INDIANAPOLIS – With the combined league championships looming, Great Midwest Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Athletes of the Week honors were released on Wednesday morning. 
 
The Great Midwest and Mountain East Conference will combine forces for the second straight year in the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton. The dual conference championship meet is hosted once again by Malone University. 
 
Findlay will be looking to defend its men’s and women’s team titles captured 2018’s inaugural offering. 
 
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Pedro Gaspar
Davis & Elkins
Sophomore
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Colegio Palas)
 
Gaspar helped the Senators turn in a dominant team performance while going head to head against Salem with a 157-86 final. 
 
The sophomore and 2018 Great Midwest Freshman of the Year turned in the best times combined from the G-MAC and MEC in the 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 1,000 freestyle. 
 
He won all three events and recorded a new school best 52.95 in the 100-yard backstroke.
 
His winning time in the 100 backstroke was 49.07 and his 1,000 freestyle performance resulted in a 10:29.38.
 
This is Gaspar’s second conference weekly honor of the current season and represents the fourth of his young career already.
 
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Amanda Stiegal
Findlay
Senior
Wheaton, IL (Warrenville South HS)
 
The nationally-ranked Oilers are headed into the postseason with a full head of steam as the women return a considerable amount of talent from last year’s championship squad. 
 
Among those returners is the NCAA All-American and multiple conference champ Stiegal, who earned her second conference weekly honor for the second time this season. 
 
The Oilers faced off against Wayne State in the pool and Stiegal recorded three of the league’s best times in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle races. 
 
Stiegal also contributed to a team win in the 400 freestyle relay. 
 
Stiegal clocked a 25.06 in the 50 freestyle, a 55.05 in the 100 freestyle and a 1:59.67 in the 200 freestyle. She finished runner-up in all three events while managing to produce the top G-MAC/MEC times in the last week of competition. 
 
The senior teamed up with Christina McFarland, Kendra Polewski and Julia Snell, to win the 400 freestyle relay in 3:43.39.