Friday Swim & Dive Results
Akron leads 132, Ohio 72
Ball State 172, Indiana State 128
BGSU leads 122, Toledo 44
 

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Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Ball State Women's S&D Shines in Home Finale | Results
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State women's swimming & diving team capped the 2025-26 regular season by winning 10 of 16 events on its way to a 172-128 victory over instate-rival Indiana State Friday evening at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.

It was a pivotal win for the Cardinals (6-1; 3-1 Mid-American Conference), whose only dual loss this season is a four-point (148-152) setback to league rival Ohio. 

The Sycamores, who drop to 7-2 (2-1 MVC) with the loss, are the defending Missouri Valley Conference champions and handed Ball State a 216-84 setback in Terre Haute last season.

Leading the charge Friday for the Cardinals was senior Payton Kelly who capped the home portion of her storied collegiate career with two final event wins at Lewellen. The first was a nearly one-and-a-half second victory in the 200 Freestyle, which she posted a final wall touch of 1:51.89.

Kelly followed with a .18 second victory in the 100 freestyle, clocking in a 51.90. Kelly started her day by swimming anchor in the first-place 200 medley relay (1:44.45) and closed it by swimming the final leg of the first-place 400 medley relay (3:29.30). Like most of her career, her final splits were the fastest by any swimmer in each relay.

The Cardinals completed the freestyle sprint sweep with a 1-2-3 finish in the 50 freestyle led by sophomore Anna Keen at 23.71. Keen would also win the 100 butterfly (56.01), swim the butterfly leg of the winning 200 medley relay and lead off the first-place 400 freestyle relay.

Ball State also received event wins from sophomore Ava Butterfield in the 100 backstroke (56.57), junior Alexa Von Holtz in the 200 butterfly (2:04.53) and senior Alyssa Messenger in the 200 backstroke (2:04.58).

In the diving well, sophomore Eeva-Liisa Gibson led they way by earning second on 1-meter (231.68) and fifth on 3-meter (214.58).

The Ball State women's swimming & diving team will begin the tapering process as it looks for a strong showing at the 2026 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships hosted by Akron Feb. 25-28 at the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium.


Bowling Green Sets Nine PRs in Day One of Battle of I-75 | Results 
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — On senior night, the Bowling Green swim and dive team surged ahead in the Battle of I-75, building a 122-44 lead over Toledo on Friday night at Cooper Pool. The Falcons won every event and recorded nine personal-best performances.

Bowling Green opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, as the A squad of Emily McNicol, Lauren Jablonski, Grace Bodrock and Samia Becdach touched first in 1:40.59. The Falcons' B relay placed third (1:43.60).

On the boards, BGSU swept the 3-meter diving event. Natalia Mayorga led the way with a score of 311.93, followed by Elise Snyder (274.73) and Evie Long (240.45).

In the pool, Morgan Sokol captured the 1,650 freestyle in a personal-best 17:09.23, while Caroline Toledo also posted a PR in third (17:21.68). Samia Becdach won the 50 freestyle in a personal-best 23.17, the fifth-fastest time in program history.

The Falcons went 1-2 in the 400 individual medley, with Maddie Bond (4:24.79) and Bridget Kurtzweil (4:28.55) both setting personal records. Bodrock followed with a victory in the 200 butterfly (2:02.54), the ninth-fastest mark in program history, while Astrid Garcia placed third.

McNicol added a win in the 200 backstroke, clocking a personal-best 1:58.04 — the third-fastest time in program history. Jablonski won the 200 breaststroke in a PR 2:17.57, with Corine Rieskamp taking third (2:19.55, PR).

The meet concluded with a Bowling Green win in the 200 freestyle relay, as McNicol, Annie Berrow, Bodrock and Becdach finished in 1:33.91.

The Battle of I-75 continues Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in Toledo.


Akron Takes Lead Over Ohio After First Day of Competition | Results
AKRON, Ohio - Akron opened its dual meet against Ohio with a dominant performance Friday at Ocasek Natatorium, piling up points across swimming and diving events to take a commanding early lead.

Through the opening day of competition, Akron built a substantial advantage on the scoreboard, leading Ohio 132–73, powered by wins in nearly every stroke and strong relay performances.

The Zips showcased depth right away in the pool, winning the 200-yard freestyle relay as Akron's "A" team touched first in 1 minute, 29.01. Akron added another relay victory later in the night when its top quartet captured the 400 medley relay in 3:38.05.

Individually, Akron controlled the distance freestyle events. Helena Lalkovic and Elle Couture tied for first in the 500 freestyle, both finishing in 4:51.87, while Maggie Patterson added a fourth-place finish to keep points flowing. 

Akron also swept the top two spots in the 200 individual medley, led by Felicia Klintemar's winning time of 2:00.00, followed closely by Avery Knight.

The Zips were especially strong in the butterfly events. Addy Soehnlen won the 200 butterfly in 1:59.90, with Patterson placing second, and Klintemar later took first in the 50 butterfly with a time of 23.75.

Sprint freestyle belonged to Akron as well. Ada Szwabinska won the 100 freestyle in 49.34, while Lalkovic finished second. Akron also placed multiple swimmers in the top six to maximize scoring.

In diving, Elizabeth Noble finished second on the 1-meter board with a score of 580.58, while Paige Bush and Lydia Redd added additional points for Akron.

Akron battles Ohio Saturday, January 31, with events starting at 10 a.m. and Senior Day reconition starting at 9:40 a.m.