Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Mid-American Conference Championship (Women)
Women's Swimming & Diving Places 8th @ MAC
February 28, 2009 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Click Here to Visit the 2009 MAC Swimming & Diving Championship Website For Complete Meet Results
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - Two more Ball State record fell Saturday evening, as the Ball State women's swimming & diving team completed the 2009 Mid-American Conference Championships with an eighth-place finish at Bowling Green's Student Recreation Center.
In a meet that saw nearly every previous MAC record shattered, the Cardinals posted seven school records on their way to collecting 200.5 total points. Miami won the meet with 639.5 points, followed by Ohio (611.5) and Toledo (568.5).
The 200 breaststroke was the best event for the Cardinals on the final day, as junior Emily Hurst posted a then-school record time of 2:18.96 in the prelims. However, the previous record holder freshman Emily Haifley turned the tables in the finals, posting a time of 2:18.35 to reclaim the school record she set earlier this season. Haifley finished the event in 13th place overall, while Hurst placed 16th.
Earlier in the day in a time trial swim, Haifley also broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke with a clocking of 1:04.77, which was .01 of a second faster than the previous school record of 1:04.78 set by Jessica Landrum in 2001.
Junior Mary Ehresman also had a strong showing for the Cardinals, posting the second-fastest time in school history in the 1650 freestyle (17:05.33) to place 12th, while adding the third-fastest time in program history in the 200 butterfly prelims with a clocking of 2:02.62 to earn at least a top eight finish.
In the 200 butterfly, Ehresman earned seventh place overall with a finals clocking of 2:02.73, while sophomore Maria Gramelspacher collected the second-best time in school history in her consolation finals heat to place ninth overall with a time of 2:01.72.
On the three-meter diving board, junior Lisa Maertin placed seventh overall with a score of 211.85, while Whitney Adams also scored for the Cardinals with a 14th-place mark of 193.90.
Ball State's other top performers on the day include Katie Bylsma who posted the third-fastest 100 freestyle in school history with a clocking of 51.78 to place 19th. Sara Hostetler was BSU's top performer in the 200 backstroke with an 18th-place effort of 2:04.77.
The Cardinals concluded the meet with an eighth-place showing in the 400 freestyle relay, as Nicole Saulters, Gramelspacher, Sarah Kehe and Bylsma combined for a time of 3:28.01.
While this ends the regular season for the Ball State women's swimming & diving team, BSU's Lisa Maertin still has a shot at the NCAA Championships, as she posting NCAA Zone Diving qualifying marks on both the 1-meter and 3-meter board earlier this season. The Zone Diving competition is set to take place March 12-15 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Women - Team Scores
Place School Point
=================================================
1 Miami University MIOH-OH 639.5
2 Ohio University OU-OH 611.5
3 University of Toledo UT-OH 568.5
4 Eastern Michigan EMU-MI 497.5
5 The University of Akron AKRN-LE 347
6 University at Buffalo UB-NI 335
7 Bowling Green State Univ. BGSU-OH 305.5
8 Ball State University BSU-IN 200.5
DAY THREE RESULTS
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - Ball State records continued to fall in the third day of the 2009 Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Championships as junior Mary Ehresman, freshman Nicole Saulters and sophomore Maria Gramelspacher each etched their name in the BSU record books, as did BSU's 400 medley relay squad, at Bowling Green's Student Recreation Center.
Overall, the Cardinals remain in eighth place with 132.5 points after three days of competition in the league championship meet. Miami leads the event with 430 points.
Ehresman started the day strong for the Cardinals earning a trip to the finals with a school-record clocking of 4:25.41 in the 400 individual medley prelims. In the finals, Ehresman finished eighth overall with a time of 4:25.47. The previous school record for the 400 individual medley was 4:25.44 set by Emily Aubie in the 2002 MAC Championship meet.
Fellow junior Emily Hurst also scored in the 400 individual medley for Ball State, taking home 14th with a time of 4:30.32. Thursday, Hurst broke the school record in the 200 individual medley with a final's time of 2:05.56.
