“Splashes and Dives: Toledo Invades for an Exciting Friday Showdown!”

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Aiming for a 4-1 record in dual meets this season and 2-0 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play for the first time since 2019-20, the Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team will compete against the Toledo Rockets on Friday, Jan. 17, at Jones Natatorium, starting at 5 p.m. This marks the first occasion in 2025 where the EMU swimmers and divers will unite as a team.

Supporters can keep up with live results here, and stay updated on EMUEagles.com for a comprehensive recap including complete results. Also, follow the team’s social media platforms on Instagram, X, and Facebook for content related to EMU swim & dive.

ALL-TIME RECORD AGAINST TOLEDO

The Eagles and Rockets will face off in the pool for the 28th time this Friday. Overall, Eastern has a favorable edge in the historical series with a record of 19-8 against Toledo. The Eagles last triumphed over the Rockets away in the 2022-23 season, on Oct. 28, winning by a score of 165-134. The previous home victory against Toledo came in the 2020-21 season on Nov. 6, with a score of 134-104 in favor of the Eagles. Head coach Derek Perkins maintains a strong 2-0 record in his EMU career against UT and his team’s average margin of victory is 30.5 points.

 

3-1 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019-20

For the first time since Perkins’ inaugural season (2019-20), Eastern is standing at 3-1. That season, the Eagles concluded third at the MAC Championships, accumulating 485 points. The upcoming meet against Toledo provides the Eagles an opportunity to achieve a 4-1 start in duals and a 2-0 record in conference play for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

MEGAN LUPA QUALIFIES FOR NCAA ZONE DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PLATFORM DIVE

Freshman diver Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary) delivered an impressive performance at the UB Diving Invite, hosted by Buffalo, from Jan. 10-12. Lupa secured her first NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut with a score of 229.90 in the platform dive, finishing in second place. In addition to the zones cut, Lupa advanced to the finals in all three events (one-meter: seventh, three-meter: sixth, platform: second) and accumulated 42 points during the meet, the second-highest total among all competing divers.

EMU DIVERS QUALIFIED FOR NCAA ZONE DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Four divers from the Eagles have secured qualification for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, to be held at Ohio State in Columbus, March 10-12. Lupa most recently qualified with her 229.90 score on the platform dive at the UB Diving Invite on Jan. 12. She will compete alongside teammates, Malia Maire (San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo), Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline), and Ciara Wheeler (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) . Maire previously qualified in the one-meter dive with a score of 270.45 against Oakland on Nov. 21, while Knapp qualified in the three-meter event with a score of 317.25 against Cleveland State on Oct. 18, in addition to a 267.00 score in the one-meter event versus Oakland on Nov. 21. Wheeler secured her spot with a 267.38 performance in the one-meter against Indiana State on Nov. 9.

 

SWIMMERS LAST COMPETITION: AT DENISON INVITATIONAL, DEC. 5-7

The Eagles placed fourth out of five teams at the Denison Invitational, conducted by Denison University, in Granville, Ohio, from Dec. 5-7. Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) led the squad with 99 points scored, achieving four top-10 finishes. The senior also recorded two season-best times in the 400-yard IM (4:29.09) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.85). Furthermore, her 400-yard IM time qualified her for the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships (NIC) in Ocala, Fla., from March 13-15.

 

CSCAA NIC CUTS

In addition to Szadorski in the 400-yard IM, teammates Kiersten Russell (Clinton, Mich./Saline) and Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre) also achieved CSCAA NIC cuts at the Denison Invitational. Russell accomplished this in the 50-yard backstroke, completing the distance in 26.17, while Oz secured her spot with a time of 4:28.97 in the 400-yard IM. Both Oz and Russell recorded the fastest times for the team in their respective events.

 

Previously Mentioned

VERSUS OAKLAND, NOV. 21

The Eagles recorded their third victory of the 2024-25 season, defeating the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 161-139, at Jones Natatorium on Thursday, Nov. 21. Szadorski achieved three event victories (200-yard medley relay, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke) and swept the breaststroke events for the third time this season. On the diving boards, Knapp led the Eagles, attaining her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season, this time in the one-meter dive (267.00) while contributing 12 points for the divers at the meet.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES: VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21

Aside from Knapp and Szadorski, the Eagles witnessed impressive results from Oz, who tallied her first event wins of her career with a personal-best 1:54.09 in the 200-yard freestyle along with a first-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (5:05.57). Maire also achieved an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut in the one-meter dive with a career-best 270.45 points.

DIVER OF THE WEEK

Knapp was recognized as the MAC Co-Diver of the Week on Nov. 27. This accolade marks her second of the season and third in her career. Earlier this season, on Oct. 23, she received the honor after securing her three-meter NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut with a personal-best score of 317.25, earning first place against Cleveland State on Oct. 18.

