Ball State University Athletics
Women's Swimming & Diving Places Three on Academic All-MAC Squad
March 02, 2006 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Muncie, Ind. -- Three members of the Ball State women's swimming & diving squad have been named to the 2005-06 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Team as voted on by the league's faculty athletic representatives. Junior Mary Brinkoetter (Decatur, Ill./Saint Teresa H.S.) was named to the squad for the second-straight season, while senior Paige Vernasco (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead H.S.) and sophomore Michelle Huang (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central H.S.) picked up the award for the first time.
A total of 24 student-athletes were named to the 2005-06 squad. The number of honorees on the Academic All-MAC Team are the number that is set for the specific sport or 33 percent of the number of nominees, whichever is greater.
To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.
Brinkoetter, a biology major with a 3.61 GPA, earned First Team All-MAC status at the 2006 MAC Championships after scoring a team-high 44 individual points at the meet. She finished third in the 400 Individual Medley (4:28.45) for 16 points, fourth in the 200 Backstroke (2:04.83) for 15 points and sixth in the 200 Individual Medley (2:06.36) for 14 points. In addition, she helped guide the 800 Freestyle Relay squad to a fourth-place time of 7:37.00 and the fifth-place 400 Freestyle Relay team to a clocking of 3:29.91. On the year, Brinkoetter competed in all 16 meets for the Cardinals, collecting 28 top-three times - - including nine first-place clockings - - and was a member of four first-place relay squads.
Vernasco, a biology and pre-med major with a 3.67 GPA, collected four individual points for the Cardinals at the 2006 MAC Championships by placing 15th in both the 1-Meter (211.25) and 3-Meter (200.90) diving events. Over the course of the season, she competed in 15 of BSU's 16 meets. Vernasco tallied 10 top-three efforts on the season, including three first-place dives.
Huang, a biology major with a 3.75 GPA, picked up 11 individual points for BSU at the 2006 MAC Championships. She collected seven points in the 50 Freestyle with a 10th-place time of 24.17, while earning four points for her 13th-place finish in the 100 Freestyle (52.73). In addition, Huang helped guide the 400 Medley Relay squad to a second-place finish and the second-fastest time in school history at 3:50.02. She was also a member of the fifth-place 500 Freestyle Relay (3:29.91) and the sixth-place 200 Freestyle Relay (1:35.80). On the year, Huang competed in all 16 meets for the Cardinals, collecting 22 top-three times - - including nine first-place clockings - - and was a member of 11 first-place relay teams.
