AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron will host the nine conference women’s swimming & diving teams at the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium this week in the quest for the 2026 MAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship title. The four-day competition will begin on Wednesday evening and run through Saturday.
All information, including live stream, results, merchandise, and more, can be found at the MAC Swimming & Diving Championship Central page,
here.
The University of Akron Athletics moved to digital ticketing in 2022. All-Session Passes are available for $75, while single-session tickets can be purchased for $16 and are available for purchase
here.
Below are nine championship previews in the order of the 2026 Preseason Coaches Poll.
Previews courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments
Akron Zips
Preview coming soon...
Miami RedHawks
Miami Swimming & Diving travels to their championships this week, with the women's team heading to Akron, Ohio, for the MAC Championships and the men heading to Evansville, Ind., for the MVC Championships.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 25 - Women's Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships
(Akron, Ohio), All Day
Feb. 26 - Women's Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships
(Akron, Ohio), All Day
Feb. 27 - Women's Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships
(Akron, Ohio), All Day
Feb. 28 - Women's Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships
(Akron, Ohio), All Day
Ohio Bobcats
Feb. 25-28 / at 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships / Akron, Ohio / Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium / Prelims: 10 a.m. ET/ Finals: 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Championship Central / Tickets
The Ohio swim and dive team is set for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships Feb. 25-28. This year's event is hosted by Akron at the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium in Akron, Ohio. Competition on Wednesday, Feb. 25, begins at 6 p.m. ET with the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay. The Bobcats return to action on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m. ET for prelims, with finals set to begin at 6 p.m. ET. The same schedule goes for Friday and Saturday's competition, with a champion to be crowned at Saturday night's finals. The Championship Award Ceremony is set to begin at 8:55 p.m. ET. Every session will be streamed on ESPN+.
Ohio looks to improve on last year's second-place finish, in hopes to dethrone Akron as this year's Champion. Senior
Casadie DiBetta and junior
Zita Szoke look to defend their MAC Titles from a year ago.
The Bobcats last competed as a full team Jan. 30-31 at Akron, with the Zips winning, 239-171. Junior
Astrid Pichardo earned Diver of the Week honors for the second time this season for her efforts in Ohio's meet against Akron. Individually, Pichardo placed first in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. Pichardo left Akron with new personal records in both events, with a 1-m score of 297.45 and a 3m score of 327.15, and led the Bobcats' diving efforts over the weekend.
Buffalo Bulls
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo swimming and diving program is competing at the 2026 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships, this Wednesday, February 25th, through Saturday, February 28th, on the University of Akron campus.
The Bulls enter the MAC Championships looking to earn their second conference championship in the 2020's decade. The Bulls last won the MAC in 2021 and have earned top-four placements every season since, including second-place finishes in 2022 and 2023.
The program had a strong 2025-2026 regular season, posting a 5-2 record in head-to-head matchups and a 2-2 record against conference opponents. The Bulls earned conference wins over Miami (OH) and Toledo, while falling to Ohio and Ball State. The team earned non-conference wins over Niagara, Marshall and Duquesne.
In the pool, the Bulls have three returning athletes who earned medals at last year's conference championships, including
Bella Forsman, who was named MAC Freshman Swimmer of the Year. Forsman earned a silver medal in the 400-yard individual medley (4:16.60).
Ava Cunningham earned a bronze medal in the women's 500-yard freestyle (4:51.83). Forsman and
Abbey Gardner also helped the Bulls to a silver medal finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay (7:13.42).
The freshman class also features competitive swimmers, three of whom joined the program's record book.
Pinar Donmez set a new school record in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:13.98) and ranks third in program history in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.72), both times set at Akron.
Hattie Wasmuth joined the 200-yard backstroke program rankings at Akron, too (1:59.82).
Kamilla Nemes was the third freshman swimmer to join the program's all-time ranks, earning 10th in the 400-yard individual medley (4:21.99).
The Bulls have three divers returning who won medals at last year's championships in
Presley Dorsett,
Mallory Hanna and
Sophie Meuwissen. Dorsett earned a silver medal in the three-meter dive (281.20). Meuwissen grabbed a bronze medal in the three-meter (269.05), and Hanna brought home bronze in the one-meter (256.90).
The Buffalo divers had a strong 2025-2026 as a team, winning 14 of the 16 events they competed in, with four different divers earning a first-place finish for the program. The team also won three MAC Diver of the Week awards, with freshman
Adele Melamud being honored twice and Dorsett once. Melamud also joined the program's all-time top 10 in the three-meter dive, taking seventh with a score of 321.55.
Ball State Cardinals
MUNCIE, Ind. -- After months of preparation, the Ball State women's swimming & diving program will put all of its hard work to the test this week at Akron University's Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships.
Action in the four-day meet begins Wednesday (Feb. 25) at 6 p.m. with 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays. Individual competition gets underway Thursday (Feb. 27) and will run through Saturday (Feb. 28).
AT THE 2025 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ball State tallied four medals, including three silvers and one gold, to earn a fifth-place finish among the eight-team field with 305.5 points.
Payton Kelly was named first team All-MAC after earning her first-career gold medal in the 50 (22.23) freestyle, as well as silver placements in the 100 (48.82) and 200 (1:48.87) freestyles.
Anna Keen and
Alexa Von Holtz were awarded second-team All MAC, as Von Holtz captured silver in the 100 butterfly (1:58.52) while Keen swam two podium finishes and aided Ball State to four top five finishes in relay competition.
