MAC Announces Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Week

Updated 1/16/2013

Women's Swimmer of the Week
Carly Harter, Toledo
Senior, North Huntington, Penn. (Norwin)
Senior Carly Harter won six events and placed second in two events at Michigan State and No. 15 Ohio State last weekend. On Friday, Harter led Toledo (2-2) to its first road victory under first-year head coach Chris Peters at MSU, 157.5-142.5. The senior finished with wins in the 100 and 200-yard freestyle, while recording her first win in the 200-yard individual medley this season. She also swam on the second place 400-yard freestyle relay team, as the Rockets won their third meet ever against a Big Ten Conference opponent. Harter and the Rockets took on 15th-ranked OSU less than 24 hours later in Columbus, OH, and the three-time, All-MAC First Teamer showed no signs of fatigue by capturing the 100-yard freestyle, 400-yard individual medley and 400-freestyle relay. She also swam the 50-yard freestyle for the first time this season with a second place time of 24.33. Next up for UT is senior day on Jan. 26 versus Miami (OH).

Men's Diver of the Week
Garrett Nevels, Missouri State
Sophomore, Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Lee's Summit High)
Nevels recorded the highest scores of his MSU career and swept both springboard events against 20th-ranked Penn State on Saturday (Jan. 14). The sophomore began his career day with a new school record on 1-meter, scoring 357.60 points and defeating Penn State’s Lucas Kachurick by nearly 100 points. His mark surpasses previous record-holder Eric Ducourneau, who set the record in 2009 with a score of 352.65. In the 3-meter diving competition, Nevels followed the record-breaking performance with his second NCAA Zone ‘D’ qualifying cut of the season and another victory. The Bears’ top diver totaled 351.70 points on 3-meter and won by a 30-point margin

Other Nominees:

Women's

Bridgette Ruehl, Ball State
Junior, Lowell, Ind. /Lowell
Ruehl was one of four Cardinals to come away with two individuals wins at the IUPUI Natatorium. Ruehl once again swept the breaststroke, clocking a 1:05.24 in the 100 and a 2:22.93 in the 200. The junior was also a part of the 200 medley that turned in a 1:46.92 for the win.

Marissa Murphy, Buffalo

Junior, Grand Rapids, MI/Forest Hills

In UB’s 139-96 victory over local rival Niagara, junior Marissa Murphy lowered her season-best mark as she won the 100-yard butterfly in 57.77, the fastest time of the season in the event. Murphy cut .34 seconds from her 58.11 mark which she set on October 13 when she won the event at the WNY Invite. Murphy also swam the backstroke portion of UB’s victorious 200-yard medley relay as the team of Murphy, Spencer Rodriguez, Taylor Lansing and Rachael Ragen claimed a victory in 1:50.84.

Briana Emig, Eastern Michigan

Senior, Sewickly, Pa. (Ambridge)

Senior Briana Emig helped the Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team to its third straight victory in Mid-American Conference dual-meets this season, keeping the Eagles undefeated on the year. Eastern is now 5-0 and 3-0 in MAC meets after a 166-128 win over Bowling Green Saturday, Jan. 12. Emig took first place in three individual races, while also helping Eastern to a second place finish in the 400-freestyle relay. The senior opened her day with a victory in the 1,000-freestyle, touching the wall in 10:20.17, more than two seconds before the next racer. Emig also took the 200- and 500-freestyle races in 1:52.84 and 4:58.58, respectively. Her time in the 500 was over eight seconds faster than any other competitor.

Bekka Westrick, Miami University

Senior, Fairfield, Ohio - Fairfield H.S.

Winning both of her individual races and one relay in Miami's 172-128 victory over arch-rival Cincinnati, she continues a torrid pace towards the Mid-American Conference Championships in six weeks. In Friday's race at UC, Westrick took individual firsts in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, and was a member of the winning 400 freestyle relay unit. In 17 total individual races this season, Westrick has 14 first-place finishes, two second-place performances and one third-place effort.

Haleigh Bartlett, Ohio

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Falls

Haleigh had a fantastic weekend for Ohio Swimming and Diving, taking first place in both the one and three-meter diving competitions in Ohio’s January 12 dual meet at Denison. Bartlett’s high scores helped propel the Bobcats to a one-sided 193-97 victory over the Big Red.

From the one-meter board, Bartlett scored a mark of 294.60, beating her nearest competition by more than three points. The sophomore’s score was a personal best, the third highest score in program history, qualified her for the NCAA Zones competition, and currently ranks as the third highest score in the MAC this season.

From the three-meter board, Bartlett scored an impressive mark of 327.83. This was nearly 41 points ahead of the nearest competitor, was another personal best, qualified her for the NCAA Zones competition, ranks third all-time in program history, and is currently the second best score achieved by a MAC diver during the 2012-13 season.

Men’s

Joseph Morris, Ball State
Junior, South Bend, Ind./Clay
Morris was the lone Cardinal to secure individuals wins, sweeping the breaststroke competition. He swam a 57.18 in the 100 and a 2:07.18 in the 200. Morris was on the 200 medley relay that secured a first place relay finish with a time of 1:34.92. The junior also swam the lead leg in the 200 free relay that came in second with a clocking of 1:26.83

Shawn Hoffman, Buffalo

Senior, North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda

Shawn Hoffman swept the men’s diving competitions in UB's 147-80 victory over local rival Niagara. Hoffman won the one-meter springboard event with 291.58 points and posted a season-best 352.58 for his six-dive program to win the three-meter springboard event and has qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships in both disciplines. Hoffman is in his first season with the Bulls after competing for three years at Duke.

Michael Swain, Eastern Michigan

Senior, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Huron)

Senior Michael Swain earned multiple second place finishes this weekend in a dual-meet loss to the No. 1-ranked University of Michigan Friday, Jan. 11. Swain opened his day helping EMU to a third place finish in the 160-medley relay, and then took third individually in the 100-breaststroke, completing the distance in 55.88. Swain continued the meet by taking second in both the 200-breaststroke and 160-individual medley with finishes of 2:01.23 and 1:27.15, respectively. Swain's final race of the evening was the 40-breaststroke in which he touched the wall in 20.53, taking second. Overall, Swain brought home three second place finishes and a pair of third place times, making his way to the podium on five separate occasions.

Alex Rienhardt, Miami

Senior, Littleton, Colo. - Regis Jesuit High School)

The senior distance freestyler was flawless last Friday night in a 159-133 dual-meet victory over the University of Cincinnati, helping to raise the RedHawks' record to 3-2-1. Reinhardt had a five-second victory in the 1000-yard free, touching the wall in 9:36.14, a time that knocked more than seven seconds off his previous season best. He also was victorious in the 500 free, posting a eight-second win over teammate Chris Dieter with a time of 4:40.33.