Ball State University
at Illinois State
Women's Swimming & Diving Rallies To Top Illinois State
January 17, 2010 | Women's Swimming and Diving
NORMAL, Ill. - - After losing the first four events, the Ball State women's swimming & diving team rallied to win nine of the final 12 to post a 154-146 victory over Illinois State Saturday afternoon at ISU's Horton Pool.
"This goes down as one of the all-time most exciting victories for the Cardinals in my career," said Ball State head coach Laura Seibold-Caudill, who is in her 31st season with the program. "The whole day was a total team effort, and I am very proud of the way our team battled back to win against a tough opponent in Illinois State."
With the victory, the Cardinals improve their dual meet record to 6-4. The Redbirds suffer just the second dual loss of the season, falling to 4-2. Overall, the Cardinals posted nine event victories and 24 top-three finishes in the meet.
Senior Emily Karwoski (Zionsville, Ind./North Central H.S.) led the Cardinals with three event victories, capturing first in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.31), 200 breaststroke (2:24.76) and 200 individual medley (2:11.50). She also swam the second-leg of the 200 medley relay which started the meet with a second-place time of 1:50.97.
Senior diver Lisa Maertin (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) also posted a pair of victories in the meet, winning both the one-meter (266.48) and three-meter events (227.70).
Also scoring individual event victories for the Cardinals were junior Maria Gramelspacher (Jasper, Ind./Jasper H.S.) in the 200 butterfly (2:09.30), freshman Mallory Przybylinski (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton H.S.) in the 50 freestyle (24.76) and freshman Jillian Bischoff (Atlanta, Ind./Hamilton Heights H.S.) in the 100 freestyle (54.06).
"We had good swims from a lot of people and turned in strong performances on the diving boards," added Seibold-Caudill. "Overall, it was a very exciting meet."
After falling behind 52-22 through the first four events, the Cardinals came to life with wins in the next five. The Cardinals took their first lead of the day after the ninth event, when Bischoff turned in a time of 54.06 to win the 100 freestyle. Juniors Joan Cullen (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West H.S.) and Katie Bylsma (Westfield, Ind./Pickney H.S.) also placed third (54.64) and fourth (54.75), respectively, in the event to give Ball State an 87-82 edge.
Illinois State's Christine Bryon took home top billing in the 200 backstroke (2:09.37) to help ISU regain a slim 96-92 advantage, only to see a 1-2 finish by Karwoski and freshman Mackenzie Imbro (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville H.S.) in the 200 breaststroke give the Cardinals the lead back at 105-102.
From there, the hosts claimed the next two events to pull ahead 127-118 going into the three-meter diving break. Martin would come through for the Cardinals on the high board, capturing first to help BSU rally within two points at 133-131 going into the final two swimming events.
Karwoski followed with her third individual event win of the day, claiming the 200 individual medley in 2:11.50, to help push the score to 143-140 in favor of the Cardinals and setting up a thrilling finish.
With just a three-point edge the winner of the meet's final event, the 400 freestyle relay, would take home the dual victory. Cullen, Bischoff, sophomore Nicole Saulters (Highland, Ind./Highland H.S.) and Bylsma would swim for the Cardinals, while Amy Schaefer, Jessica McGee, Sarah Coughlin and Danielle Schumacher hit to pool for Illinois State.
ISU would lead 54.19 to 54.78 through the first swimmer, before Bischoff dominated the second leg by over two seconds, giving BSU a 1:47.94 to 1:49.69 lead. From there, Ball State would go on to win the event by almost six seconds, with a time of 3:34.39 compared to 3:40.01 for the Redbirds.
The Ball State women's swimming & diving team will look to carry over the momentum from today's win to next weekend, when it travels to Eastern Michigan next Saturday for a 1 p.m. league showdown versus Eastern Michigan.
Ball State Top Three Performers Versus Illinois State
200 Medley Relay
2nd - Nicole Saulters, Emily Karwoski, Sara Hostetler, Katie Bylsma - 1:50.97
1,000 Freestyle
3rd - Mary Ehresman - 10:44.61
200 Freestyle
3rd - Jillian Bischoff - 1:57.50
100 Backstroke
2nd - Nicole Saulters - 1:00.82
100 Breaststroke
1st - Emily Karwoski - 1:07.31
200 Butterfly
1st - Maria Gramelspacher - 2:09.30
3rd - Sara Hostetler - 2:10.79
50 Freestyle
1st - Mallory Przybylinski - 24.76
2nd - Katie Bylsma - 24.91
One-Meter Diving
1st - Lisa Maertin - 266.48
2nd - Christina Riordan - 248.33
100 Freestyle
1st - Jillian Bischoff - 54.06
3rd - Joan Cullen - 54.64
200 Backstroke
3rd - Alanna Bader - 2:11.65
200 Breaststroke
1st -Emily Karwoski - 2:24.76
2nd - Mackenzie Imbro - 2:29.35
500 Freestyle
3rd - Elizabeth Spilman - 5:15.71
100 Butterfly
2nd - Maria Gramelspacher - 58.68
3rd - Alanna Bader - 59.28
Three-Meter Diving
1st - Lisa Maertin - 278.93
3rd - Christina Riordan - 227.70
200 Individual Medley
1st - Emily Karwoski - 2:11.50
3rd - Sarah Kehe - 2:14.73
400 Freestyle Relay
1st - Joan Cullen, Jillian Bischoff, Nicole Saulters, Katie Bylsma - 3:34.39
Players Mentioned