2025-2026 PROGRAM RECORDS
While program records tend to come fast and furious at the MAC Championships, the Cardinals have already set seven program records this season.
At House of Champions (Nov. 20-22), the women's squad set brand new standards in four relay events and three individual.
Payton Kelly earned program bests in the 100 back (52.86) and 100 freestyle (48.60), while
Ava Butterfield swam a top individual time in the 200 back (1:57.93). In relay action, the Cardinals recorded program-leading performances in the 200 (1:30.78), 400 (3:20.28) and 800 (7:21.7) relays as well as the 400 medley relay (3:39.79).
IN THE MAC RANKINGS
In the latest NCAA Division I Top Time Rankings as compiled by CollegeSwimming.com, the Cardinals have 13 student-athletes ranked in scoring position in their respective events heading into the MAC Championships.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swim and dive teams will compete at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, hosted by the University of Akron, at the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium in Akron, Ohio, Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 25-28.
EMU at MACs
Eastern has captured two MAC crowns in its history, coming in consecutive seasons in 2006 and 2007, under former head coach Peter Linn.
The Eagles took home the 2006 MAC title, its first MAC Championship, besting second-place finisher, the University of Miami, by 11 points. Eastern ended the meet scoring 637.5 points with seven All-MAC honorees (two first team selections and five second team nods). Linn was named the MAC Swimming Coach of the Year while former diving coach Buck Smith was named Diving Coach of the Year. One of the most decorated swimmers in Eagles' history, Madeline Pilchard was tabbed Swimmer of the Year by the conference.
Pilchard raked in three individual MAC titles in the meet, winning the 100y freestyle (50.48), 200y freestyle (1:48.74), and 500y freestyle (4:51.99). She also swam the anchor leg of EMU's first-place 400y freestyle team, a race the Eagles swam in 3:24.97.
The Eagles repeated as champs in the 2007 season, scoring 665 points to edge second-place Ohio University (618 points) by a margin of 47 points inside Eastern's Jones Natatorium.
Pilchard won swimmer of the year for the second consecutive season and Sarah Chrzanowski earned the Diver of the Year Award with her first-place finish in the 1m dive (293.60 points). Eastern saw nine individuals named to All-MAC teams (four to first team and five to second team), while claiming gold in eight events throughout the meet.
Last time at MACs
The Eagles finished seventh as a team with 215 points at last year's MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1. They were highlighted by
Megan Lupa, who earned MAC Freshman Diver of the Year, placing seventh in the 3m dive final with 255.75 points, and 15th in the 1m dive finals, scoring 226.95 points. On the fourth and final day of the meet, Eastern scored 73 points, making it their most successful day. The swimmers saw three program top 10 times on the third day of the championships, as
Tristen Mina and
Olivia Clarino teamed up to swim the No. 5 (54.59) and No. 7 (55.08) 100y butterfly program times, respectively, before
Nina LaRosa improved her program top 10 100y breaststroke time from No. 8 to No. 7, as she placed ninth in the finals in 1:02.62.
EMU at MACs Under Perkins
Eastern's highest finish at the MAC Championships under
Derek Perkins came in his first season when the Eagles placed third with 485 points. His Eagles placed fifth in the 2021-22 season (354 points), and finished sixth in 2020-21 (305 points), 2022-23 (302 points), and 2023-24 (273 points).
Last Time Out Highlights
The Eagles last competed against Ball State University inside Jones Natatorium, Jan. 24, resulting in a loss of 133.5 points to Ball State's 166.5 points. Eastern won three events in the pool, two of which came from LaRosa, as she swam the 100y breaststroke in 1:02.61 for first place, along with taking first in the 200y breaststroke in 2:20.02. The third event win came from Mina, as she took first place in the 100y butterfly with a time of 55.31. Mina was followed by
Abbey Clarke, who finished in second place with a time of 56.43, and
Nehir Guven, who earned third with a personal best time of 56.53 to sweep the race.
The divers swept both events, earning the top four scores in each.
Rose Kendrick won both events with a personal best score of 280.88 points in the one-meter, and another personal best score of 295.13 points in the three-meter.
Marnie Howard took second place in the one-meter with 236.78 points, followed by
Taityn Speier, who earned third with 234.75 points, and
Aisling Gutierrez, who scored 231.83 points to take fourth place. In the three-meter, Kendrick was followed by Speier with 252.15 points for second place, Gutierrez earned third with 249.83 points, and Howard closed the sweep with 231.75 points for fourth place.
Up Next
Qualified divers will move on to the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, hosted by Eastern Michigan, inside Jones Natatorium, Monday-Wednesday, March 9-11. Select swimmers will compete at the CSCAA NICs, hosted by the CSCAA, in Ocala, Fla., Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14.
Massachusetts Minutewomen
Preview coming soon...
Bowling Green Falcons
Preview coming soon...
Toledo Rockets
Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 25-28 / at MAC Championships / Akron, Ohio / Championship Central
Women's Swimming & Diving enters the championship portion of its season with the MAC Championships this week. The competition runs from Wednesday to Saturday in Akron, Ohio. Both preliminary and final rounds each day will be streamed on ESPN+. Last time out, senior Janne Slegers won the 100 free (50.32) as sophomore Rosie Richards placed first in the 200 free (2:52.13). The 400 free relay team of Richards, Helena Pinto Coelho Lopes, Kenzie Myco and Slegers won the event with a time of 3:27.47.
For more MAC Swimming & Diving news and notes throughout the season, visit
www.GetSomeMaction.com and follow @MACSports on X, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