Gramelspacher was BSU's top swimmer in the next two events, placing 10th in the 100 butterfly with a school-record clocking of 55.79, bettering the previous mark of 56.13 set by Stacy Mills in 1993. She also earned 20th in the 200 freestyle with a personal-best effort of 1:52.76.
Freshman Sara Hostetler also scored in the 100 butterfly finals, tying for 15th with a time of 56.93.
Two more Cardinals wrote their names in the BSU record book in the 100 breaststroke, despite not earning points in the finals. Senior Lauren Harger tallied the second-best time in school history with a clocking of 1:04.90 to finish 18th, while freshman Emily Haifley added the third-best time in program history at 1:04.91 to place 19th. Haifley already owns the school record in the 200 breaststroke with time of 2:19.49 set versus Eastern Michigan (Jan. 24) earlier this season.
Saulters added to Ball State's record-setting day with a school-record time of 57.12 in the 100 backstroke prelims. In the finals, Saulters turned in a clocking of 58.05 to finish 16th overall. The previous school record in the 100 backstroke was 57.31 set by Brittany Sayler at the 2006 MAC Championships.
The Cardinals concluded the third day of competition with its fourth school record of the session as Saulters, Harger, Gramelspacher and Katie Bylsma posted a time of 3:49.49 in the 400 medley relay, surpassing the previous school record of 3:49.92.
Action in the 2009 Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Championships concludes Saturday with 11 a.m. prelims in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly. Finals for the day begin at 5 p.m. with the 1650 freestyle and conclude with the running of the 400 freestyle relay.
Women - Team Scores
Place School Points
===================================================================
1 Miami University MIOH-OH 430
2 Ohio University OU-OH 398.5
3 University of Toledo UT-OH 397.5
4 Eastern Michigan EMU-MI 322.5
5 University at Buffalo UB-NI 233
6 The University of Akron AKRN-LE 226
7 Bowling Green State Univ. BGSU-OH 199
8 Ball State University BSU-IN 132.5
DAY TWO RESULTS
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team is currently eighth with 87 points after the second day of the 2009 Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by Bowling Green at the BGSU Student Recreation Center.
BSU's best event on the second day of competition was the one-meter diving board, where junior Lisa Maertin collected 256.85 points to place fifth, while sophomore Jessica Elzinga and freshman Christina Riordan placed 15th (207.45 points) and 16th (202.90 Points), respectively.
In the 200 individual medley, junior Emily Hurst recorded a school-record time of 2:05.56 to place 13th in the event. The previous school record was 2:06.03 set by Addison Del Rio at the 2006 league championship meet.
While neither scored, freshman Elizabeth Spilman was BSU's top performer in the 500 freestyle with a BSU season-fast time of 5:04.72 to place 25th, while sophomore Katie Bylsma was the squad's top swimmer in the 50 freestyle, clocking in with a BSU season-best time of 24.04 to tie for 24th overall.
The Cardinals concluded the second day of competition with Bylsma, Lauren Harger, Sarah Kehe and Nicole Saulters posting a time of 1:36.87 in the 200 freestyle relay.
After the second day of competition, Toledo leads the 2009 MAC Championships with 234 points, while Ohio is second with 228 points.
Competition in the championships continues Friday (Feb. 27) with the prelims for the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke beginning at 11 a.m., while 3-meter diving prelims start at 1 p.m. Event finals will once again begin at 7 p.m., with the 400 medley relay rounding out the day's events.
Women - Team Scores
Place School Points
==============================================================
1 University of Toledo UT-OH 234
2 Ohio University OU-OH 228
3 Miami University MIOH-OH 216
4 Eastern Michigan EMU-MI 164
5 The University of Akron AKRN-LE 158
6 University at Buffalo UB-NI 137
7 Bowling Green State Univ. BGSU-OH 104
8 Ball State University BSU 87
DAY ONE RESULTS
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team is currently eighth after the first day of the 2009 Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by Bowling Green at the BGSU Student Recreation Center.
