MAC Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Derick Roe - Eastern Michigan
Junior - Sidney, Ohio-Sidney
In win against Ball State, won the 100 freestyle (46.44), as well as the 200 freestyle (1:44.38). Roe was also part of the winning 200 medley relay team (1:33.67) and the 400 freestyle team that finished with a time of 3:10.03.
Additional Nominees
Zach Ruske - Buffalo
Junior ? Superior, Colorado (Monarch HS)
Ruske anchored UB's winning 400-yard medley relay as he caught Miami's final swimmer within the final 10 yards and touched the wall ahead of his opponent by two-tenths of a second as the Bulls posted a season-best time of 3:31.56. He also won the 200-yard backstroke in 1:52.19 as the Bulls took the top three spots in the race. Ruske also finished second in the 200-yard freestyle by nine-hundredths of a second.
Darin Smith ? Miami
Freshman ? Barksdale AFB, La. (Loyola HS)
With top distance swimmer Paul Ricard not swimming, freshman Darin Smith stepped up and notched two big wins for Miami in its 138-105 win at Buffalo on Saturday. Smith earned Miami's first top-finish of the day as he defeated Buffalo's Connor Vander Zalm by two-hundredths of a second in the 1000 freestyle. Smith swam a time of 9:42.82 in the 1000 freestyle. Later in the meet after Buffalo collected a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 backstroke, Smith picked Miami up with another win in the 500 freestyle. Smith touched the wall first in a time of 4:43.72 and won the event by just over two seconds.
Previous Men’s Swimmers of the Week
Oct. 16: Connor Vander Zalm ? Buffalo
Oct. 24: Michael McDowell ? Buffalo
Oct. 30: Darin Smith ? Miami
Nov. 5: Zach Ruske, Buffalo
Nov. 12: No competition
Nov. 20: Ryan Franklin ? Ball State
Dec. 4: Michael McDowell - Buffalo
Jan. 15: Michael McDowell ? Buffalo
Jan. 22: Paul Ricard ? Miami
Jan. 29: Derrick Roe, Eastern Michigan