Feb. 9, 2006

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Following the completion off its fifth consecutive season with a perfect conference dual meet record, the Miami University women's swimming and diving team (9-1; 7-0 MAC) prepares for the Mid-American Conference Championships Feb. 23-25 at Akron's Ocasek Natatorium. Miami has won 14 MAC titles under head coach Dave Jennings and is seeking its fifth consecutive conference crown.

LOOKING TO LEAVE PERFECT: At the conference meet, Miami's senior class is seeking its fourth MAC title and attempting to leave as the sixth perfect class in school history. Five previous classes--1986, 1987, 1999 and 2005--have won every MAC title for which they have competed, and the class of 2006, whose conference dual meet record stands at 48-6, has the opportunity to join an elite class of Miami swimmers and divers.

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE: Heading into the conference meet, Miami boasts five former Mid-American Conference Champions on its current roster. Miami's only two-time champion is senior Katie Unger, who won the 100 breaststroke in 2005 and was part of the gold-medal winning 400 medley relay team in 2004. Miami also will rely on the experience of 2004 breaststroke champion Laura Armbruster, 2005 one-meter dive champion Christin Eberst and seniors Katie Forster and Maggi Bulla , both of whom swam legs on the 2004 first-place 400 medley relay team.

JENNINGS SEEKS TO EXTEND STREAK: With wins at each of the past four conference meets, head coach Dave Jennings is seeking his fifth consecutive conference crown when Miami travels to Akron. A nine-time MAC Coach of the Year, Jennings has won four consecutive titles on three different occasions, with his best run being six straight MAC titles from 1983-88. Jennings also won four consecutive titles from 1996-99.

TOP OF THE HEAP: In the latest Division I Mid-Major poll released by collegeswimming.com, Miami is top-ranked mid-major school in the nation. With wins in nine of its 10 dual meets and a perfect conference record, Miami earned the top spot with a score of 237.11 after previously being ranked second. The RedHawks are one of five Mid-American Conference schools ranked among the top 10 mid-major schools.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Miami extended its streak of consecutive MAC dual-meet wins to 39 with its 185-115 defeat if Bowling Green (Feb. 3). For the fifth consecutive season, Miami finished with an unblemished conference record, defeating all seven conference opponents by an average of 64 points. Miami has not lost a MAC dual meet since Feb. 3, 2001 when it was defeated by Eastern Michigan. However, Miami's streak of consecutive conference wins is only the second-best streak in the MAC, as the Eastern Michigan men's swimming and diving team has won 43 consecutive MAC dual meets dating back to the 1998-99 season.

CONFERENCE DOMINANCE: Miami's streak of dominance in the conference has been impressive over the past five seasons, as it has not lost a conference dual meet since 2001 and won each of the last four Mid-American Conference titles. However, the way this season's team has won its conference dual meets is also noteworthy. Miami's average margin of victory in its seven MAC dual meet wins was 64 points, with its closest MAC dual meet coming versus Ohio when Miami won by 46 points.

LAST TIME OUT - VERSUS BOWLING GREEN (Feb. 3): In its final dual meet of the season, Miami ran its streak of consecutive Mid-American Conference dual meet wins to 39 with a 185-115 defeat of Bowling Green. The victory gave Miami its fifth consecutive season with an undefeated conference dual meet record and moved the four-year record of Miami's senior class to 48-6. At Cooper Pool, Miami won 13-of-16 events as senior Katie Unger was Miami's top performer, winning the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 individual medley.

YOU'RE THE BEST AROUND: On the latest best list for the Mid-American Conference, a Miami athlete owns five of the top times/scores in the conference. Freshman Jenn Flaherty has two top times in the distance freestyle events, owning both conference-best times in the 1,000 free (10:15.98 - set Nov. 12) and 1,650 free (17:05.07 - set Oct. 29). Both times also rank seventh on the Miami top 10 list in their respective events. In addition to Flaherty, senior Christin Eberst has both top diving scores, owning the highest one-meter dive score (305.80 - set Jan. 13) and three-meter dive score (337.95 - set Jan. 28). Junior Margaret Patrick also owns the fastest 50 free time in the MAC (23.68 - set Dec. 3). Miami also has seven different athletes whose performances rank among the top five in the conference in the 100 free, 500 free, 100 back, 100 and 200 breast, 100 and 200 fly, and 200 and 400 IM.

