Ball State University
at Eastern Michigan
Women's S&D Stuns Eastern Michigan; 156-144
October 30, 2010 | Women's Swimming and Diving
YPSILANTI, Mich. - - In a thrilling finish, the Ball State women's swimming & diving team used a 1-2 finish in the 400 freestyle relay to post a 156-144 victory over Eastern Michigan Saturday afternoon in its Mid-American Conference opener at EMU's Jones Natatorium.
"Our entire team swam their suits off today," said Ball State head coach Laura Seibold-Caudill. "We had a ton of life-time best swims. The attitude of this team is unbelievable. Their drive, desire and will to win is a dream for a coach. While everyone came out with a lot of energy today, I give our senior class a lot of credit for firing up our team. Today's meet goes down as one of my top-five all-time favorites in my 32-year career at Ball State."
With the victory, the Cardinals improve to 3-0 (1-0 MAC) on the season. The Eagles fall to 0-2 (0-2 MAC) with the loss. Overall, Ball State won seven of the meet's 16 events to claim the overall victory.
The first event of the day would symbolize the neck-and-neck meet the event would turn out to be, as Eastern Michigan's relay squad posted a .01 second victory over BSU's team of Nicole Saulters, Bridgette Ruehl, Maria Gramelspacher and Katie Bylsma in the 200 Medley Relay. The Cardinals clocked in with a time of 1:47.18.
Two events later, freshman Emily Wisolek picked up the Cardinals' first event win of the day, claiming the top spot in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.76.
In the 100 back, the Cardinals used a 2-3-4 finish led by freshman Mallory Miles' time of 58.16 to keep pace with the Eagles.
Ruehl followed with the second-fastest individual time in program history to win the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.68, brining the Cardinals within seven points at 50-43.
A win by senior Maria Gramelspacher in the 200 butterfly (2:04.24) helped the Cardinals even the score at 56, while a 2-3-4 finish in the 50 freestyle, which was led by freshman Mia Miller's time of 24.09, kept the Cardinals within one point after seven events.
A win by Miller in the 100 freestyle (52.39) gave the Cardinals a one-point lead at 85-84 after the one-meter diving event, while a 2-3-4 effort led by Mallory Miles (2:08.37) in the 200 backstroke kept the meet even at 94 points apice
Ruehl would follow with another record-setting performance in the 200 breaststroke, posting the third-fastest time in program to win the event in 2:19.21, and help give the Cardinals a 106-101 advantage.
While EMU regained the lead briefly after the 500 freestyle, a 1-2 effort by freshman Haley Richter (56.25) and Gramelspacher (57.16) in the 100 fly helped BSU re-establish the lead at 126-119.
A strong performance from the Eagles on the three-meter board and a EMU win in the 200 IM, however, led to Eastern Michigan holding a slim 142-141 edge entering the meet's final event, the 400 freestyle relay. Richter helped lead a BSU 2-3-4 finish in the 200 IM, with a time of 2:08.79, to keep the score close.
Needing a win in the 400 freestyle relay, the Cardinals did more than that, posting a 1-2 finish to secure 15 more points and a 156-144 victory in the meet. BSU's A Relay of Wisolek, Jillian Bischoff, Miller and Katie Bylsma posted a time of 3:31.97 for first place, while BSU's B Relay of Gramelspacher, Jennifer Miles, Betsy Bowen and Nicole Saulters placed second with a time of 3:34.32.
The Ball State women's swimming & diving team returns to action Nov. 12-13, when it travels to Indianapolis for the 2010 IUPUI House of Champions meet. Action is set to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, and 10 am Saturday.
Players Mentioned
