Ball State University Athletics
Red & White Swimming & Diving Meet Set For Friday
September 25, 2008 | Women's Swimming and Diving
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State swimming & diving fans will get their first official look at the program Friday, when the Cardinals host their annual Red & White Meet at 7 p.m. in the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
Under the direction of co-head coaches Laura Seibold-Caudill and Bob Thomas, who are both returning for their 30th seasons with the program, the Cardinals will look to a talented mixture of experience and youth to help the program move back towards the top at this season's MAC Championship meets.
"The Red & White meet will give our freshman class firsthand experience of what collegiate meets are like," said Seibold-Caudill. "It will also give our newcomers a chance to prove themselves in the pool, while our upperclassmen will be able to see how their summer training has paid off."
"This will be the first test to see how everyone is handling the training up to this point," said Thomas. "I am looking forward to seeing the freshmen swimmers and divers compete in a friendly environment prior to the start of season next week."
The women's squad, which placed eighth at the 2008 Mid-American Conference Championships last season, returns 21 letterwinners from a year ago, while adding 11 freshman to the roster. Key among the team's returners are:
- - Senior Megan Ploetz (Mt. Vernon, Ind./Castle H.S.) captured 12th in the 200-Yard Butterfly (2:07.66) at the 2008 MAC Championships.
- - Junior Mary Ehresman (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson H.S.) placed 10th in both the 1650-Yard Freestyle (17:21.08) and the 400-Yard Individual Medley (4:31.29) at last season's MAC Championships, while placing 15th in the 200-Yard Butterfly (2:08.74).
- - Junior Lisa Maertin (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way-Central H.S.), who placed sixth on the 3-Meter Diving Board at the 2007-08 MAC Championships with a score of 260.25, also represented the Cardinals at the NCAA Diving Zone Meet at Ohio State.
- - Sophomore Maria Gramelspacher (Jasper, Ind./Jasper H.S.) placed 10th in the 200-Yard Butterfly (2:05.66) and 12th in the 100-Yard Butterfly (57.20) at the league meet.
- - Sophomore Katie Bylsma (Westfield, Ind./Pickney H.S.) captured 12th in the 50-Yard Freestyle (24.01) and 16th in the 100-Yard Freestyle (52.79) at the MAC Women's Championships.
- - Junior Sarah Kehe (Westville, Ind./Chesterton H.S.), who also competes for the BSU Cross Country/Track & Field program, placed 15th in the 200-Yard Freestyle (1:53.94) at the MAC Championships.
On the men's side, the Cardinals return 20 letterwinners from last season's squad, which placed ninth at the 2007-08 Sun Belt/Mid-American Conference Championships, while adding 11 freshmen into the mix. Leading the way for the men are three returning Academic All-MAC selections in juniors Tyler Dixon (Jeffersonville, Ind./Jeffersonville H.S.), Ben Karwoski (Bluffton, Ind./Bluffton H.S.) and Dane Mishler (Crawfordsville, Ind./Southmont H.S.).
- - Dixon was BSU's top backstroke swimmer last season, posting team-best times of 24.94 (50-Yard Backstroke), 52.77 (100-Yard Backstroke) and 1:53.64 (200-Yard Backstroke) at the Sun Belt/MAC Championships last season.
- - Karwoski was one on BSU's top middle-distance freestyle swimmers in 2008, ranking third on the squad in the 200-Yard Freestyle (1:45.63) and fourth in the 500-Yard Freestyle (4:43.96), with both times coming at the conference championship meet.
- - Mishler ranked among the team leaders in the 100-Yard Backstroke (57.53) and the 400-Yard Individual Medley (4:36.29) last season.
- - Senior Kyle Hembree (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge H.S.), whose younger brother Travis joins the squad this season, turned in BSU's top times in both the 1000-Yard Freestyle (9:56.79) and the 400-Yard Individual Medley (4:14.31) last season.
- - Senior David Linn (Elkhart, Ind./Concord H.S.) looks to lead the BSU diving corps, after posting the team's top score on the 3-Meter Board (278.05) and the third-best effort on the 1-Meter Board (233.95) last season.
- - Sophomore Mark Golden (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park H.S.) returns as BSU's top swimmer in both the 500-Yard Freestyle (4:39.11) and 1650-Yard Freestyle (16:21.22) from a year ago.
After the Red & White Meet, both Ball State teams will return to the pool next Friday (Oct. 3), when the 2008-09 season kicks into high gear with the Dennis Stark Relays which are slated for 5 p.m. at Notre Dame's Joyce Center.
