Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Coach Bashor Looks Back on the Season
After a very successful season, Head Coach Andy Bashor looks back on the Men's and Women's MAC Championships.
The Women broke 8 school records on their way to a 5th place team finish at the Championships. The team scored a total of 392 points, the most in school history, while placing 3 individuals on the All-MAC First Team! Here are some highlights:
Senior Meili Carpenter won both the 1-meter and 3-meter events on her way to being named MAC Diver of the Year and setting a MAC record on 3-meter. Freshman Caroline Simmons won the 100 free in a school record time of 49.69. She also placed 2nd in the 50 free (22.86 - School Record) and 8th in the 200 free (1:49.72 - School Record). Sophomore Alie Schirmers placed 3rd in the 400 IM (4:18.98 - School Record), 4th in the 200 IM (2:03.24), and 4th in in the 200 breast (2:15.91 - School Record). The 200 free relay and 400 free relay also set school records!
The Men broke 12 school records on their way to a 2nd place team finish, the highest in school history! Two men were named to the All-MAC First Team and six were named to the All-MAC Second Team, and.....Coach Bashor was named the MAC Swimming Coach of the Year! Here are some highlights:
The team experienced many "firsts" during the Championships including breaking all 5 relay school records! Freshman Matt Schwippert won the 200 back in a school and MAC record time of 1:45.23. He also finished 2nd in the 100 back (48.14; set the School Record leading off the 400 medley relay 48.12) and 2nd in the 100 fly (48.91 - School Record). Freshman Josh Meints set school records in the 100 breast (56.71) and the 200 breast (2:02.60). Senior Zach Ruske broke his own school record in the 200 IM with a time of 1:50.22.
Congratulations on a great season!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Meili Carpenter Propels the Bulls to a 41st Place Finish at the Women's NCAA Championships!
(An interview with Meili prior to the NCAA Championships...)
Senior Meili Carpenter capped off a fantastic senior season, and collegiate career, by becoming the first Buffalo Bull in school history to score at the NCAA Championships! As a result of her performance, Buffalo scored 11 points and placed 41st at the Championships!
Last Thursday, Meili competed in her first event in West Layafette, Indiana. She finished 12th overall on 1-meter after qualifying 12th in prelims. This was Meili's best finish, up to that point, at the Championships and the first time she had qualified for finals!
Friday proved to be an even better day as Meili once again dove her way into the consolation finals. She finished 11th place overall and improved her score from the prelims. Meili's final collegiate performance came on Saturday when she competed in the Platform event. She placed 20th overall, her best career finish in this event at NCAAs, and a great way to end her career.
Congratulations to Meili!
Senior Meili Carpenter capped off a fantastic senior season, and collegiate career, by becoming the first Buffalo Bull in school history to score at the NCAA Championships! As a result of her performance, Buffalo scored 11 points and placed 41st at the Championships!
Last Thursday, Meili competed in her first event in West Layafette, Indiana. She finished 12th overall on 1-meter after qualifying 12th in prelims. This was Meili's best finish, up to that point, at the Championships and the first time she had qualified for finals!
Friday proved to be an even better day as Meili once again dove her way into the consolation finals. She finished 11th place overall and improved her score from the prelims. Meili's final collegiate performance came on Saturday when she competed in the Platform event. She placed 20th overall, her best career finish in this event at NCAAs, and a great way to end her career.
Congratulations to Meili!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Buffalo Men Finish in 2nd Place at MAC Championships; Schwippert Breaks MAC Record in 200 Back
There is nothing like the excitement of a close team race during a championship meet! As 1650 began on Saturday afternoon, there was no doubt that each performance that evening was going to be extremely important. The team had plenty of opportunities based on how they qualified in the morning, but the question still remainded...Would it be enough to stay in 2nd place??? Only time would tell!
The evening began with the 1650. Senior Connor Vander Zalm finished 9th overall with a season best of 16:01.03, while freshman Zach Rice swam to a lifetime best of 16:04.76 on his way to an 11th place finish. The 200 back followed and once again saw 3 Bulls in the top 8. Freshman Matt Schwippert continued his outstanding meet as he won the event in a MAC and school record time of 1:45.23, lowering his time of 1:45.86 from the prelims. Seniors Zach Ruske and Andrew Tamchyna placed 3rd and 6th respectively in their final race as a Bull, leaving their mark on the program as a dynamic backstroke duo over the past 4 years!
