MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams take to the road this weekend for a pair of meets downstate.

The Wildcats travel to Allendale to swim against Grand Valley State at 5 p.m. today, then head east to University Center to face Saginaw Valley State at 11 a.m. Saturday. The following weekend, on Nov. 9, Northern hosts Wisconsin-Stevens Point at the PEIF pool.

Two weeks ago, the NMU women won all eight of their dual-meet matchups and the men won three of four at the Dragon Invitational held in Fargo, North Dakota. Included at the meet was NCAA Division I South Dakota, who the Northern women defeated twice and men split with.

Each Wildcat teams is also nationally ranked after the first College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America poll of the season, the NMU women 15th and men 18th.

And a pair of Northern swimmers were named GLIAC Athletes of the Week following the Dragon Invite. Freshman Ondrej Zach won his first weekly honor after setting a school record 15:42.41 in the men’s 1,650-yard freestyle and winning four individual events. Senior Rachel Helm earned her second straight and seventh overall weekly honor for the women, posting three NCAA Division II national meet “B” qualifying times, totaling five victories that included a pair of relays.

In addition, women’s freshmen diver Amanda Baird collected three wins as she and sophomore Mary Grossman each posted a “B” cut point total in one of the one-meter diving events.

Last year, the NMU men and women each defeated GVSU and SVSU in a double-dual meet format.

For live video from these meets, visit https://portal.stretchinternet. com/msum/index.htm, while live results are available on the Meet Mobile app.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.