Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 15
Ann Arbor, Mich.
10 a.m./5:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Michigan First Chance Meet
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Swim & Dive Readies for Regular-Season Finale at Michigan
2/13/2025 3:04:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The Eagles will compete at the Michigan First Chance Meet, Feb. 15-16
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swim & dive team will conclude its regular season at the Michigan First Chance Meet, hosted by Michigan, at Canham Natatorium, in Ann Arbor, Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 15-16. The meet will begin with a morning session at 10 a.m. Saturday an evening session starting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday will entail one session starting at 10 a.m.
Fans can stay posted to EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap. Also, stay tuned to the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook for EMU swim & dive content.
LAST TIME AT MICHIGAN FIRST CHANCE MEET
The Eagles swam to nine first-place finishes and set five personal best times. They were highlighted by a season-fastest 200y freestyle relay that placed first in 1:33.16, earning a cut to compete at the College Swim & Dive Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships. Lucy Noble (Flagler Beach, Fla./Flagler Palm Coast) earned two individual first-place finishes while aiding in the first place 200y freestyle relay team and second place 200y medley relay team.
TRISTEN MINA IN THE PROGRAM TOP 10
Sophomore fly/IM swimmer Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King's Academy) recently wrote her name into the program top 10 with a second-place finish in the 100y butterfly in 54.94 against Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. The time also qualified her for the CSCAA meet. Her swim marks the Eagles' first of the season landing inside the program top 10 leaderboards.
DIVERS QUALIFIED FOR NCAA ZONE DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Four Eagle divers have qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, hosted by Ohio State, in Columbus, March 10-12. Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary) most recently qualified with her collegiate personal-best 284.25 points in the 3m dive against Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. She previously earned a cut in the platform dive with a score of 229.90 at the UB Diving Invite, Jan. 12. She will join teammates, Malia Maire (San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo), Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline) and Ciara Wheeler (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) at the competition. Maire previously qualified in the 1m with a score of 270.45 against Oakland, Nov. 21, while Knapp qualified in the 3m after posting a score of 317.25, against Cleveland State, Oct. 18, and in the 1m with a 267.00 performance versus Oakland, Nov. 21. Wheeler punched her ticket via a 267.38 outing in the 1m against Indiana State, Nov. 9.
CSCAA NIC CUTS
Along with Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) in the 400y IM (4:29.09), teammates Kiersten Russell (Clinton, Mich./Saline), and Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre) also earned CSCAA NIC cuts at the Denison Invitational, Dec. 5-7. Russell did so in the 50y backstroke, swimming the distance in 26.17, while Oz punched her ticket via a 4:28.97 400y IM time. Both Oz and Russell's times serve as the fastest from the team in their respective events. Oz most recently qualified to compete in the 1000y freestyle, as she earned a B cut with her first-place finish in 10:20.00 against Toledo, Jan. 17. Her 10:20.00 time serves as the fastest on the team and ninth fastest in the MAC in the event this season. Siporah Sang (London, Ontario/Sir Frederick Banting Secondary) and Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce) recently earned B cuts against Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. They both did so in the 50y backstroke, as Sang clocked a time of 26.28 in the first leg of the 200y medley relay while Umut qualified with a 26.43 swim in the same event as a member of the Eagles' B team.
SCORING TIMES
Currently, the Eagles have eight times that would rank inside the top 16 in the conference, meaning that each of those eight times would score points at the MAC Championships.
Event Rank Name Time
500y Free 11 Azra Umut 4:57.80
500y Free 13 Nehir Oz 4:58.65
1000y Free 9 Nehir Oz 10:20.00
1650y Free 16 Morgan Hofmeister 17:29.12
200y Breast 11 Abby Szadorski 2:18.88
100y Fly 13 Tristen Mina 54.94
400y IM 15 Nehir Oz 4:28.97
400y IM 16 Abby Szadorski 4:29.09
LAST TIME OUT: SENIOR EXTRAVAGANZA
The program honored swimmers Olivia Clarino (Toronto, Ontario/Lawrence Park Collegiate), Ashley George (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha), Russell, Madelyn Sursi (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman), and Szadorski, along with divers Knapp and Wheeler at the annual Senior Extravaganza, Feb. 8.
