Wright State swimmer proud of what she accomplished senior year

“I had back surgery my junior year,” Hampel said. “I never thought I could recover from that. Senior year was great. It was everything I ever hoped for.”

Hampel had the team’s fastest times a year ago in the 100, 200, 500, 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle events. She placed third in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 at the Horizon League championships.

Hampel discovered Wright State because her best friend, Krystyna Wieczerzak, from back home in Lodz, Poland, was two years older than her and attending Wright State.

“She was a junior when I was a freshman,” Hampel said. “We’ve known each other since we were 8. I always wanted to study in the U.S. I was kind of scared. I wanted to have someone at the beginning to help me out.”

Hampel is now applying to graduate school for next year. She wants to study marine biology, so she will probably end up on one of the coasts. She is also applying to Wright State graduate school to study microbiology.

Men's basketball: Coach Billy Donlon said two of his seniors, Cole Darling and Matt Vest, also are graduating this semester, though they won't walk in the ceremony until the spring. A third senior, AJ Pacher, would have graduated early but one class he needed he can only take in the spring.

“To do it in 3½ years is remarkable,” Donlon said.

With three straight losses on the road to Morehead State, North Carolina A&T and VMI, the Raiders (5-6) dropped to 310 out of 351 teams earlier this week in the RPI.

Wright State didn’t have any games this week because of final exams, but it plays three games next week: at Miami (1-5) at 2 p.m. Sunday, home against Eastern Illinios (3-6) at 7 p.m. Thursday and home against Missouri-Kansas City (2-6) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Women's basketball: The Raiders (7-3) will try to bounce back from a 99-40 loss Saturday at No. 7 Louisville when they host Xavier at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The 59-point defeat was the most lopsided in Wright State history. The Raiders lost by 58 points, 97-39, to No. 1 Connecticut on Dec. 31, 2001.

Track: Senior Maria Harrison was named Horizon League Female Field Athlete of the Week. She won the shot put and the weight throw at the Purple and White Invitational at Capital University on Saturday. She set a school record with a weight throw of 16.22 meters.