Jan. 29, 2008
MAC Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Chelsey Bower ? Ohio
Sophomore ? Bethel Park, Pa. (Bethel)
Bower finished the week with five first place finishes and one second, to lead Ohio to a win over Marshall (182-131) and to its first dual-meet victory against rival Miami (186-114) in six seasons. Against the RedHawks Bower touched first and set season best times in the 50-yard freestyle (24.00) and 100-yard freestyle (52.59) and swam the opening leg of Ohio’s first place 400-yard freestyle relay team (3:33.69). On Tuesday against Marshall, she posted a personal best with a first place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (59.41) and swam the third leg of Ohio’s first place 200-yard medley relay team (1:48.90). Bower anchored Ohio’s second place 200-yard medley relay team against Miami (1:47.56), and her split was the fastest of the meet (23.67) and her fastest split of the season. The Bobcats (10-1, 5-1) have now won five straight dual-meets and finished the season a perfect 7-0 at home.
Additional Nominees
Stephanie Zielinski ? Akron
Sophomore - Philadelphia, Pa. (Archbishop Ryan HS)
Zielinski had an outstanding weekend notching four victories and personal best times. On Friday against Buffalo she won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.88, a season best and took second in the 100-yard freestyle in 52.67, a personal best. On Saturday against Youngstown State she helped the Zips by winning two individual events and a was part of a winning relay. She won both the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.78) and the 100-yard freestyle (54.01) and was also the anchor leg of the winning 400-yard medley relay.
Maria Gramelspacher ? Ball State
Freshman - Jasper, Ind. (Jasper HS)
Gramelspacher managed three first place finishes for the Cardials at Eastern Michigan Saturday. Gamelspacher was a member of the 400 free relay team that took top honors after clocking in a time of 3:35.91. Gramelspacher swam a 5:09.86 for a victory in the 500 free and then went on to win the 200 fly with a time of 2:06.34.
Ashley Schaffert ? Buffalo
Sophomore ? Lockport, N.Y. (Lockport HS)
Schaffert swept the breaststroke events in UB's victory at Akron. Schaffert won the 100-yard event in 1:06.51 and also took the 200-yard race in 2:25.94. She was also part of UB's victorious 200-yard medley relay squad.
Catherine Lee Ha ? Eastern Michigan
Junior - Toronto, Ont. (Silverthorn Collegiate)
Against Ball State, won the 100 backstroke (1:00.59), the 100 freestyle (52.61) and was part of the winning 200 medley relay team (1:48.95). Also swam on the 400 freestyle relay team that finished with a time of 3:32.82.
Karen Frazier ? Miami
Sophomore - Placerville, Calif. (St. Francis)
Frazier collected all three wins for Miami against Ohio as she won the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 400 IM. Frazier led a 1-2-3 Miami finish in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.85, before winning the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:21.83. Frazier was neck-and-neck with Ohio's Ashley Marion in the 400 IM, but Frazier touched the wall first in a time of 4:33.29, winning by three-tenths of a second. Frazier also collected a third-place finish as part of the 200 medley relay team, which recorded a time of 1:47.95.
Megan McKinley ? Toledo
Senior - Silver Lake, Ohio (Cuyahoga Falls)
McKinley won both diving events with her school-setting point totals. In the three-meter she got 336.75, which puts her second on the MAC best times list. In the one-meter she had a 299.62.
Previous Women’s Swimmers of the Week
Women’s
Oct. 11: Kathryn Stevens ? Miami
Oct. 16: Andrea Lehner - Buffalo
Oct. 24: Jacy Dyer - Toledo
Oct. 30: Emily Wylam ? Ohio
Nov. 5: Alisha Yee ? Bowling Green
Nov. 11: Andrea Lehner - Buffalo
Nov. 20: Addison Del Rio ? Ball State
Dec. 4: Andre Lehner - Buffalo
Jan. 9: Leah Woodard ? Toledo
Jan. 15: Kylie Gamelier ? Toledo
Jan. 22: Madeleine Pilchard ? Eastern Michigan and Megan Reissig ? Toledo
Jan. 29: Chelsey Bower, Ohio