Men’s Swimmer of the Week: William Raches, Ball State
Men’s Diver of the Week: Zach Shaddy, Ball State
Women’s Swimmer of the Week: Grace Moody, Evansville
Women’s Diver of the Week: Jecza Lopez, Indiana State
William Raches delivered an impressive week in the pool, earning top finishes and posting conference-leading times across two meets. In Ball State’s dual meet at IU Indy, Raches won the 100-yard backstroke in 49.38 and placed second in the 100-yard freestyle in 44.62. He also helped the Cardinals secure a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:20.98), the fastest time in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), and a first-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay (3:14.64), which ranks second-fastest in the conference. Raches continued his strong performances at the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships, where Ball State finished third among seven teams with 424.5 points. He placed second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 44.35, establishing the fastest mark in the MVC, and contributed to the Cardinals’ fifth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay (1:28.03), the third-fastest time in the conference.
Zach Shaddy turned in a standout week on the boards, earning multiple top-three finishes and setting a program record at the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships. During Ball State’s dual meet at IU Indy, Shaddy captured first place on the 1-meter board with a score of 347.85 and finished second on the 3-meter board with 336.30 points. Shaddy carried that momentum into the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships, where Ball State placed third among seven teams with 424.5 points. He finished fifth on the 1-meter board with a score of 325.85 before delivering an exceptional performance on the 3-meter board. His score of 394.75 earned him third place, marked the best 3-meter score in the MVC, and set a new Ball State program record.
In Saturday’s meet at USI, Evansville’s Grace Moody set two individual pool records while helping her relay team do the same at the USI Aquatic Center. Leading off the 200-free relay, Moody set the pool record in the 50-free in the first leg of the race with a time of 23.85. In the 100-free, Moody posted another venue record with a 52.05. She won the race, defeating the competition by 1.77 seconds. She was part of the 400-medley relay team that set the pool mark with a 3:52.22. Aside from the record-breaking efforts, Moody added a win in the 50-fly with a time of 25.48.
Jecza Lopez was the top Indiana State scorer in both the 1M and 3M Springboard events at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate to pace three Sycamores that finished inside the Top 10 in both events. Lopez posted a season-best 303.90 in the 3M Springboard to finish second overall in the field and clinched her spot at the NCAA Zone C Qualifiers in the event. She added a 258.55 in the 1M Springboard to place third overall in the field.