ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) released official results for the 2021 MAC Virtual Swimming Championship on Monday morning, with the Messiah women's swimming team topping all competition with 1117 team points. The conference crown is the seventh all-time for Messiah, all coming within the past eight seasons. Freshman
Sophie Schulze highlighted the individual accolades, claiming MAC Rookie of the Year behind 96 individual points, the most of any swimmer during the three-day competition.
Head coach
Katie McComb earned her second MAC Coach of the Year honors in her fourth season at the helm of the Messiah women's swimming program.
Between six individual swimmers and three relay teams, the Falcons earned 13 total medals, tied for the most with Arcadia University. Messiah had the most gold medals (7) during the meet.
Of the 110 total individual swimmers throughout the competition, four Falcons placed in the top 14 in individual points (
Sophie Schulze,
Katelyn Boyce,
Abigail Soerens,
Lainey Flanagan,
Evangeline Soerens).
Abigail Soerens set a program record in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.39) during the second session, also setting a new pool record. Soerens' feat was one of four pool records that fell during the second and third sessions, as Schulze set a new benchmark in the 1650 freestyle (18:12.64),
Evangeline Soerens shattered the 200 breaststroke (2:24.86) mark, and a relay team of Schulze,
Rachel Bruns,
Katelyn Boyce, and
Lainey Flanagan topped the record in the 800 freestyle relay (8:05.87).
In addition to earning the Falcons' seventh MAC Rookie of the Year award in program history, Schulze accumulated five gold medals on three individual efforts and two relay team contributions. Schulze becomes the seventh Messiah women's swim member to claim Rookie of the Year honors in the past eight seasons.
Boyce, who was honored with MAC Rookie of the Year honors last season, contributed three first-place finishes in the 200 IM (2:13.57), 400 IM (4:44.17), and the 200 butterfly (2:14.94). Boyce was also a key contributor to the first-place, pool record-breaking 800 freestyle relay squad (8:05.87), as well as the 400 medley relay team that topped all competition with a time of 4:04.08. The sophomore tied for second in overall individual points with 91.
Maelyn Elder and Flanagan each turned in solid individual performances for the Falcons. Elder touched third in the 200 backstroke (2:11.33) as Flanagan placed third in the 200 freestyle (2:00.61), each earning All-MAC Conference accolades. Flanagan was also a member of the 800 freestyle relay team, earning an ALL-MAC First Team nod.
Abigail Soerens' new program record in the 100 breaststroke topped all MAC competition, earning her first-career All-MAC First Team honor.
All-MAC Conference Honors
Event # - Event title – Swimmer – Time – Honor – Other notes
3 – 500 Yard Freestyle –
Sophie Schulze – 5:32.13 – First Team
5 – 200 Yard IM –
Katelyn Boyce – 2:13.57 – First Team
9 – 400 Yard Medley Relay –
Sophie Schulze,
Abigail Soerens,
Katelyn Boyce,
Lainey Flanagan – 4:04.08 – First Team
11 – 200 Yard Medley Relay –
Sophie Schulze,
Abigail Soerens,
Maelyn Elder,
Lainey Flanagan – 1:50.84 – Second Team
13 – 400 Yard IM –
Katelyn Boyce – 4:44.17 – First Team
17 – 200 Yard Freestyle –
Lainey Flanagan – 2:00.61 – Third Team
19 – 100 Yard Breaststroke –
Abigail Soerens – 1:05.39 – Second Team –
Program Record, Fredericksen Natatorium Pool Record
21 – 100 Yard Backstroke –
Sophie Schulze – 59.82 – First Team
23 – 800 Yard Freestyle Relay –
Sophie Schulze,
Rachel Bruns,
Katelyn Boyce,
Lainey Flanagan – 8:05.87 – First Team -
Fredericksen Natatorium Pool Record
25 – 1650 Yard Freestyle –
Sophie Schulze – 18:12.64 – First Team –
Fredericksen Natatorium Pool Record
27 – 200 Yard Backstroke –
Maelyn Elder – 2:11.33 – Third Team
31 – 200 Yard Breaststroke –
Evangeline Soerens – 2:24.86 – Second Team –
Fredericksen Natatorium Pool Record
33 – 200 Yard Butterfly –
Katelyn Boyce – 2:14.94 – Third Team
