Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary), Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre), Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson), Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).
DIVING LEADER
On the boards, the Eastern squad is led by senior diver Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline), who earned a second-place finish in the 3m dive at the MAC Championships last season, with a personal-best score of 301.15.
SWIMMING LEADERS
In the pool, the Eagles return Kiersten Russell (Clinton, Mich./Saline), who clocked the fifth-fastest 100y backstroke time in program history in 54.33. Joining Russell is Nina Larosa (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), who notched the program's eighth-best 100y breaststroke time in 1:03.00 as a freshman last season. Among Russell and Larosa is Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East), who bettered her eighth-best program time in the 200y breaststroke, completing the event in 2:16.60.
MAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL
In a poll with the MAC's eight head coaches, the Eagles' team was picked to finish sixth in the MAC standings for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.
UP NEXT
Next, the Eagles open MAC competition at the University at Buffalo Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. The meet will mark the first of three times in Western New York for Eastern, as its divers will attend the UB Diving Invite, Jan. 10-12, followed by the MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1.
FOLLOW US
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Fans can stay tuned to EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap with full results attached. Also, stay tuned to the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook for live in-meet content.
ALL-TIME AGAINST CLEVELAND STATE
The Eagles hold a perfect 12-0 record against the Vikings, dating back to the two institutions first all-time meeting, Nov. 9, 1990, a 164-134 win for the Eagles. The Eagles and Vikings last met in the 2004-05 season, Nov. 12, when Eastern bested CSU, 169-66. On average, Eastern has won meets against Cleveland State by 64 points.
ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS
The program is entering its sixth year under Head Swimming Coach Derek Perkins. Overall, Perkins holds a 12-19 record, and 9-10 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition. The program has seen 64 Academic All-MAC selections and four College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America teams.
THE SEASON AHEAD
Eastern is set to compete in nine regular season meets in 2024-25, culminating in the MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1. The Eagles will attend meets in the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Washington.
TOM GIMM – HEAD DIVING COACH
Perkins announced the hiring of Tom Gimm as the Eagles' Head Diving Coach, June 20. Gimm brings extensive club coaching experience and has also coached in the MAC, as he served as the Head Diving Coach at Ohio University from 2016-18. Gimm most recently served as the Head Diving Coach/Director of Diving Operations for Moss Farms Diving, a junior diving powerhouse with a state-of-the-art facility in Moultrie, Ga. Most recently, his Flying Tigers placed second in the 2024 USA Diving Zone B Championships held at the Moss Farms Diving Facility. Gimm also coached high school standout Tuck Gregory to a Georgia High School Association Individual State Championship in 2024.
RETURNERS/NEWCOMERS
This year's Eagles team returns 23 letterwinners from the 2023-24 squad, and welcomes nine newcomers to the team, all of which are freshmen, including Riess Estep (Smyrna, Ga./Whitefield Academy), Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent), Nehir Guven (Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Atanur Oguz Okullari), Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary), Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre), Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson), Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).
DIVING LEADER
On the boards, the Eastern squad is led by senior diver Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline), who earned a second-place finish in the 3m dive at the MAC Championships last season, with a personal-best score of 301.15.
SWIMMING LEADERS
In the pool, the Eagles return Kiersten Russell (Clinton, Mich./Saline), who clocked the fifth-fastest 100y backstroke time in program history in 54.33. Joining Russell is Nina Larosa (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), who notched the program's eighth-best 100y breaststroke time in 1:03.00 as a freshman last season. Among Russell and Larosa is Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East), who bettered her eighth-best program time in the 200y breaststroke, completing the event in 2:16.60.
MAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL
In a poll with the MAC's eight head coaches, the Eagles' team was picked to finish sixth in the MAC standings for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.
UP NEXT
Next, the Eagles open MAC competition at the University at Buffalo Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. The meet will mark the first of three times in Western New York for Eastern, as its divers will attend the UB Diving Invite, Jan. 10-12, followed by the MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1.
FOLLOW US
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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/ Swimming & Diving
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