Previously Noted
AT OHIO, JAN. 31-FEB. 1
The Eagles were last in action at Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, falling to the Bobcats, 272.5-79.5, shifting their record to 4-2 in dual meets this season. In the swimming events, they were led by Umut, who earned three top-three finishes and set three personal bests including a first-place outing in the 200y freestyle in 1:51.47. She went on to finish second in the backstroke in 56.21, and third in the 500y freestyle in 4:57.80. Lupa led the EMU divers as she placed second in the 3m dive in a collegiate personal-best 284.25 points, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. She went on to earn bronze in the 1m, scoring 246.23.
VS TOLEDO, JAN. 17
The Eagles competed against Toledo, Jan. 17, a meet that resulted in a 175-117 win for EMU. Both Russell and Szadorski earned three event wins. Oz was also a bright spot in the pool, winning both the 1000y freestyle in a personal-best 10:20.00 and the 500y freestyle in 5:05.77. Oz also secured a personal-best time in the 200y IM, touching the wall in 2:09.93. Moreover, her 10:20.00 in the 1000y freestyle qualified her for the CSCAA meet. On the boards, freshman Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson) earned the first win of her career with a score of 264.38 in the 3m dive before Knapp won the 1m with a score of 278.25.
4-1 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019-20
Before losing to Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Eastern started the season 4-1 for the first time since head coach Derek Perkins' first season (2019-20). That season, the Eagles finished third at the MAC Championships with 485 points.
WINNERS IN THREE STRAIGHT MAC DUALS
Dating back to last season, the Eagles won three consecutive MAC dual meets against Bowling Green (Jan. 26, 2024), Buffalo (Oct. 26), and Toledo (Jan. 17). This marked the longest MAC dual meet win streak since the team rattled off 19 straight from 2014-2020.
MEGAN LUPA NCAA ZONE DIVNG CHAMPIONSHIPS CUT IN PLATFORM DIVE
Lupa had a strong meet at the UB Diving Invite, hosted by Buffalo, Jan. 10-12. Lupa earned the first NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of her career with a score of 229.90 on the platform dive for a second-place finish. On top of the zones cut, Lupa made the finals in all three events (1m: seventh, 3m: sixth, platform: second) and scored 42 points in the meet, the second-most of any diver competing.
AT UB DIVING INVITE, JAN. 10-12
The divers opened up the new year at the UB Diving Invite, Jan. 10-12. The meet was headlined by Lupa, who made the finals in all three events and earned an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut in the platform dive, scoring 229.90 points for a second-place finish. Maire also made the finals in both events she competed in. Her top finish was in the 3m where she placed fourth with 277.90 points.
AT DENISON INVITATIONAL, DEC. 5-7
The Eagles finished fourth out of five teams at the Denison Invitational, hosted by Denison University, in Granville, Ohio, Dec. 5-7. Szadorski led the team with 99 points scored in the meet and totaled four top 10 finishes. The senior also swam two season-best times in the 400y IM (4:29.09) and the 100y breaststroke (1:03.85). Additionally, her 400y IM time qualified her for the CSCAA NIC in Ocala, Fla., March 13-15.
VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21
The Eagles captured their third win of the 2024-25 season, topping the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 161-139, at Jones Natatorium Thursday, Nov. 21. Szadorski earned three event wins (200y medley relay, 100y breaststroke, 200y breaststroke) and swept the breaststroke events for the third time this season. On the boards, Knapp paced the Eagles, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season, this time in the 1m dive (267.00) while leading the Eastern divers with 12 points in the meet.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES: VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21
Outside of Knapp and Szadorski, the Eagles had strong showings from Oz, who earned the first event wins of her career with a personal-best 1:54.09 swim in the 200y freestyle to go with a first-place showing in the 500y freestyle (5:05.57). Maire also earned an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut in the 1m dive with a career-best 270.45 points.
DIVER OF THE WEEK
Knapp was named MAC Co-Diver of the Week, Nov. 27. The award marks her second of the season and third of her career. She earned the award earlier this season, Oct. 23, after achieving her 3m NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut with a personal-best 317.25 score, finishing first in a win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18.
