The Eastern Michigan University swimming teams closed out the home schedule with victories over Wayne State University, Mid-American Conference opponent Ball State University Friday and Saturday. The men’s team beat Ball State 163-115 On the women’s side, Eastern Michigan defeated BSU 185-112 and OSU 228-7.
The men’s team improved to 6-1 and 2-0 in the MAC while the women’s squad moved up to 8-3 and 4-1 in MAC play. Eastern Michigan went undefeated at home this year.
“It was a good challenge to swim two meets in a row,” EMU coach Peter Linn said. “I think we struggled in some areas doing that so it gives us some things to work on.”
Ohio State was unable to make it to Ypsilanti due to weather conditions in the Columbus area. However, the Buckeyes already sent their divers earlier in the day and competed in the competitions, but the scoring would not count. According to the Ohio State website, the meet will be rescheduled to a later date either this season or the next.
“It’s always disappointing when you have the chance to swim against some of the best people around,” Linn said. “But I understand the weather was terrible down there and there’s nothing they can do about it.”
Both teams won against Wayne State Friday with the men’s squad winning 180-116 and the women’s team taking victory 176-122.
Before the start of the dual meet against Ball State, EMU took the time to honor its seven seniors: Tom Coates, Gus Everson, Dexter Foos, Aaron Lawson, Danielle Hulvey, Meghan Richardson and Jackie Swartz.
Swartz won in the 200-individual medley and got a second place in the 200-butterfly while Richardson finished third in the 100-butterfly and seventh in the 50-free. Foos was part of the 200-medley relay-winning team and got fourth in the 100-backstroke while Coates finished fifth in the 200-butterfly.
Andrew Henry contributed to EMU’s victory with individual wins in the 100- and 1000-yard freestyle events. Henry also won in the 200-free Saturday.
Cole Bateman pitched in a pair of wins in the 100- and 200-backstroke events along with a second place finish as part of an EMU 200-medley relay team against Wayne State.
Lawson won a tight 200-butterfly for EMU over WSU’s Calvin Reder by a margin of .06 seconds. Everson won in the 50- and 100-freestyle events Saturday.
On the women’s side, Eastern Michigan’s Grace Van Allen won a pair of events in the 200- and 500-freestyle. Van Allen also won the 500-free and placed second in the 200-free Saturday.
Monica Dorszewski won all four breaststroke events at the 100- and 200-yard distances over the weekend.
Alexis Mitcheltree was victorious in the 200-backstroke as well as the 100-back as part of an EMU 1-2-3 finish with Haley Shaw and Sara Ghaffari finishing behind her versus Ball State.
Kristina Novichenko got three individual wins for the Warriors Friday in the 1000-free, the 100-and 200-butterfly.
For Ball State, Haley Richter won a pair of events in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-butterfly along with a win as part of the 200-medley relay. BSU’s Carlena Magley beat EMU’s Mary Kate Maclean in the 50-yard freestyle by a scant .06 seconds and was also part of the 200-medley relay-winning team.
Danielle Hulvey of EMU swept both diving events Friday. Hulvey scored more than 300 in the one- and three-meter dives. Eastern Michigan claimed a 1-2-3 finish in the three-meter dive with Hulvey scoring 317.33 over Karly Taylor (280.21) and Lauren Dark (266.33). Hulvey took both springboard events again Saturday.
The Eastern Michigan men’s diving team was dominant in the diving events Friday.
Sage Stephens won the men’s three-meter dive after scoring 309.61 over Dakoda Johnson (308.70). Johnson rebounded to win in the one-meter diving event with a score of 281.32 over Wayne State’s Dylan Szegedi (274.20) and Matt Ventura (263.85). Stephens won the men’s one-meter dive Saturday over Alex Chan.
Ohio State’s Stephen Ettienne scored the lone victory and points for the team after winning the three-meter springboard Saturday with a 339.50 score over Chan (336.70).
Both teams will hit the road to take on Miami University Saturday Feb. 1 for a 1 p.m. start.