The 100 free provided as much excitement as you could expect from a sprint event. Sophomore Simon Proudfoot tied for 8th in prelims and went on the win a swim-off to qualify for the final....which, once again, put 3 Bulls in the final. Jared Heine and Matt Hogan tied for 2nd with a time of 44.95, while Simon improved his position by placing 7th overall. Jared broke the school record in the morning when he posted a time of 44.67! In the consolation final, sophomore Chad Miller placed 2nd (10th overall) with a season best of 45.65.
In the 200 breast, freshman Josh Meints placed 4th overall with a school record time of 2:02.60! Josh was in 6th place at the 150, but battled back to finish ahead of two of the competitors. In the 200 fly, sophomore Chris Berloth also finished 4th as he tied his lifetime best with a time of 1:50.19. Chris was the only team member in the event and definitely stepped up to the challenge!
The final individual event of the meet was 3-meter diving which saw both UB divers qualify for a second round of competition. On Friday night, during the consolation finals, sophomore Colin Patrican (260.95) followed up his 4th place finish on 1-meter with a 14th place finish on 3-meter. Junior Kenny Rhoades finished 6th overall (327.95), improving upon his qualifying score of 305.10.
After doing exactly what they needed to do, the team stood in 2nd place heading into the 400 free relay and would stay there as long as the relay finished...legally! Despite some nerves and a lot of excitement, the relay not only finished but took it to the final touch as they chased down Eastern Michigan. The team of Matt Hogan (45.96), Simon Proudfoot (45.10), Chad Miller (44.59), and Jared Heine (43.95) finished 2nd with a school record time of 2:59.60, and just 17-hundredths behind Eastern!
The evening began with the 1650. Senior Connor Vander Zalm finished 9th overall with a season best of 16:01.03, while freshman Zach Rice swam to a lifetime best of 16:04.76 on his way to an 11th place finish. The 200 back followed and once again saw 3 Bulls in the top 8. Freshman Matt Schwippert continued his outstanding meet as he won the event in a MAC and school record time of 1:45.23, lowering his time of 1:45.86 from the prelims. Seniors Zach Ruske and Andrew Tamchyna placed 3rd and 6th respectively in their final race as a Bull, leaving their mark on the program as a dynamic backstroke duo over the past 4 years!
The 100 free provided as much excitement as you could expect from a sprint event. Sophomore Simon Proudfoot tied for 8th in prelims and went on the win a swim-off to qualify for the final....which, once again, put 3 Bulls in the final. Jared Heine and Matt Hogan tied for 2nd with a time of 44.95, while Simon improved his position by placing 7th overall. Jared broke the school record in the morning when he posted a time of 44.67! In the consolation final, sophomore Chad Miller placed 2nd (10th overall) with a season best of 45.65.
In the 200 breast, freshman Josh Meints placed 4th overall with a school record time of 2:02.60! Josh was in 6th place at the 150, but battled back to finish ahead of two of the competitors. In the 200 fly, sophomore Chris Berloth also finished 4th as he tied his lifetime best with a time of 1:50.19. Chris was the only team member in the event and definitely stepped up to the challenge!
The final individual event of the meet was 3-meter diving which saw both UB divers qualify for a second round of competition. On Friday night, during the consolation finals, sophomore Colin Patrican (260.95) followed up his 4th place finish on 1-meter with a 14th place finish on 3-meter. Junior Kenny Rhoades finished 6th overall (327.95), improving upon his qualifying score of 305.10.
After doing exactly what they needed to do, the team stood in 2nd place heading into the 400 free relay and would stay there as long as the relay finished...legally! Despite some nerves and a lot of excitement, the relay not only finished but took it to the final touch as they chased down Eastern Michigan. The team of Matt Hogan (45.96), Simon Proudfoot (45.10), Chad Miller (44.59), and Jared Heine (43.95) finished 2nd with a school record time of 2:59.60, and just 17-hundredths behind Eastern!
