Dec. 9, 2008

BAY CITY, Mich. - Wayne State University senior Sean Smith (Auburn, Mich./Bay City Western) and sophomore Courtney Roberts (Milan, Mich.) were named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.

Smith achieved or improved upon six NCAA "A" qualifying times last weekend at the Eastern Michigan Invitational. His first-place time of 1:45.10 in the 200 backstroke surpassed his own school record by nearly three seconds, and broke the pool and meet record set by Michigan's Derya Buyukuncu in 1994. He finished second and notched an "A" cut in the 200 butterfly (1:52.06), led off the second-place 400 medley relay (3:20.36) and broke his own school record in the 100 backstroke by two seconds in the process (47.87) while improving his prior "A" cut.

Smith would also win the individual 100 backstroke event (48.05), besting EMU and pool records set by Oakland's Chris Zoltak in 1995, and make an "A" cut in an exhibition heat of the 100 butterfly (49.60). He led the second-place 200 medley relay, which also improved on a prior cut time (1:32.60).

Roberts contributed to four new NCAA "A" qualifiers for the Warriors last weekend in Ypsilanti. She won the 100 breaststroke (1:04.76) and came in fourth in the 200 breaststroke (2:22.01), breaking school records - including her own in the former - in both events.

She swam the breaststroke leg of the 200 medley relay which came in fifth (1:47.50) and improved upon its prior national cut by .17 seconds, as well as the second-place and newly-qualified 400 medley relay which also set a school record (3:51.21).

Wayne State's next competition is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 9, at GLIAC rival Grand Valley State.