INDIANAPOLIS – Drury University senior Kacper Pelczynski and sophomore Yekaterina Rudenko have been named the first Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Week for the 2014-15 season, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday.??

Pelczynski, a Breast and IM specialist from Auschwitz, Poland, and Rudenko, a Backstroker from Astana, Kazakhstan, played key roles in both the Drury men’s and women’s teams claiming a pair of second-place finishes at the ninth annual Show-Me-Showdown hosted by the University of Missouri this past Friday.

Pelczynski took first place in the 100 Breast touching in 55.21 for an NCAA B Cut, and was on the third-place 200 Medley Relay team (1:30.90) that made an NCAA B Cut.  He also finished 10th in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.15.

The award is Pelczynski’s second of his career as he was also honored on Oct. 22, 2013 during the GLVC’s inaugural year of sponsoring the sport.  He is the first Panther to receive the award since Nick McCarthy on Jan. 28, 2014.

Rudenko posted a victory in the 100 Back touching in a time of 55.42 for an NCAA B Cut.  She was on two second-place relay teams, including the 200 Medley Relay (1:44.09), which achieved an NCAA B Cut, and the 400 Free Relay with another NCAA B Cut time of 3:28.40.  Rudenko also turned in a key third-place finish in the 50 Free with a NCAA B Cut of 23.7. ??

This is Rudenko’s first weekly award from the conference and the first for a Panther swimmer since Agnieszka Ostrowska was recognized on Jan. 28, 2014.

Both Drury squads will be back in action at crosstown rival Missouri State on Oct. 16 with the meet set for a 6 p.m. CT start.