Against Oakland, Nov. 21, Knapp earned her second first-place finish of the season in the 3m dive, tying a personal-best with a score of 317.25 in the Eagles' 161-139 win. She went on to place third in the 1m dive with a score of 267.00, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. Overall, Knapp led all Eastern divers with 12 points in the meet.
VS. INDIANA STATE, NOV. 9
The Eagles fell in their home-opener against Indiana State, 187-113, Nov. 9. In the pool, Eastern was led by Umut who finished in first-place in the 200y backstroke in 2:04.50, and second in the 100y backstroke in 57.51. Both marked personal-bests for the freshman. On the boards, Maire paced the Green and White, winning the 3m dive with a then season-best 266.93 points and placing third in the 1m with a personal-best 256.88 points. Sophomore Mina also swam a lifetime best in the 100y butterfly, touching the wall in 56.16.
AT BUFFALO, OCT. 26
The Eagles escaped enemy territory with a 149.5-148.5 win over Buffalo, Oct. 26. In the pool, they were led by Szadorski who swept both breaststroke events, winning the 100y in 1:04.12 and the 200y in 2:20.13. The senior went on to improve her time in the 200y IM, touching the wall in 2:10.05 compared to her 2:11.32 she swam against Cleveland State, Oct. 18. On the boards, Wheeler led the team with a fourth-place outing in the 1m dive as she posted 251.85 points in the six-dive format.
BIG SEASON-OPENING WIN
The Eagles opened the season with a 190-108 win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18. The win marked the largest margin of victory (82 points) in a season-opening victory in the Perkins Era. The win also went down as his fourth win to start a season in his six years at the helm of the program. Six Eagles won multiple events, as the team won nine of the 12 individual swimming events in the meet, and 12-of-16 total events.
ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS
The program is entering its sixth year under Perkins. Entering the 2024-25 season, 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 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 Gimm as the Eagles' Head Diving Coach, June 20. He 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), Lupa, Oz, Speier, Umut, and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).
DIVING LEADER
On the boards, the Eastern squad is led by Knapp who earned a second-place finish in the 3m dive at the MAC Championships last season, with a score of 301.15.
SWIMMING LEADERS
In the pool, the Eagles return Russell, 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 Szadorski, 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
The Eagles will take the rest of the conference at the MAC Championships, hosted by Buffalo, Feb. 26-March 1.
FOLLOW US
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Fans can stay posted to EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap. Also, stay tuned to the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook for EMU swim & dive content.
LAST TIME AT MICHIGAN FIRST CHANCE MEET
The Eagles swam to nine first-place finishes and set five personal best times. They were highlighted by a season-fastest 200y freestyle relay that placed first in 1:33.16, earning a cut to compete at the College Swim & Dive Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships. Lucy Noble (Flagler Beach, Fla./Flagler Palm Coast) earned two individual first-place finishes while aiding in the first place 200y freestyle relay team and second place 200y medley relay team.
TRISTEN MINA IN THE PROGRAM TOP 10
Sophomore fly/IM swimmer Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King's Academy) recently wrote her name into the program top 10 with a second-place finish in the 100y butterfly in 54.94 against Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. The time also qualified her for the CSCAA meet. Her swim marks the Eagles' first of the season landing inside the program top 10 leaderboards.
DIVERS QUALIFIED FOR NCAA ZONE DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Four Eagle divers have qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, hosted by Ohio State, in Columbus, March 10-12. Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary) most recently qualified with her collegiate personal-best 284.25 points in the 3m dive against Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. She previously earned a cut in the platform dive with a score of 229.90 at the UB Diving Invite, Jan. 12. She will join teammates, Malia Maire (San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo), Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline) and Ciara Wheeler (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) at the competition. Maire previously qualified in the 1m with a score of 270.45 against Oakland, Nov. 21, while Knapp qualified in the 3m after posting a score of 317.25, against Cleveland State, Oct. 18, and in the 1m with a 267.00 performance versus Oakland, Nov. 21. Wheeler punched her ticket via a 267.38 outing in the 1m against Indiana State, Nov. 9.
