Women's S&D Hosts Pair of Meets This Weekend

October 07, 2010 | Women's Swimming and Diving

By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team officially opens its 2010-11 campaign Friday, when it hosts Evansville in a dual meet starting at 6 p.m.

The Cardinals continue competition Saturday morning, when it hosts the Ball State Relay Invitational beginning at 9 a.m. In addition to BSU, Butler, Evansville, IUPUI and Valparaiso will compete in the non-traditional meet which features all relay events.

Under the guidance of 32nd-year head coach Laura Seibold-Caudill, the Cardinals return 21 letterwinners from last season's squad which posted three school records and eight performances which ranked in the top three in program history.

Leading the way for BSU this season will be a core group of five seniors who were responsible for three of the top three efforts. Senior Katie Bylsma (Westfield, Ind./Pinckney H.S.) swam her way to the third-best times in program history in both the 50 freestyle (23.56) and 100 freestyle (51.42).

Fellow senior Maria Gramelspacher (Jasper, Ind./Jasper H.S.) collected her fourth school record last season as a member of the 200 medley relay which turned in a time of 1:43.82 at the MAC Championships. She also owns school records in the 100 butterfly (55.79), 400 medley relay (3:49.49) and 800 freestyle relay (7:35.05), while posting the second-best 200 butterfly (2:01.72) time in program history.

Other seniors looking to make an impact this season are Alanna Bader (Monroe, Wis./Monroe H.S.), Jessica Elzinga (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa H.S.) and Catherine Ingram (Westfield, Ind./Westfield H.S.).

The Cardinals also return two more members from the record-setting 200 medley relay in junior Nicole Saulters (Highland, Ind./Highland H.S.) and sophomore Mallory Przybylinski (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton H.S.).

BSU's diving corps will be led by junior Christina Riordan (Homewood, Ill./Flossmoor H.S.) who was an NCAA Zone Diving qualifier last season.