 

In the competition against Oakland on Nov. 21, Knapp achieved her second first-place finish of the season in the three-meter dive, matching a personal record with a score of 317.25 in the Eagles’ 161-139 victory. Her score currently ranks as the highest in the conference according to Swim Cloud. She subsequently placed third in the one-meter dive with a score of 267.00, marking her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. Overall, Knapp led all Eastern divers with 12 points scored during the meet.

VERSUS INDIANA STATE, NOV. 9

The Eagles faced a loss in their home opener against Indiana State, 187-113, on Nov. 9. In the pool, Eastern was spearheaded by Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), who took first place in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.50 and secured second place in the 100-yard backstroke in 57.51. Both achievements represented personal bests for the freshman. In diving, Maire led the Green and White, winning the three-meter dive with a season-high score of 266.93 and placing third in the one-meter with a personal best of 256.88 points. Sophomore Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King’s Academy) also achieved a lifetime-best in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing in 56.16.

AT BUFFALO, OCT. 26

The Eagles managed to secure a victory in enemy territory, triumphing over 149.5-148.5 againstBuffalo, Oct. 26. In the water, they were spearheaded by Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East), who dominated both breaststroke events, clinching the 100-yard in 1:04.12, trimming one second off her previous fastest season time (1:05.12), and the 200-yard in 2:20.13. The senior later enhanced her time in the 200-yard IM, finishing at 2:10.05 compared to her 2:11.32 swum against Cleveland State on Oct. 18. On the diving boards, Wheeler topped the team with a fourth-place performance in the one-meter dive, achieving 251.85 points in the six-dive format.

 

MAJOR SEASON-STARTING VICTORY

The Eagles commenced the season with a 190-108 triumph over Cleveland State on Oct. 18. This victory represented the largest margin of success (82 points) in a season-opening win during the Perkins Era. Additionally, this win accounted for his fourth consecutive season-opening triumph in his six years overseeing the program. Six Eagles secured multiple victories, as the squad triumphed in nine of the 12 individual swimming events at the meet, and clinched 12 of 16 overall events.

ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS

The program is embarking on its sixth year under Perkins’ leadership. As the 2024-25 season approaches, Perkins maintains a 12-19 record and a 9-10 record in MAC competition. The program has celebrated 64 Academic All-MAC accolades and four CSCAA Scholar All-America honors.

 

THE UPCOMING SEASON

Eastern is poised to participate in nine regular season competitions in 2024-25, culminating with the MAC Championships from Feb. 26 to March 1. The Eagles will be present at meets across Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Washington. 

 

TOM GIMM – HEAD DIVING COACH

Perkins disclosed the appointment of Tom Gimm as the Eagles’ Head Diving Coach on June 20. He brings a wealth of club coaching experience and has previously instructed in the MAC, holding the position of Head Diving Coach at Ohio University from 2016 to 2018. Most recently, Gimm served as the Head Diving Coach/Director of Diving Operations for Moss Farms Diving, an emerging junior diving powerhouse featuring a state-of-the-art facility in Moultrie, Ga. His Flying Tigers achieved a second-place finish in the 2024 USA Diving Zone B Championships held at the Moss Farms Diving Facility. Gimm also guided high school exceptional talent Tuck Gregory to a Georgia High School Association Individual State Championship in 2024.

 

RETURNING/NEW RECRUITS

This season’s Eagles roster includes 23 returning letterwinners from the 2023-24 team, alongside nine fresh faces, all freshmen, including Riess Estep (Smyrna, Ga./Whitefield Academy), Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent), Nehir Guven (Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Atanur Oguz Okullari), Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), Lupa, Oz, Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson), Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).

 

DIVING CAPTAIN

On the diving boards, the Eastern team is steered by Knapp, who achieved a second-place result in the three-meter dive at the MAC Championships last season, scoring 301.15.

 

SWIMMING CAPTAINS

In the pool, the Eagles retain Russell, who recorded the fifth-fastest 100-yard backstroke time in program history at 54.33. Alongside Russell is Nina Larosa (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), who logged the program’s eighth-best 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:03.00 as a freshman last season. Among Russell and Larosa is Szadorski, who improved her eighth-best program mark in the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing the event in 2:16.60.

 

MAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL

In a survey conducted among the MAC’s eight head coaches, the Eagles were projected to secure sixth place in the MAC standings for the approaching 2024-25 season.

 

UP NEXT

The Eagles are scheduled to next compete on the road at Ohio on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. This meet will represent EMU’s concluding dual meet of the season before the MAC Championships, hosted by Buffalo, from Feb. 26 to March 1.    

 

FOLLOW US

For the latest updates in EMU swimming & diving, stay connected with EMUEagles.com, and follow the team on Instagram, X, and Facebook