BUFFALO, NY – With a total of 726.5 points, the Akron Zips captured the 2025 MAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship, its fourth-consecutive title and 11
th championship in the last 12 years.
Casey Stephens of Miami opened the night with a 16:45.72 time to take gold in the 1,650 freestyle. Her teammate Chrisna Bezuidenhout took the next gold medal of the evening in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:54.59.
Ohio’s Zita Szoke captured her third individual medal of the weekend by setting a pool, MAC Championship meet, and overall MAC record in the 100-yard freestyle, touching at 47.89.
Casadie DiBetta from Ohio defended her 200-meter breaststroke title, taking the gold medal with a pool record time of 2:10.99.
Akron’s Abby Daniel set a third pool record and earned a third individual gold medal by posting a time of 1:56.67 in the 200 butterfly. Daniel was voted MAC Most Outstanding Senior and MAC Most Outstanding Swimmeron on Saturday evening.
Buffalo’s Mari Kwak swept the diving board, earning a score of 329.25 in the 3-meter. She was also named MAC’s Most Outstanding Diver.
Buffalo's Diving Coach Russ Dekker was named MAC's Diving Coach of the Year, while Ohio's Mason Norman earned his first MAC Swimming Coach of the Year honor.
Final Team Standings
1. Akron – 726.5 pts.
2. Ohio – 637.5 pts.
3. Miami – 623 pts.
4. Buffalo – 567.5 pts.
5. Ball State – 305.5 pts.
6. Bowling Green – 254.5 pts.
7. Eastern Michigan – 215 pts.
8. Toledo – 175.5 pts.
2025 MAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Event Winners
200 Medley Relay | Ohio (Schrank, DiBetta, Szoke, and Dunigan), 1:36.98 *
Pool Record
800 Freestyle Relay | Akron (Kossakowska, Lalkovic, Reid, and Gatrall) 7:10.41
500 Freestyle | Elle Couture, Akron, 4:50.44
200 IM | Abby Daniel, Akron, 1:56.40
*Pool Record #Championship Record
50 Freestyle | Zita Szoke, Ohio and Payton Kelly, Ball State, 22.23
*Pool Record
1-Meter Diving | Mari Kwak, Buffalo, 312.05
400 Medley Relay | Akron (Gatrall, Cox, Daniel, and Kossakowska), 3:31.71
*Pool Record
100 Butterfly | Abby Daniel, Akron, 51.67
*Pool Record
400 IM | Gabby McKee, Ohio, 4:16.17
200 Freestyle | Zita Szoke, Ohio, 1:44.74 *
Pool Record #Championship Record
100 Breaststroke | Casadie DiBetta, Ohio, 59.81
*Pool Record
100 Backstroke | Madeline Padavic, Miami, 51.52 *
Pool Record #Championship Record
200 Freestyle Relay | Akron (Daniel, Szwabinska, Holder, and Trainer), 1:28.62 *
Pool record
1,650 Freestyle | Casey Stephens, Miami, 16:45.72
200 Backstroke | Chrisna Bezuidenhout, Miami, 1:54.59
100 Freestyle | Zita Szoke, Ohio, 47.89
*Pool Record #Championship Record ^MAC Record
200 Breaststroke | Casadie DiBetta, Ohio, 2:10.99
*Pool Record
200 Butterfly | Abby Daniel, Akron, 1:56.67
*Pool Record
3-Meter Diving | Mari Kwak, Buffalo, 329.25
400 Freestyle Relay | Akron (Klintemar, Trainer, Szwabinska, Daniel) 5:15.70
*Pool Record
2025 Women’s Swimming & Diving Postseason Awards
Freshman Diver of the Year: Megan Lupa, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Felicia Klintemar, Akorn
Most Outstanding Diver: Mari Kwak, Buffalo
Diving Coach of the Year: Russ Dekker, Buffalo
Most Outstanding Swimmer: Abby Daniel, Akron
Swimming Coach of the Year: Mason Norman, Ohio
Most Outstanding Senior: Abby Daniel, Akron
All-MAC First Team
Elle Couture, Akron
Abby Daniel, Akron
Rebecca Reid, Akron
Payton Kelly, Ball State
Bella Forsman, Buffalo
Mari Kwak, Buffalo
Mia Naccarella, Buffalo
Chrisna Bezuidenhout, Miami
Kaylin Herbet, Miami
Madeline Padavic, Miami
Casey Stephens, Miami
Casadie DiBetta, Ohio
Gabby McKee, Ohio
Zita Szoke, Ohio
Caroline Dunigan, Ohio
Emily Ellsworth, Ohio
All-MAC Second Team
Aislinn Holder, Akron
Dominika Kassakowska, Akron
Felicia Klintemar, Akron
Elizabeth Noble, Akron
Ada Szwabinska, Akron
Hannah Trainer, Akron
Anna Keen, Ball State
Alexa Von Holtz, Ball State
Ava Cunningham, Buffalo
Grace Rider, Buffalo
Elise McCaul, Buffalo
Ava Vial, Bowling Green
Julia Strine, Ohio
Morgan Brown, Ohio
Ella Ziegert, Miami
Leah Evans, Toledo
