The following is a press release courtesy of the Mid-American Conference:
Becca Detro, Eastern Michigan, Junior
Event & Time:
1. 100 free (Akron): 52.45
1. 100 free (Ohio): 52.43
1. 200 free (Akron): 1:51.22
1. 200 free (Ohio): 1:52.24
2. 400 free relay (Akron): 3:31.99
3. 400 free relay (Ohio): 3:34.94
Eastern Michigan University junior Becca Detro competed in six events and picked up four individual wins between the Eagles’ commanding wins over MAC opponents Akron and Ohio, Oct. 31-Nov. 1. In the 223-77 victory over defending MAC champion Akron, Detro won both the 100 and 200 free. She edged out Kelsey Ferrante in the 100 free to take a 52.45 second win, and in the 200 free she led a sweep of the event in 1:51.22, finishing nearly six seconds ahead of the first Zip to touch in. Detro went on to swim a leg of the 400 free relay, in which her team took second just .25 seconds behind EMU’s winning lineup and finished two and a half seconds ahead of Akron’s A team. On Saturday’s 195-103 decision over Ohio, Detro led a sweep in the 100 free, finishing in 52.43 seconds, which was almost two seconds faster than Ohio’s top performer. Detro also won the 200 free in 1:52.24 in a tight race for the top spot. To end the meet, she once again swam on the runner-up 400 free relay team that finished behind another EMU lineup in 3:34.94, over three seconds ahead of Ohio’s relay team.
Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Uvis Kalnins, Missouri State, Junior
Event & Time:
400 medley relay: 3:19.83 (season-best time), 2nd
400 IM: 3:53.51 (season-best time), 1st
100 free: 44.85 (season-best time), 2nd
Junior Uvis Kalnins was a top performer for the Missouri State men’s swimming and diving team in a dual against Missouri on Friday, Oct. 31, at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo.
Kalnins set season-best times in all three events he competed in for the Bears on Friday.
He swam the anchor leg of the second-place 400 medley squad – which included Paul Le, Isaac Springer and Matthew Wilson – that posted a season-best time of 3:19.83.
Kalnins also posted season-best times while finishing first in the 400 IM (3:53.51) and second in the 100 free (44.85) against the Tigers.
Other Nominees
Jordan Van Winkle, Ball State, Senior
Event & Time:
First place finish: 400 freestyle relay, 3:32.99 with teammates senior Elaine Pitsas, senior Carlena Magley and sophomore Jessica Extine.
First place finish: 500 freestyle, 5:09.29
First place finish: 200 freestyle, 1:54.73
Second place finish: 200 Medley relay, 1:48.33 with teammates sophomore Courtney Mudd, freshman Jenna Zitkus and freshman Amanda Kedzierski.
Senior Jordan VanWinkle led the Cardinals with three first place finishes and a second place finish at their first home Mid-American Conference matchup against MAC defending champion Akron. VanWinkle’s 400 freestyle relay team set their season best time with 3:32.99. In the matchup with Akron, it came to the final event, where Ball State needed to place first and fourth to clench the event. VanWinkle’s team was able to take first, but Ball State narrowly missed and finished the meet at 148.5-151.5, Akron.
Jessica Powers, Buffalo, Senior
Jessica Powers won two individual events and was apart of two winning relay teams to held UB defeat Michigan State and Army on Saturday. Powers was dominant in the 1,000 freestyle, winning in a time of 10:15.39 – six seconds ahead of the second place finisher. She also went wire-to-wire to win the 500 freestyle in a time of 5:03.93. She swam the anchor leg of the winning 800 freestyle relay. Needing a victory in the 400 freestyle relay, the final event of the day, to defeat Michigan State, Powers and her teammates were victorious to clinch the meet. The Kalamazoo, MI native was out-touched by 1/100th of a second to come in second in the 200 freestyle. She also finished third in the 100 freestyle.
Laura Dawson, Ohio, Sophomore
Event & Time:
200 fly, 2:06.33
200 back, 2:01.41
200 IM, 2:08.68
After competing in a double-dual meet and a dual meet this past weekend and winning all of the individual events listed above, Dawson was also a part of two winning relays as well. Dawson always is one of Ohio’s strongest competitors, and is seen as a team leader as well.
Evan Bader, Miami, Junior
Event & Time:
-100-yard Breaststroke 57.68 (2nd) against Purdue
-200-yard breaststroke 2:04.81 (2nd) against Purdue
-400-yard Medley Relay 3:26.39 (1st) against Cleveland State
-200-yard IM 1:57.21 (3rd) against Cleveland State
Bader stayed busy this week with two competitions: one against Purdue on Thursday and one against Cleveland State on Saturday. Bader was the only swimmer to turn in more than one second-place finish against Purdue. He placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke with the nearest Miami swimmer almost three seconds behind him. Bader placed a close second in the 200-yard breaststroke, touching the wall at 2:04.81, only .1 seconds behind first place. A few days later, Bader was back in the pool against Cleveland State where started off the meet with a bang with his leg of the 400-yard medley relay. Miami was slightly behind CSU until Bader got in the water to take the lead for the RedHawks. His come-from-behind leg of the relay helped propel the team to a first-place finish with a cumulative time of 3:26.39, a full two seconds faster than the nearest CSU team. Clocking a time of 1:57.21 in the 200-yard IM, Bader placed third, racking up more points for the RedHawks as Miami topped the Vikings, 120.5-108.5.