Rachel Helm

MARQUETTE — Senior Rachel Helm of Northern Michigan University was named the GLIAC Female Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday following the Wildcat women’s victory at the Calvin College Invitational last weekend.

The Newcastle upon Tyne, England, resident won two individual events at the meet, including signature swims in the 200-yard backstroke and 200 individual medley.

Starting Friday, the second day of the three-day meet, Helm swam with the runner-up NMU 200 free relay team in 1:35.35 and with the second-place 200 medley relay, where she swam a 28.71-second split in the breaststroke for a 1:44.05 team time.

This league honor is her eighth weekly award overall and third this season after she won in the first two weeks of the season in mid-October.

Helm is a two-time national champion and two-time GLIAC Swimmer of the Year. She won a national title at the NCAA Division II meet in the 200 back in 2018 and did the same in the 100 back in her freshman year in 2017.

While she didn’t take a national title last season, she did set three records and won four titles at the GLIAC meet, adding full All-American honors in three events and Honorary All-American in a fourth at the nationals.

The Wildcats are off until Jan. 11, when they have a dual meet at NCAA Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay.

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