Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, January 27
Bowling Green, Ohio
5:00 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Youngstown State
Photo by: BGSU Photography
Falcons Host Two Meets And Celebrate Senior Day This Weekend
January 24, 2012 | Women's Swimming & Diving
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The Bowling Green State University swimming team closes out the 2011-12 season and six seniors get one last shining moment at Cooper Pool this weekend as the Falcons host Youngstown State and Miami for back-to-back dual meets on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 27-28).
Bowling Green will attempt to shrug off a 146-123 loss last Friday at Buffalo. During that meet, Emily Waller won a career-best three events, while Vicky Yu swept the butterfly events for the third time this season.
The team begins the weekend at 5:00 p.m. on Friday by facing the Youngstown State Penguins of the Horizon League. The Penguins have competed in four meets this month, including three duals. They are 0-3 in those duals, including a 145-96 loss to Mid-American Conference opponent Ohio. However, they most recently finished first in the five-team Butler Invitational.
Last season, the Falcons won 10 of 14 swimming events as they defeated YSU in Youngstown, 174-119. You can read more about that event here.
On Saturday, less than 24 hours later, the Falcons return to the pool for a 1:00 p.m. date with the Redhawks of Miami University. Miami has won both of their January dual meets to date. They dominated Cincinnati, 184-111, on Jan. 13 then downed previously unbeaten Ball State, 178-122, on Jan. 20.
Like BGSU, Miami will have to swim twice in 24 hours this weekend; the Redhawks travel to Ypsilanti, Mich. on Friday for a dual meet with Eastern Michigan.
Saturday will mark the Falcons' first meet against Miami since a 165-129 defeat in November of 2009.
Head coach Petra Martin said, ""These are our last regular season meets and, once again, we will try to recreate the back-to-back racing environment that will take place at the MAC Championships in four weeks."
"On Friday, some of our athletes will swim in events that they might not have experienced much this season, as preparation for possibly swimming in those events at the MACs. It should be a good meet and we are looking for versatility from our athletes," Martin said. "Saturday's meet against Miami will be tough, but we are excited to race against another MAC opponent and put our swimmers head-to-head with some of their biggest rivals."
Prior to Saturday's meet, the Falcons will celebrate Senior Day by recognizing the team's six seniors and honoring the contributions they have made both in and out of the pool.
Megan Bomicino is the owner of the second-fastest 500-freestyle time in BGSU history. She finished eighth in the event at the 2011 MAC Championships, and her time in the preliminary round was less than a half-second shy of the school record.
This year, she finished second in the 500 free at the TPSC Invitational. Bomicino is also on BGSU's all-time top-ten list in the 1000 and 1650 freestyle.
Andrea Brown set four personal records during her junior season, including three at the 2011 MAC Championships. She finished as high as 21st place in the 200 freestyle. During the dual meet schedule, she earned six top-three finishes. This season, Brown placed 10th in the 500 free at the TPSC Invitational and posted a time within one second of her personal best in the event.
Sarah Reinink is one of the most accomplished sprint freestyle and relay swimmers in BGSU history. In her freshman season, she was part of a 200-free relay team that broke the BGSU record. As a junior, she swam in the 200 free relay at the MAC Championships and again broke the school record time. That relay team won the silver medal by placing second overall. In dual meets over the last two seasons, Reinink's relay teams have won ten times.
As a sprinter, Reinink owns two of BGSU's all-time best marks in the 50 and 100 freestyle. She is tied for the second-best time in BGSU history (0:23.41) in the 50 free and is fifth all-time in the 100 free. At the TPSC Invitationial in December, Reinink won the 100 free and finished second in the 50 free.
She serves as team co-captain and is also president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
Amanda Rom is a breaststroke specialist whose Falcon career has already led to even greater opportunities. Rom owns BGSU's second- and third-best all-time marks in the 100- and 200-breaststroke events, respectively.
The former was set during the MAC Championships in her freshman season, while the latter time helped her place fifth overall at last year's championship meet. That mark also met the NCAA "B" qualifying standard for the national championship meet.
Overall, Rom has earned top-ten finishes at the MAC Championships in one (or both) breaststroke events during each of her first three years as a Falcon. Last season, she earned Mid-Major All-American honorable mention from CollegeSwimming.com along with two other teammates.
Finally, last summer, Rom joined teammate Alexis Kain in qualifying for the 2012 United States Olympic Trials. Rom will attempt to earn a trip to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England by swimming in the 100 breaststroke.
Katie Womack has been one of BGSU's most versatile swimmers, and that has never been more apparent than her senior campaign. This year, Womack has competed in every event class, from the freestyle to the backstroke. At the TPSC Invitational, she set a personal record in the 500 free and placed 14th overall.
Womack owns times that rank among BGSU's all-time top ten in four different events -- the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 and 400 individual medley. Her personal-best time in the 200 freestyle was accomplished at the 2011 MAC Championships.
Vicky Yu is a MAC champion, a school record-holder in four events and specializes in the butterfly.
Yu won her MAC championship in her freshman season. She won the 200 butterfly with a school-record time (2:00.26). She also tied the school record in the 100 butterfly (0:54.67) and finished fifth overall at the MAC Championships as a freshman in the 100 butterfly. In that same year, Yu swam on BGSU's 400 freestyle relay team that placed fifth in the MAC and set a school record.
As a sophomore, she earned her fourth school record by swimming as part of the record-breaking 800 freestyle relay team that placed sixth at the MAC Championships.
Last year, Yu finished fourth at the MAC's championship meet in the 200 butterfly and fell just shy of her school record time. However, her mark did surpass the NCAA "B" qualifying standard and helped earn Mid-Major All-American honorable mention.
During her senior season, Yu has swept the butterfly events at three dual meets and finished first and second, respectively, in the 100 and 200 butterfly at the TPSC Invitational.
Martin said, "I am sure Saturday will be very special for our six seniors and the rest of the team. We will miss them next year but look forward to have them join the alumni troops and continue their involvement with the team -- they will always be Falcon swimmers!"
Senior Day activities will begin at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. Both weekend meets will be held at BGSU's Cooper Pool, which is located in the Student Recreation Center on the BGSU campus.
BG Swim/Dive : Ava Vial Postmeet 2.2
Monday, February 05
BG Swim/Dive : Coach Perkins Postmeet 2.4
Sunday, February 04
BG Ziggys : Daisy Platts
Monday, April 25
BG S/D : Coach Perkins Post-Mac's 2.26
Sunday, February 27