CSCAA NIC CUTS
Along with Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) in the 400y IM (4:29.09), teammates Kiersten Russell (Clinton, Mich./Saline), and Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre) also earned CSCAA NIC cuts at the Denison Invitational, Dec. 5-7. Russell did so in the 50y backstroke, swimming the distance in 26.17, while Oz punched her ticket via a 4:28.97 400y IM time. Both Oz and Russell's times serve as the fastest from the team in their respective events. Oz most recently qualified to compete in the 1000y freestyle, as she earned a B cut with her first-place finish in 10:20.00 against Toledo, Jan. 17. Her 10:20.00 time serves as the fastest on the team and ninth fastest in the MAC in the event this season. Siporah Sang (London, Ontario/Sir Frederick Banting Secondary) and Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce) recently earned B cuts against Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. They both did so in the 50y backstroke, as Sang clocked a time of 26.28 in the first leg of the 200y medley relay while Umut qualified with a 26.43 swim in the same event as a member of the Eagles' B team.
SCORING TIMES
Currently, the Eagles have eight times that would rank inside the top 16 in the conference, meaning that each of those eight times would score points at the MAC Championships.
Event Rank Name Time
500y Free 11 Azra Umut 4:57.80
500y Free 13 Nehir Oz 4:58.65
1000y Free 9 Nehir Oz 10:20.00
1650y Free 16 Morgan Hofmeister 17:29.12
200y Breast 11 Abby Szadorski 2:18.88
100y Fly 13 Tristen Mina 54.94
400y IM 15 Nehir Oz 4:28.97
400y IM 16 Abby Szadorski 4:29.09
LAST TIME OUT: SENIOR EXTRAVAGANZA
The program honored swimmers Olivia Clarino (Toronto, Ontario/Lawrence Park Collegiate), Ashley George (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha), Russell, Madelyn Sursi (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman), and Szadorski, along with divers Knapp and Wheeler at the annual Senior Extravaganza, Feb. 8.
Previously Noted
AT OHIO, JAN. 31-FEB. 1
The Eagles were last in action at Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, falling to the Bobcats, 272.5-79.5, shifting their record to 4-2 in dual meets this season. In the swimming events, they were led by Umut, who earned three top-three finishes and set three personal bests including a first-place outing in the 200y freestyle in 1:51.47. She went on to finish second in the backstroke in 56.21, and third in the 500y freestyle in 4:57.80. Lupa led the EMU divers as she placed second in the 3m dive in a collegiate personal-best 284.25 points, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. She went on to earn bronze in the 1m, scoring 246.23.
VS TOLEDO, JAN. 17
The Eagles competed against Toledo, Jan. 17, a meet that resulted in a 175-117 win for EMU. Both Russell and Szadorski earned three event wins. Oz was also a bright spot in the pool, winning both the 1000y freestyle in a personal-best 10:20.00 and the 500y freestyle in 5:05.77. Oz also secured a personal-best time in the 200y IM, touching the wall in 2:09.93. Moreover, her 10:20.00 in the 1000y freestyle qualified her for the CSCAA meet. On the boards, freshman Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson) earned the first win of her career with a score of 264.38 in the 3m dive before Knapp won the 1m with a score of 278.25.
4-1 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019-20
Before losing to Ohio, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Eastern started the season 4-1 for the first time since head coach Derek Perkins' first season (2019-20). That season, the Eagles finished third at the MAC Championships with 485 points.
WINNERS IN THREE STRAIGHT MAC DUALS
Dating back to last season, the Eagles won three consecutive MAC dual meets against Bowling Green (Jan. 26, 2024), Buffalo (Oct. 26), and Toledo (Jan. 17). This marked the longest MAC dual meet win streak since the team rattled off 19 straight from 2014-2020.
MEGAN LUPA NCAA ZONE DIVNG CHAMPIONSHIPS CUT IN PLATFORM DIVE
Lupa had a strong meet at the UB Diving Invite, hosted by Buffalo, Jan. 10-12. Lupa earned the first NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of her career with a score of 229.90 on the platform dive for a second-place finish. On top of the zones cut, Lupa made the finals in all three events (1m: seventh, 3m: sixth, platform: second) and scored 42 points in the meet, the second-most of any diver competing.