The Cardinals swam to eight-place finishes in the two relay events scheduled for the first day of competition. In the opening event, BSU posted a season-best clocking of 1:45.78 in the 200 medley relay as Nicole Saulters, Emily Haifley, Erika Paul and Katie Bylsma combined to shave nearly three seconds off the previous season-best effort.
In the longest relay event of the competition, Sarah Kehe, Elizabeth Spilman, Mary Ehresman and Maria Gramelspacher turned in an eighth-place clocking of 7:35.56 in the 800 freestyle relay and came up just .51 seconds shy of the school record of 7:35.05 set at last season's MAC meet. The effort was over 14 seconds faster than the squad's previous best this season.
After the first day of competition, Miami leads the 2009 MAC Championships with 74 points, while Toledo, Buffalo and Ohio are in a three-way tie for second at 64 points.
Competition in the championships continues tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 26) with prelim events beginning at 11 a.m. in the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle and 1-meter diving. Finals for those four events, as well as the 200 freestyle relay begin at 7 p.m.
Women - Team Scores
Place School Points
===================================================================
1 Miami University MIOH-OH 74
2 University of Toledo UT-OH 64
2 University at Buffalo UB-NI 64
2 Ohio University OU-OH 64
5 Eastern Michigan EMU-MI 56
6 Bowling Green State Univ. BGSU-OH 54
7 The University of Akron AKRN-LE 52
8 Ball State University BSU 44
MEET PREVIEW
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team turns its attention to the Mid-American Conference Championships this week, as it travels to Bowing Green, Ohio, for the four-day event which begins Wednesday at the BGSU Student Recreation Center.
Teams competing for the MAC Championship are Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Ohio and Toledo.
Competition in the four-day event gets underway at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 25) with the opening ceremonies, followed by finals in the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay.
Thursday's (Feb. 26) events begin at 11 a.m. with prelims in the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle and 1-meter diving. Finals for those four events, as well as the 200 freestyle relay begin at 7 p.m.
On Friday (Feb. 27), the prelims for the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke begin at 11 a.m., while 3-meter diving prelims start at 1 p.m. Event finals will once again begin at 7 p.m., with the 400 medley relay rounding out the day's events.
The final day of competition, Saturday (Feb. 28), also opens at 11 a.m. with prelims for the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly. Finals for the day begin at 5 p.m. with the 1650 freestyle and conclude with the running of the 400 freestyle relay.
Ball State Individuals Ranked in the Top 20 Among MAC Swimmers Entering the Championships
1000 Freestyle
15. Mary Ehresman, 10.29.76
1650 Freestyle
18. Mary Ehresman, 17:40.41
100 Backstroke
20. Nicole Saulters, 59.47
100 Breaststroke
6. Emily Haifley, 1:05.13
16. Lauren Harger, 1:06.38
200 Breaststroke
4. Emily Haifley, 2:19.49
20. Lauren Harger, 2:24.92
100 Butterfly
14. Maria Gramelspacher, 57.61
200 Butterfly
12. Megan Ploetz, 2:06.98
15. Maria Gramelspacher, 2:07.57
200 Individual Medley
20. Erika Paul, 2:10.86
400 Individual Medley
15. Mary Ehresman, 4:34.84
1-Meter Diving
6. Lisa Maertin, 281.85 (Zone Qualifying Mark)
9. Whitney Adams, 261.15
11. Christina Riordan, 253.44
12. Whitney Johnson, 252.65
14. Jessica Elzinga, 249.60
20. Nicole Kmieciak, 235.45
3-Meter Diving
3. Lisa Maertin, 301.13 (Zone Qualifying Mark)
11. Christina Riordan, 265.80
14. Whitney Adams, 252.75
17. Jessica Elzinga, 240.53
200 Freestyle Relay
8. Ball State, 1:38.26
400 Freestyle Relay
8. Ball State, 3:34.03
800 Freestyle Relay
6. Ball State, 7:49.52
200 Medley Relay
8. Ball State, 1:48.59
400 Medley Relay
7. Ball State, 3:55.76
