East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team is set to begin its 2024-25 season with a meet against Cleveland State University on Friday, October 18, at 3 p.m. in Cleveland, Ohio. Fans can find a post-meet recap with full results on EMUEagles.com and follow live updates on the team's social media platforms.

The Eagles hold an unbeaten record of 12-0 against the Vikings, dating back to their first meeting on November 9, 1990. Their last encounter was during the 2004-05 season when Eastern won decisively with a score of 169-66.

This season marks the sixth year under Head Swimming Coach Derek Perkins. Perkins has achieved a record of 12-19 overall and holds a Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition record of 9-10. The program has also seen academic success with 64 Academic All-MAC selections and four College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Scholar All-America teams.

Eastern's schedule for the upcoming season includes nine regular-season meets across several states including Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Washington. The season will conclude with the MAC Championships from February 26 to March 1.

Tom Gimm was appointed as the new Head Diving Coach on June 20. Gimm brings extensive experience from his previous roles, including serving as Head Diving Coach at Ohio University from 2016 to 2018 and leading Moss Farms Diving in Georgia where his team placed second in the USA Diving Zone B Championships this year.

The team welcomes back 23 letterwinners from last year's squad and introduces nine freshmen newcomers such as Riess Estep from Smyrna, Ga., Aisling Gutierrez from New Kent, Va., Nehir Guven from Istanbul, Turkey, among others.

Senior diver Rebekah Knapp leads the diving team after achieving a personal-best score at last year's MAC Championships. In swimming events, Kiersten Russell returns after recording one of the fastest times in program history for the backstroke event alongside teammates Nina Larosa and Abby Szadorski who have also made significant contributions.

In a preseason poll conducted among MAC coaches, Eastern was predicted to finish sixth in conference standings for this season. The Eagles will next face off against Buffalo University on October 26 as they open their MAC competition schedule.

For ongoing updates about EMU swimming & diving activities throughout the season, fans are encouraged to visit EMUEagles.com or follow their social media accounts.