RedHawks Finish Second At MAC Championships
3/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
GENEVA, Ohio—After three days of competition, Miami’s women’s swimming and diving team finishes second at the Mid-American Conference Championships held at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Akron finished first, claiming their first MAC Championship in their program’s history.
Miami took second-place, earning 496 team points, behind Akron who won with 574 total points. Bowling Green took third with 476 points. Eastern Michigan finished fourth with 469 points. Buffalo (446 points), Ohio (362 points), Toledo (348 points) and Ball State (334 points) rounded out the final team rankings.
“The girls did a great job,” said head coach Mark Davis, “They came back today and were very energetic… it was a very exciting meet here at the end.”
Junior Stephanie Pearce kicked off the evening for the RedHawks with a 16:47.32 time in the 1650 freestyle, which was good enough for a fourth-place finish. Sophomore Kelly Rogers (16:59.64), junior Courtney Collett (17:00.46) and Caitlin Fujan (17:05.70) also earned points for the RedHawks with twelfth, fourteenth and sixteenth-place finishes, respectively.
Senior Brianna Fujan took tenth-place in the 200 backstroke, leading Miami with a time of 2:00.92. Sophomore Emma Szczupakiewicz (2:01.52) and junior Katie Bootsma (2:02.02) took thirteenth and fourteenth in the event.
Senior Nikki Craft finished second-place in the three-meter diving event with 338.85 points. It was Miami’s top individual performance of the day.
In the 100 freestyle, freshman Elise Campbell finished with a time of 50.58 and a sixth-place finish. Junior Annie Marquiss finished seventh with a time of 50.85, earning 12 points towards the team point totals. Sophomore Natalie Rohr took twelfth with a time of 51.12.
Freshman Stephanie LeMire swam to a third-place finish in the 200 breaststroke. She had a 2:13.35 time. Senior Nicole Wagner took eighth with a 2:19.35 time.
Freshman Kathleen Dodson took sixth-place in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:03.53. Szczupakiewicz took twelfth (2:04.71).
The 400 freestyle relay team of Campbell, Rohr, Marquiss and senior Cynthia Donovan took third-place with a time of 3:22.54 to conclude the meet.
“It was really exciting to see the girls really step up and compete at the end,” said Davis.
The NCAA Zone C Diving Regional Meet begins Thursday, Mar. 13 in Columbus, Ohio. The NCAA Division I Women’s Championship will take place in Minneapolis, Minn. From Thursday, Mar. 20 through Saturday, Mar. 22.
Awards - 2014 All-MAC Teams and Specialty Awards.
Most Outstanding Swimmer: Brittney Kuras, Buffalo
Swimming Coach of the Year: Brian Peresie, Akron
Most Outstanding Diver: Danielle Hulvey, Eastern Michigan
Diving Coach of the Year: Russ Decker, Ohio
Most Outstanding Senior: Brittney Kuras, Buffalo
All-MAC First Team
Kelsey Ferrante, Akron
Hannah Raspopovich, Akron
Bridgette Ruehl, Ball State
Haley Richer, Ball State
Victoria Griffin, Bowling Green
Jessica Powers, Buffalo
Brittney Kuras, Buffalo
Spencer Rodriguez, Buffalo
Danielle Hulvey, Eastern Michigan
Jessie Godlewski, Eastern Michigan
Stephanie LeMire, Miami
Addy Ferguson, Ohio
Morgan Srail, Ohio
Christina Noens, Toledo
Beth Rogers, Toledo
All-MAC Second Team
Ashley Drazkowski, Akron
Erin Seiler, Akron
Laura Savariau, Akron
Emily Wisolek, Ball State
Mallory Miles, Ball State
Daniela Carrillo, Bowling Green
Emily Waller, Bowling Green
Joelle Scheps, Bowling Green
Jordan Bullock, Bowling Geen
Taylor Steffl, Buffalo
Monica Dorszewski, Eastern Michigan
Stephanie Pearce, Miami
Nikki Craft, Miami
Aubrey Kluth, Miami
Elise Campbell, Miami
Laurin Williams, Ohio
Haley Clark, Ohio
