AKRON, Ohio – Akron captured its fifth-consecutive Mid-American Conference Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday evening in Akron’s Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium. This is the Zips’ 12^th conference title in 13 years under head Coach Brian Peresie, and they finished the weekend with 711 team points.

The Miami RedHawks won gold in back-to-back events to open the final night of the four-day Championship. Freshman Gracie Gregory swam a 16:39.00 in the 1,650 Freestyle, while senior Chrisna Bezuidenhout qualified for the NCAAs in the 200 Backstroke with a time of 1:54.28.

Ohio’s Zita Szoke set a pool, MAC, and MAC Championships record time of 47.55 in the prelims of the 100 Butterfly on Saturday morning, before taking gold in the finals with a time of 47.59. Her finals time was also an NCAA qualifier time, her second qualification of the weekend. Teammate Casadie DiBetta also punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships, after swimming a gold-medal time of 2:09.33 in the 200 Breaststroke.

Akron’s Felicia Klintemar and Ball State’s Alexa Von Holtz tied with a time of 1:58.75 in the 200 Butterfly and claim the Co-Champion title.

Bowling Green Freshman Natalia Mayorga won her first gold medal in the 3-meter diving, with a score of 316.85, and is the first Falcon to win the event since Talisa Lemke (2020).

The Zips won the final event of the evening, swimming a 3:14.92 in the 400 Freestyle Relay with Helena Lalkovic, Ada Szwabinska, Callie Parked, and Felicia Klintemar.

The 2026 postseason specialty awards were announced following the final race. Ball State’s Payton Kelly was named MAC Most Outstanding Senior, and Head Coach J. Agnew was voted MAC Swimming Coach of the Year. Buffalo’s Russ Dekker was named MAC Diving Coach of the Year for the sixth-straight year.
 
Final Team Standings
1. Akron – 711 pts.
2. Ohio – 559 pts.
3. Ball State – 500 pts.
4. Miami – 492 pts.
5. Buffalo – 446 pts.
6. Eastern Michigan – 263 pts.
7. Massachusetts – 195 pts.
8. Toledo– 174 pts.
9. Bowling Green – 159 pts.
 
2025 MAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Event Winners
200 Medley Relay – Akron (Klintemar, Cox, Parkes, Szwabinska) 1:36.22 *^$
800 Freestyle Relay – Akron (Lalkovic, Trumpower, Couture, Trainer) 7:12.46
500 Freestyle –Helena Lalkovic (Akron), 4:47.76
200 Individual Medley – Felicia Klintemar (Akron), 1:57.52
50 Freestyle – Payton Kelly (Ball State), 21.88 *^$
1-Meter Diving – Grace Walker (Ball State), 298.75
400 Medley Relay – Akron (Klintemar, Cox, Parkes, Szwabinska), 3:32.40 $
100 Butterfly – Felicia Klintemar (Akron), 51.35 *
400 Individual Medley – Gracie Gregory (Miami), 4:16.83
200 Freestyle – Zita Szoke (Ohio), 1:44.82 $
100 Breaststroke – Claire Cox (Akron), 59.59
100 Backstroke – Payton Kelly (Ball State), 52.07
200 Freestyle Relay – Akron (Parkes, Szwabinska, Klintemar, Trainer), 1:28.35 *^$
1,650 Freestyle – Gracie Gregory (Miami), 16:39.00
200 Backstroke – Chrisna Bezuidenhout (Miami), 1:54.38
100 Freestyle – Zita Szoke (Ohio), 47.59
                                    Zita Szoke (Ohio), 47.55 (P) #^$
200 Breaststroke – Casadie DiBetta (Ohio), 2:09.33
200 Butterfly – Felicia Klintemar (Akron) and Alexa Von Holtz (Ball State), 1:58.75
3-Meter Diving – Natalia Mayorga (Bowling Green), 316.85
400 Freestyle Relay – Akron (Lalkovic, Szwabinska, Parkes, Klintemar), 3:14.92
 
* MAC Championship Record | ^ MAC Record | $ Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium Pool Record | NCAA Automatic Qualifier
 
2026 MAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Specialty Awards
Swimming Coach of the Year – J. Agnew, Ball State
Diving Coach of the Year – Russ Dekker, Buffalo
Freshman Diver of the Year – Rose Kendrick, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Swimmer of the Year – Gracie Gregory, Miami
Most Outstanding Senior Award – Payton Kelly, Ball State
Most Outstanding Diver – Bela Noble, Akron
Most Outstanding Swimmer – Payton Kelly, Ball State
 
2026 All-MAC Teams
First Team
Helena Lalkovic, Akron
Felicia Klintemar, Akron
Claire Cox, Akron
Grace Walker, Ball State
Payton Kelly, Ball State
Gracie Gregory, Miami
Zita Szoke, Ohio
Chrisna Bezuidenhout, Miami
Casadie DiBetta, Ohio
Alexa Von Holtz, Ball State
Avery Knight, Akron
Callie Parkes, Akron
Ada Szwabinska, Akron
Anna Keen, Ball State
Natalia Mayorga, Bowling Green
 
Second Team
Bella Forsman, Buffalo
Maria Grishaeva, Massachusetts
Juliette Daigneault, Ohio
Kaylin Herbet, Miami
Emily Ellsworth, Ohio
Katrina Kollin, Ohio
Julia Waechter, Miami
Kamilla Nemes, Buffalo
Elle Couture, Akron
Bela Noble, Akron
Martyna Piesko, Akron
Addy Czarnecki, Ball State
Sydney Rice, Miami
Mel Schweikert, Ohio
Madelyn Bosler, Akron