Swim & Dive Sweeps Eastern Classic in Record-Breaking Weekend

Results
YPSILANTI, Mich. – (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swim and dive program opened the 2026-27 season in dominant fashion Friday-Saturday, Oct. 16-17 at Jones Natatorium, sweeping all three dual meets at the Eastern Classic to move to 3-0 overall.

Eastern Michigan defeated the University of Toledo 217.5-144.5, Wayne State University 257-106, and Aquinas College 274-84, breaking a school record and 10 meet records across the two-day event, along with five additional program top 10 times.

How it Happened: Swim
The Eagles set the tone immediately. The quartet of Gabia Gelumbickas (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton Community), Nina LaRosa (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King's Academy), and Abbey Clarke (Caledon, Ontario/Robert F. Hall) opened the meet with a meet-record 3:40.60 in the 400 yard medley relay, posting splits of 54.28 (back), 1:00.41 (breast), 55.74 (fly), and 50.17 (free). The same core group later combined for a meet-record 1:40.56 in the 200 yard medley relay.

Gelumbickas was the meet's most decorated individual swimmer, winning two individual and four relay events. The first-year standout claimed the 50 yard freestyle in a meet-record 22.95 — a time that ranks fourth in program history — and won the 100 yard backstroke in 54.49, a mark that also enters the program's all-time top 10 at No. 6. Marlee Christie (Seminole, Fla./Seminole) finished third in the 50 yard freestyle (23.43) and second in the 100 yard backstroke (57.69), while Lucy Noble (Flagler Beach, Fla./Flagler Palm Coast) was fourth in both the 50 yard freestyle (23.44) and 100 yard freestyle (51.67). Clarke placed second in the 100 yard butterfly (55.34) and third in the 100 yard freestyle (51.62).

Nina LaRosa (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) swept both breaststroke events, winning the 100 yard breaststroke in a meet-record 1:00.54 and the 200 yard breaststroke in a meet-record 2:16.88. Her 100 yard breaststroke time moves her to second all-time in program history, behind only Delaney Duncan's 57.83, and her 200 yard breaststroke improves her No. 9 time in the program ranks.

First-year Emma Jönsson (Rydebäck, Sweden/Filbornaskolan) placed third in the 100 yard breaststroke (1:05.28) and third in the 200 yard breaststroke (2:22.46) in her collegiate debut, also finishing fifth in the 200 yard individual medley (2:10.40).

Mina won the 200 yard individual medley (2:07.43) and the 100 yard butterfly (55.23). Clarke followed Mina in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 55.34, earning a spot in the program top-10 at spot No. 9. Marianna Fardella (Serres, Greece/40 Geniko Lykeio Serron) was the meet's most versatile performer, winning the 200 yard freestyle in a meet-record 1:50.60, the 200 yard backstroke (2:01.94), and the 1650 yard freestyle (17:20.84), while placing second in the 500 yard freestyle (5:00.52).

EMU's relay units were dominant throughout. The 200 yard freestyle relay team of Gelumbickas, Christie, Clarke, and Noble set both a meet record and an EMU school record at 1:31.29, 22.65 (Gelumbickas), 23.04 (Christie), 22.65 (Clarke), and 22.95 (Noble).

Clarke, Gelumbickas, Emma Littrell (Taylor Mill, Ky./St. Henry District), and Noble then combined for a meet-record 3:23.79 in the 400 yard freestyle relay (splits: 50.88, 49.48, 51.87, 51.56). The 800 yard freestyle relay team of Littrell, Amelia Jones (Lexington, Ky./Paul Laurence Dunbar), Fardella, and Noble placed third in 7:45.10, with Fardella posting the fastest individual leg at 1:52.66.

How it Happened: Dive
The Eastern divers swept the top four places in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events. Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) won both boards, posting a meet-record and zones-cut 270.45 on the 1-meter and a meet-record 263.00 on the 3-meter. Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent) placed second on the 1-meter (244.30) and third on the 3-meter (229.15). First-year Silvana Pomar (Zapopan, Mexico/Universidad del Valle de Atemajac UNIVA) placed third on the 1-meter (232.60) and second on the 3-meter (236.05, a meet record) in her collegiate debut. Meg Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary) was fourth on both boards — 225.90 on the 1-meter and 226.30 on the 3-meter.