More School Records Fall as Men Stand in 2nd place Following Day 2 of Championships
After a very successful morning, the team set themselves up for second most opportunities of any team at the competition. We had 15 individual swims, plus Colin Patrican in the consolation finals of 3-meter diving and 2 relays to complete the evening.
The 200 medley relay led things off as the relay team of Matt Schwippert, Josh Meints, Cory Zorsch, and Andrew Tamchyna placed 3rd with a school record time of 1:30.63, and just 67-hundredths out of 1st place! As the lone respresentive in the event, senior Connor Vander Zalm placed 5th in the 400 IM with a time of 4:00.00. His time of 3:59.21 in the prelims was a lifetime best!
The 100 fly quickly followed and provided the team with 4 scoring opportunities. Freshmen Matt Schwippert and Cory Zorsch qualified in the top 8. Matt broke the school record on his way to a 2nd place finish (48.91), while Cory finished 8th with a time of 50.27. In the consolation final, sophomores Chris Berloth (50.73) and Chad Miller (51.42) finished 11th and 15th respectively, just off of their performances from the prelims.
One of the biggest events of the evening was the 200 free, as 3 Bulls qualified in the top 8 and set the tone for the 800 free relay that would conclude the night. Freshman Matt Hogan placed 2nd overall on his way to breaking the school record (1:38.30), while sophomores Jared Heine and Simon Proudfoot placed 4th and 8th respectively. Jared improved from his morning swim on his way to a personal best of 1:39.32. Simon qualified with a lifetime best of 1:40.27 in the prelims and was just off of that in the finals.
Another school record fell in the 100 breast as freshman Josh Meints qualified with a time of 56.71. Josh placed 5th overall in the evening, just off of his morning swim. Senior Jordan Matthews placed 13th with a season best of 58.10, and was immediately followed by freshman Christian Muller who placed 14th. Christian's prelim swim was a personal best (57.84).
The final 2 events of the evening were the 100 back and the 800 free relay. The Bulls were represented by 3 individuals in the back with Matt Schwippert placing 2nd in a time of 48.14, just 2-hundredths off of the school record he set as the lead-off leg of the 400 medley relay. Seniors Andrew Tamchyna and Zach Ruske both had lifetime bests on the day, and placed 5th and 7th respectively during the finals. The 800 free relay concluded with a 2nd place finish for the Bulls and another school record. The team of Zach Ruske (1:40.89), Simon Proudfoot (1:41.90), Matt Hogan (1:38.07), and Jared Heine (1:39.84) swam to an impressive time of 6:40.70!
After day 2 of the Championships, the team was sitting in 2nd place, 41.5 points behind Eastern Michigan and 19.5 points ahead of Missouri State.....the final day would have to be a big one for the team standings to remain the same! Stay tuned!
The 200 medley relay led things off as the relay team of Matt Schwippert, Josh Meints, Cory Zorsch, and Andrew Tamchyna placed 3rd with a school record time of 1:30.63, and just 67-hundredths out of 1st place! As the lone respresentive in the event, senior Connor Vander Zalm placed 5th in the 400 IM with a time of 4:00.00. His time of 3:59.21 in the prelims was a lifetime best!
The 100 fly quickly followed and provided the team with 4 scoring opportunities. Freshmen Matt Schwippert and Cory Zorsch qualified in the top 8. Matt broke the school record on his way to a 2nd place finish (48.91), while Cory finished 8th with a time of 50.27. In the consolation final, sophomores Chris Berloth (50.73) and Chad Miller (51.42) finished 11th and 15th respectively, just off of their performances from the prelims.
One of the biggest events of the evening was the 200 free, as 3 Bulls qualified in the top 8 and set the tone for the 800 free relay that would conclude the night. Freshman Matt Hogan placed 2nd overall on his way to breaking the school record (1:38.30), while sophomores Jared Heine and Simon Proudfoot placed 4th and 8th respectively. Jared improved from his morning swim on his way to a personal best of 1:39.32. Simon qualified with a lifetime best of 1:40.27 in the prelims and was just off of that in the finals.