AT UB DIVING INVITE, JAN. 10-12
The divers opened up the new year at the UB Diving Invite, Jan. 10-12. The meet was headlined by Lupa, who made the finals in all three events and earned an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut in the platform dive, scoring 229.90 points for a second-place finish. Maire also made the finals in both events she competed in. Her top finish was in the 3m where she placed fourth with 277.90 points.
AT DENISON INVITATIONAL, DEC. 5-7
The Eagles finished fourth out of five teams at the Denison Invitational, hosted by Denison University, in Granville, Ohio, Dec. 5-7. Szadorski led the team with 99 points scored in the meet and totaled four top 10 finishes. The senior also swam two season-best times in the 400y IM (4:29.09) and the 100y breaststroke (1:03.85). Additionally, her 400y IM time qualified her for the CSCAA NIC in Ocala, Fla., March 13-15.
VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21
The Eagles captured their third win of the 2024-25 season, topping the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 161-139, at Jones Natatorium Thursday, Nov. 21. Szadorski earned three event wins (200y medley relay, 100y breaststroke, 200y breaststroke) and swept the breaststroke events for the third time this season. On the boards, Knapp paced the Eagles, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season, this time in the 1m dive (267.00) while leading the Eastern divers with 12 points in the meet.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES: VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21
Outside of Knapp and Szadorski, the Eagles had strong showings from Oz, who earned the first event wins of her career with a personal-best 1:54.09 swim in the 200y freestyle to go with a first-place showing in the 500y freestyle (5:05.57). Maire also earned an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut in the 1m dive with a career-best 270.45 points.
DIVER OF THE WEEK
Knapp was named MAC Co-Diver of the Week, Nov. 27. The award marks her second of the season and third of her career. She earned the award earlier this season, Oct. 23, after achieving her 3m NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut with a personal-best 317.25 score, finishing first in a win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18.
Against Oakland, Nov. 21, Knapp earned her second first-place finish of the season in the 3m dive, tying a personal-best with a score of 317.25 in the Eagles' 161-139 win. She went on to place third in the 1m dive with a score of 267.00, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. Overall, Knapp led all Eastern divers with 12 points in the meet.
VS. INDIANA STATE, NOV. 9
The Eagles fell in their home-opener against Indiana State, 187-113, Nov. 9. In the pool, Eastern was led by Umut who finished in first-place in the 200y backstroke in 2:04.50, and second in the 100y backstroke in 57.51. Both marked personal-bests for the freshman. On the boards, Maire paced the Green and White, winning the 3m dive with a then season-best 266.93 points and placing third in the 1m with a personal-best 256.88 points. Sophomore Mina also swam a lifetime best in the 100y butterfly, touching the wall in 56.16.
AT BUFFALO, OCT. 26
The Eagles escaped enemy territory with a 149.5-148.5 win over Buffalo, Oct. 26. In the pool, they were led by Szadorski who swept both breaststroke events, winning the 100y in 1:04.12 and the 200y in 2:20.13. The senior went on to improve her time in the 200y IM, touching the wall in 2:10.05 compared to her 2:11.32 she swam against Cleveland State, Oct. 18. On the boards, Wheeler led the team with a fourth-place outing in the 1m dive as she posted 251.85 points in the six-dive format.
BIG SEASON-OPENING WIN
The Eagles opened the season with a 190-108 win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18. The win marked the largest margin of victory (82 points) in a season-opening victory in the Perkins Era. The win also went down as his fourth win to start a season in his six years at the helm of the program. Six Eagles won multiple events, as the team won nine of the 12 individual swimming events in the meet, and 12-of-16 total events.
ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS
The program is entering its sixth year under Perkins. Entering the 2024-25 season, 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 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 Gimm as the Eagles' Head Diving Coach, June 20. He 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), Lupa, Oz, Speier, Umut, and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).
DIVING LEADER
On the boards, the Eastern squad is led by Knapp who earned a second-place finish in the 3m dive at the MAC Championships last season, with a score of 301.15.
SWIMMING LEADERS
In the pool, the Eagles return Russell, 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 Szadorski, 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
The Eagles will take the rest of the conference at the MAC Championships, hosted by Buffalo, Feb. 26-March 1.
FOLLOW US
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
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