Up Next
Eastern Michigan returns to action Friday-Saturday, Oct. 30-31, hosting the University at Buffalo in Ypsilanti, Mich. for a two-day dual meet.

Follow Us
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team on Instagram, X, and Facebook.

Meet Scores
Eastern Michigan University 217.5, University of Toledo 144.5
Eastern Michigan University 257, Wayne State University 106
Eastern Michigan University 274, Aquinas College 84

EMU Individual Results
*Denotes Personal-Best
Bold Denotes Program Top 10

400 Medley Relay
1. EMU - 3:40.60 (Gelumbickas, LaRosa, Mina, Clarke) – Meet Record

500 Freestyle
2. Marianna Fardella - 5:00.52
7. Amelia Jones - 5:24.20
10. Nicole Shanks - 5:32.09

200 IM
1. Tristen Mina - 2:07.43
5. Emma Jönsson - 2:10.40*
8. Morgan Hofmeister - 2:13.45
9. Addy Burrough - 2:15.17

50 Freestyle
1. Gabia Gelumbickas - 22.95* (Meet Record) EMU #4
2. Abbey Clarke - 23.37*
3. Marlee Christie - 23.43
4. Lucy Noble - 23.44
9. Lauren Carlson - 24.52
13. Eleanor Groves - 25.20

800 Freestyle Relay
3. EMU A - 7:45.10 (Littrell, Jones, Fardella, Noble)
6. EMU B - 8:03.27 (Guven, Hofmeister, Shanks, Burrough)

200 Freestyle Relay
1. EMU A - 1:31.29 (Gelumbickas, Christie, Clarke, Noble) – Meet Record & EMU Record
3. EMU B - 1:36.76 (Littrell, Groves, Mina, Guven)

100 Butterfly
1. Tristen Mina - 55.23
2. Abbey Clarke - 55.34* EMU #9
4. Emma Littrell - 56.96
7. Nehir Guven - 57.33
12. Siporah Sang - 1:01.10

200 Freestyle
1. Marianna Fardella - 1:50.60* (Meet Record)
5. Emma Littrell - 1:56.06
7. Morgan Hofmeister - 1:58.22
9. Amelia Jones - 1:59.04

100 Breaststroke
1. Nina LaRosa - 1:00.54* (Meet Record) EMU #2
3. Emma Jönsson - 1:05.28*
4. Lauren Carlson - 1:05.94

100 Backstroke
1. Gabia Gelumbickas - 54.49 EMU #6
2. Marlee Christie - 57.69
3. Siporah Sang - 57.88
6. Addy Burrough - 59.40

200 Medley Relay
1. EMU A - 1:40.56 (Gelumbickas, LaRosa, Mina, Clarke) – Meet Record
3. EMU B - 1:45.14 (Sang, Jönsson, Guven, Noble)

200 Backstroke
1. Marianna Fardella - 2:01.94
4. Addy Burrough - 2:09.24
7. Siporah Sang - 2:11.05

100 Freestyle
2. Gabia Gelumbickas - 51.55
3. Abbey Clarke - 51.62
4. Lucy Noble - 51.67
7. Emma Littrell - 52.03
8. Nehir Guven - 52.14
18. Eleanor Groves - 55.94

1650 Freestyle
1. Marianna Fardella - 17:20.84

200 Breaststroke
1. Nina LaRosa - 2:16.88* (Meet Record) EMU #9
3. Emma Jönsson - 2:22.46*
4. Tristen Mina - 2:23.09
7. Lauren Carlson - 2:25.63

400 Freestyle Relay
1. EMU A - 3:23.79 (Clarke, Gelumbickas, Littrell, Noble) – Meet Record
4. EMU B - 3:36.42 (Jones, Groves, Mina, Guven)

1m Diving
1. Rose Kendrick - 270.45 (Meet Record)
2. Aisling Gutierrez - 244.30
3. Silvana Pomar - 232.60*
4. Meg Lupa - 225.90
15. Pari Surana - 124.75

3m Diving
1. Rose Kendrick - 263.00 (Meet Record)
2. Silvana Pomar - 236.05*
3. Aisling Gutierrez - 229.15
4. Meg Lupa - 226.30
14. Pari Surana - 133.00