CLEVELAND, Ohio – Junior Molly McNamara of the Cleveland State University women's swimming & diving teams was named Horizon League Women's Swimmer of the Week as announced by the League office Tuesday afternoon.
It is the fourth weekly honor from the League office this season for McNamara. No other League swimmer, male or female, has more than two such honors this season. The junior, who also has two honors from CollegeSwimming this season, now has won seven weekly awards from the League in her career.
McNamara played a significant role in helping the Vikings to a 4-1 dual mark this past weekend, as CSU defeated a trio of Horizon League opponents. Over the course of two meets, McNamara won four different individual events and also swam on a winning relay.
In a tri-dual Friday against IUPUI and UIC, McNamara won a pair of individual events and swam on a winning relay in helping CSU to a pair of dual wins. She began the event by swimming the third leg on CSU's winning 400 medley relay, as her split time of 55.02 seconds was more than three seconds faster than any other competitor on that leg. She then proceeded to dominate in the 200 butterfly, winning by over three seconds (2:04.38), before edging out a UIC swimmer in the 200 IM (2:08.88), a crucial victory as the dual between the Flames and Vikings was decided by just five points.
Despite swimming in back-to-back events in Saturday's quad dual, McNamara still posted a pair of first-place finishes, helping the Vikings to two more dual wins. She won the 100 butterfly (57.21) before coming right back to win the grueling 400 IM by over four seconds (4:32.36). While the 100 fly is one of her specialties, McNamara was swimming the 400 IM for the first time this season.
McNamara continues to hold the fastest times in the League this season in both butterfly events.
Cleveland State has now won the women's swimmer of the week honor after each of the past five weeks it has competed. Its five awards this season are a League high.
Cleveland State will return to action Saturday, Jan. 27, when it travels to Oakland in dual action.