MILESTONE REACHED: With its 171-125 win over Ohio (Jan. 28), Miami head coach Dave Jennings earned his 200th career dual meet win with the Miami women's swimming and diving program. Now in his 24th season, Jennings became the first Miami swimming coach to reach the 200-win plateau, and his current record with the women's program stands at 201-89 (.693 winning percentage). Jennings, who spent one season as the head coach of the Miami men's team in 1984-85, has an overall career record of 205-93. A Miami Hall of Fame inductee in 1996, Jennings has mentored175 Mid-American Conference Champions, 26 NCAA qualifiers and won 14 MAC titles, including each of the last four.

FRESHMAN FREESTYLING: In her first season at Miami, freshman distance swimmer Jenn Flaherty has won 11 individual freestyle events, with her latest coming in the 1,000 free against Bowling Green (Feb. 3). Flaherty already owns two top-10 times at Miami with her time of 10:15.98 in the 1,000 free against Eastern Michigan (Nov. 12) and 17:05.07 in the 1,650 free against Buffalo (Oct. 29). Both rank as the seventh best times in Miami history and as the top times in the MAC in their respective events.

BOARD OF EDUCATION: As Miami's top diver, senior Christin Eberst--last season's MAC Co-Diver of the Year­-- has won 15 of the 19 diving events she has entered this season. As the only Miami women's swimmer/diver to be honored as the MAC Athlete of the Week (Nov. 8), Eberst reset the school record in the three-meter dive (337.95) with her performance against Ohio (Jan. 28). Eberst holds both of the top diving scores in the MAC this year and has won 30 of the last 40 diving events she has entered.

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT: In the freestyle sprint events, junior Margaret Patrick has consistently been Miami's fastest swimmer, posting six sweeps of the 50 and 100 free this season. Patrick also has been at her best against conference opponents, sweeping the sprint events at five of Miami's seven MAC dual meets. At the Georgia Invitational (Dec. 2-4), Patrick posted a career-best time in the 50 free (23.68), which ranks as the top time in the MAC this season.

ONE-STOP RECORD SHOP: Miami boasts four school-records holders on its 2005-06 squad as Laura Armbruster (400 IM-set in 2005), Maggi Bulla (200 free-set in 2004), Katie Forster (500 free-set in 2003; 200 fly set in 2005) and Christin Eberst (three-meter dive-set in 2006) anchor Miami's team.

AND THE WINNER IS: The following is a list of the Miami athletes who have posted individual wins during the 2005-06 season:

Laura Armbruster - (4) Akron (200 IM), Ball State (400 IM), EMU (200 IM), Toledo (400 IM)

Kristen Bezier - (4) Buffalo (100 breast), Illinois/Marshall (200 IM), Ball State (200 breast), Toledo (200 breast)

Maggi Bulla - (3) Akron (200 back), Buffalo (100 back), Bowling Green (200 free)

Christin Eberst - (15) Akron (1-, 3-meter dive), Buffalo (1-, 3-meter dive), Illinois/Marshall (1-, 3-meter dive), Ball State (1-, 3-meter dive), EMU (1-, 3-meter dive), UC/KC/UL Quadrangular (1-, 3-meter dive), Toledo (1-meter dive), Ohio (1-, 3-meter dive)

Jenn Flaherty - (11) Akron (500, 1,000 free), Buffalo (1,650 free), Illinois/Marshall (1,000 free), Ball State (500, 1,000 free), EMU (1,000 free), UC/KC/UL Quadrangular (1,000 free), Toledo (1,650 free), Ohio (1,000 free), Bowling Green (1,000 free)

Katie Forster - (8) Illinois/Marshall (200 free), Ball State (200 fly, 200 free), EMU (200 fly), Toledo (200 fly, 500 free), Ohio (200 free, 500 free)

Margaret Patrick - (12) Akron (50 free, 100 free), Ball State (50 free, 100 free), EMU (50 free, 100 free), UC/KC/UL Quadrangular (50 free, 100 free), Ohio (50 free, 100 free), Bowling Green (50 free, 100 free)

Melissa Roemmele - (6) Wright State (1-, 3-meter dive), Miami Invite (1-, 3-meter dive), Bowling Green (1-, 3-meter dive)

Malarie Schmidt - (10) Akron (100 back), Buffalo (200 IM), Illinois/Marshall (100 back, 200 back), Ball State (200 back), EMU (100 back, 200 back), Toledo (100 back), Bowling Green (100 back, 200 back)

Courtney Shearer - (2) Wright State (100 breast, 200 IM)

Kathryn Stephens - (6) Buffalo (200 free), Ball State (100 fly), EMU (100 fly), Toledo (100 fly), Ohio (100 fly, 200 fly)

Allison Stevens - (2) Buffalo (500 free, 100 fly)

Katie Unger - (7) Akron (100 free, 100 breast), EMU (100 breast), Toledo (100 breast), Bowling Green (100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM)