The Eastern Michigan Invitational had an atmosphere of a conference championship and boasted the top competition to match, but the Ball State men's and women's swimming and diving teams held their own.
The women turned in a third-place performance and the men finished fourth.
The women's team finished behind only No. 13, Michigan, and traditional Mid-American Conference power Eastern Michigan.
"I was very happy with our performance. We broke six school records and beat Toledo, who was the MAC champion last year and Michigan State," coach Laura Seibold-Caudill said. "We looked at it like a preparation for the conference meet and we actually outperformed my expectations."
Of the Cardinals' six school records in the two-day event, four came from freshmen Mallory Miles and Bridgette Ruehl, who each set two.
Miles is now the fastest Cardinal in history in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. She won the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.64 and set the record in the 200 backstroke at 2:03.18.
Ruehl set a school record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.12 and in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:17.12.
Junior Nicole Saulters set a school record with her 50 backstroke split time of 26.53 in the 200 medley relay.
The final Ball State record to fall was 800 freestyle relay, as sophomore Jillian Bischoff, freshman Haley Richter, freshman Emily Wisolek and senior Katie Bylsma clocked a 7:34.36.
"The 800 free relay was an example of four people just pulling together," Seibold-Caudill said. "We set a goal to get the record going and we accomplished it. It was amazing to see a group of freshmen through seniors doing that."
The Ball State men finished the event with 509 points, behind only Eastern Michigan, Michigan State and Division II Ashland.
"We went into the meet with a lot of anticipation and had a goal set to get a percentage of season best times and we achieved that," coach Bob Thomas said.
Thomas also added that he took a different approach to the meet. Rather than resting and gearing up for the meet all week – as many of the other teams did – the Cardinals continued their normal routine.
"We took a different philosophy and just took it like another meet," Thomas said.
Junior Chris Krupa led the Cardinals once again, recording five top-ten performances in the invitational. He finished sixth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 50.74, while also placing tenth in the 200 IM with a swim of 1:58.29. He also was a part of the 200 medley, 400 medley, and 200 freestyle relays, each of which posted top-ten times.
Junior Casey Schroeder and sophomore Michael Weber also turned in multiple top-ten swims, with Schroeder garnering sixth in the 50 freestyle and anchoring each of the three top-ten relays.
Weber finished seventh in the 100 backstroke, ninth in the 200 IM, and was part of the 200 and 400 medley relays.
"Chris and Michael were outstanding," Thomas said, "Chris had some season best times and Michael even had some lifetime bests. They continue to amaze me week in and week out."
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