Another school record fell in the 100 breast as freshman Josh Meints qualified with a time of 56.71. Josh placed 5th overall in the evening, just off of his morning swim. Senior Jordan Matthews placed 13th with a season best of 58.10, and was immediately followed by freshman Christian Muller who placed 14th. Christian's prelim swim was a personal best (57.84).
The final 2 events of the evening were the 100 back and the 800 free relay. The Bulls were represented by 3 individuals in the back with Matt Schwippert placing 2nd in a time of 48.14, just 2-hundredths off of the school record he set as the lead-off leg of the 400 medley relay. Seniors Andrew Tamchyna and Zach Ruske both had lifetime bests on the day, and placed 5th and 7th respectively during the finals. The 800 free relay concluded with a 2nd place finish for the Bulls and another school record. The team of Zach Ruske (1:40.89), Simon Proudfoot (1:41.90), Matt Hogan (1:38.07), and Jared Heine (1:39.84) swam to an impressive time of 6:40.70!
After day 2 of the Championships, the team was sitting in 2nd place, 41.5 points behind Eastern Michigan and 19.5 points ahead of Missouri State.....the final day would have to be a big one for the team standings to remain the same! Stay tuned!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Men Make Statement on Day 1 of MAC Championships
Thursday morning was the start of the Men's MAC Championships at Eastern Michigan. Here is a "short" recap of Day 1:
The finals session began with the 200 free relay. Like the women, the men have been waiting anxiously for several days for the meet to begin. After a very solid preliminary session this morning, we knew that great things could happen if all of the pieces fell into place. The relay team of Simon Proudfoot, Jared Heine, Andrew Tamchyna, and Ryan Smrekar placed 2nd overall and broke the school with a time of 1:21.93!
The first individual event of the day was the 500 free. Freshmen Zach Rice had an outstanding morning swim that qualified him 9th heading into finals. Senior Connor Vander Zalm qualified 8th with a lifetime best 4:32.94. Both men added at night, but were able to carry some of the momentum gained by the performances on the relay.
The 200 IM and 50 free quickly followed. Senior Zach Ruske broke his own school record in the prelims when he posted a time of 1:50.22. Zach finished 4th overall during finals. Freshman Josh Meints qualified 5th, but made a tremendous push during the last 50 tonight to finish 2nd overall with a time of 1:51.28. In the 50 free, Jared Heine (20.66) and Simon Proudfoot (20.86) finaled and took 5th and 8th respectively. The team was represented by Ryan Smrekar (21.16), Andrew Tamchyna (20.99), and Matt Hogan (20.96) in the consolation final.
The 1-meter diving competition came next. Sophomore Colin Patrican dove his way to a 3rd place finish after a tough battle this evening. Junior Kenny Rhoades finished 4th overall after qualifying first during prelims. This was the best performance by Buffalo divers at the MAC Championships in a very long time!
The last event of the evening was the 400 medley relay...and it was worth the wait! Freshman Matt Schwippert led off with a school record leg, swimming to a time of 48.12! Josh Meints followed with a breaststroke split of 55.69. The final 2 legs saw a head-to-head battle with Eastern Michigan and Missouri State. Freshman Cory Zorsch (49.10) and sophomore Jared Heine (44.25) fought to the end, placing 3rd overall and knocking 4 full seconds off of the previous school record!!!! Their time of 3:17.16 was 8-hundredths behind Eastern Michigan and 14-hundredths behind Missouri State. It was an amazing race, full of energy and excitement...a great way to end the evening!
The finals session began with the 200 free relay. Like the women, the men have been waiting anxiously for several days for the meet to begin. After a very solid preliminary session this morning, we knew that great things could happen if all of the pieces fell into place. The relay team of Simon Proudfoot, Jared Heine, Andrew Tamchyna, and Ryan Smrekar placed 2nd overall and broke the school with a time of 1:21.93!
The first individual event of the day was the 500 free. Freshmen Zach Rice had an outstanding morning swim that qualified him 9th heading into finals. Senior Connor Vander Zalm qualified 8th with a lifetime best 4:32.94. Both men added at night, but were able to carry some of the momentum gained by the performances on the relay.
The 200 IM and 50 free quickly followed. Senior Zach Ruske broke his own school record in the prelims when he posted a time of 1:50.22. Zach finished 4th overall during finals. Freshman Josh Meints qualified 5th, but made a tremendous push during the last 50 tonight to finish 2nd overall with a time of 1:51.28. In the 50 free, Jared Heine (20.66) and Simon Proudfoot (20.86) finaled and took 5th and 8th respectively. The team was represented by Ryan Smrekar (21.16), Andrew Tamchyna (20.99), and Matt Hogan (20.96) in the consolation final.
The 1-meter diving competition came next. Sophomore Colin Patrican dove his way to a 3rd place finish after a tough battle this evening. Junior Kenny Rhoades finished 4th overall after qualifying first during prelims. This was the best performance by Buffalo divers at the MAC Championships in a very long time!
The last event of the evening was the 400 medley relay...and it was worth the wait! Freshman Matt Schwippert led off with a school record leg, swimming to a time of 48.12! Josh Meints followed with a breaststroke split of 55.69. The final 2 legs saw a head-to-head battle with Eastern Michigan and Missouri State. Freshman Cory Zorsch (49.10) and sophomore Jared Heine (44.25) fought to the end, placing 3rd overall and knocking 4 full seconds off of the previous school record!!!! Their time of 3:17.16 was 8-hundredths behind Eastern Michigan and 14-hundredths behind Missouri State. It was an amazing race, full of energy and excitement...a great way to end the evening!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Bulls Win 2 Individual MAC Championships on Final Night of Competition
On the final night of the Women's MAC Championships, the Bulls won 2 individual MAC championships and set 3 school records.
Junior Jordan Deren opened the evening session with an 8th place finish in the 1650 free. Her time of 16:51.77 was a season best and just off of her school record that she set at last year's championships. The duo of Katelyn Pratt-Collins and Caitlin Reilly led the way in the 200 back. Katelyn placed 6th overall with a time of 2:01.59, while Caitlin posted a time of 2:03.34 for 12th place. Both ladies posted lifetime best times in the prelims.
In perhaps one of the most exciting events of the meet, freshman Caroline Simmons won the 100 free in a school record time of 49.69! Caroline out touched Ohio University senior Chelsey Bower by a mere one-hundredth of a second. The previous school record (50.89) was held by Inger Rooneem and was set in 1998. Junior Jessie Koltz placed 11th overall with a lifetime best time of 50.59.
Sophomore Alie Schirmers broke her second school record of the weekend when she posted a time of 2:15.91 in the 200 breast. Her time was good enough for a 4th place finish overall. Brynn Marecki made a statement as she won the consolation heat of the 200 breast, dropping over a second from her prelim swim. Brynn posted a season best of 2:18.00 on her way to a 9th place finish.
Senior Meili Carpenter won the 3-meter competition with a MAC record score of 350.65! Meili took command of the event during the first round and never looked back. She was in such control that she could have won the event without performing her final dive!
The final event of the Championships was the 400 free relay. The team of Sam Palma, Jessie Koltz, Jordan Deren, and Caroline Simmons broke the school record from last year on their way to a 2nd place finish!
Junior Jordan Deren opened the evening session with an 8th place finish in the 1650 free. Her time of 16:51.77 was a season best and just off of her school record that she set at last year's championships. The duo of Katelyn Pratt-Collins and Caitlin Reilly led the way in the 200 back. Katelyn placed 6th overall with a time of 2:01.59, while Caitlin posted a time of 2:03.34 for 12th place. Both ladies posted lifetime best times in the prelims.
In perhaps one of the most exciting events of the meet, freshman Caroline Simmons won the 100 free in a school record time of 49.69! Caroline out touched Ohio University senior Chelsey Bower by a mere one-hundredth of a second. The previous school record (50.89) was held by Inger Rooneem and was set in 1998. Junior Jessie Koltz placed 11th overall with a lifetime best time of 50.59.
Sophomore Alie Schirmers broke her second school record of the weekend when she posted a time of 2:15.91 in the 200 breast. Her time was good enough for a 4th place finish overall. Brynn Marecki made a statement as she won the consolation heat of the 200 breast, dropping over a second from her prelim swim. Brynn posted a season best of 2:18.00 on her way to a 9th place finish.
Senior Meili Carpenter won the 3-meter competition with a MAC record score of 350.65! Meili took command of the event during the first round and never looked back. She was in such control that she could have won the event without performing her final dive!
The final event of the Championships was the 400 free relay. The team of Sam Palma, Jessie Koltz, Jordan Deren, and Caroline Simmons broke the school record from last year on their way to a 2nd place finish!
More School Records Fall on Day 3 of Women's Championships
On a day that brought about more opportunities for great things, the Bulls took advantage of the five individual swimming events. Friday evening started with the 400 IM and a school record performance by sophomore Alie Schirmers. Alie placed 3rd overall with a lifetime best of 4:18.98, breaking the previous record of 4:19.68 set by Jennefer Brankovsky in 2004. Junior Alisa Koopman placed 15th overall in the event and posted a lifetime best in prelims (4:32.01).
The 100 fly followed as sophomore Jessie Koltz and seniors Sam Palma and Emily Day competed in the consolation final. Sam finished in 11th place with a time of 55.97, just off of her prelim time of 55.65. Jessie was just behind with a 13th place finish (56.39), while Emily Day followed up her lifetime best swim (56.60) in prelims with a 16th place finish at night (57.25).
Caroline Simmons broke the school record in the prelims of the 200 free with a time of 1:49.72, and followed up her performance with an 8th place finish in finals. The previous record of 1:50.90 was set by Andrea Lehner in 2007. Junior Jordan Deren placed 14th place with a time of 1:50.98. She posted a personal best in prelims with a time of 1:50.63, under Lehner's previous school record.
The final individual events of the evening were the 100 breast and 100 back. Sophomore Brynn Marecki placed 6th overall (1:03.48) in the 100 breast, just off of her swim from prelims (1:02.75). Freshman Katelyn Pratt-Collins and seniors Caitlin Reilly and Jessica Ballard led the way as all three competed in the consolation final of the 100 back. Jessica won the heat with a lifetime best of 55.76. Katelyn placed 12th with a time of 56.83, followed closely by Caitlin who was 14th (57.25).
The 400 medley relay was the evening's final event. The Bulls placed 4th overall with a time of 3:44.67. The team of Jessica Ballard, Brynn Marecki, Sam Palma, and Caroline Simmons posted a season best time, and missed the school record by less than 4-tenths!
The 100 fly followed as sophomore Jessie Koltz and seniors Sam Palma and Emily Day competed in the consolation final. Sam finished in 11th place with a time of 55.97, just off of her prelim time of 55.65. Jessie was just behind with a 13th place finish (56.39), while Emily Day followed up her lifetime best swim (56.60) in prelims with a 16th place finish at night (57.25).
Caroline Simmons broke the school record in the prelims of the 200 free with a time of 1:49.72, and followed up her performance with an 8th place finish in finals. The previous record of 1:50.90 was set by Andrea Lehner in 2007. Junior Jordan Deren placed 14th place with a time of 1:50.98. She posted a personal best in prelims with a time of 1:50.63, under Lehner's previous school record.
The final individual events of the evening were the 100 breast and 100 back. Sophomore Brynn Marecki placed 6th overall (1:03.48) in the 100 breast, just off of her swim from prelims (1:02.75). Freshman Katelyn Pratt-Collins and seniors Caitlin Reilly and Jessica Ballard led the way as all three competed in the consolation final of the 100 back. Jessica won the heat with a lifetime best of 55.76. Katelyn placed 12th with a time of 56.83, followed closely by Caitlin who was 14th (57.25).
The 400 medley relay was the evening's final event. The Bulls placed 4th overall with a time of 3:44.67. The team of Jessica Ballard, Brynn Marecki, Sam Palma, and Caroline Simmons posted a season best time, and missed the school record by less than 4-tenths!
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