Sports
Ohio Swimming And Diving Remains In Second Place Of MAC Championships
By: Kaleb Carter
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Heading into day two of the MAC Swimming and Diving Championships in Buffalo, N.Y., Ohio sat in second place of the overall points standings with 172, compared to first place Miami University’s 191. On a very successful second day for Miami and Ohio alike, the RedHawks extended that lead to nearly 100 by a score of 436-337, but not without facing some stiff competition from Bobcat swimmers.
In the 200-yard medley relay, the first final of the day, the Ohio relay team of Addy Ferguson, Tori Bagan, Haley Clark, and Lauren Funk took home first place, winning 40 points in the process. The Bobcats edged out a victory by less than a second in front of Miami, who had three senior swimmers in the race. The time of 1:39:87 was less than a second off of the meet record set by Miami in 2011.
In the 400-yard individual medley, the Bobcats were able to collect 18 points. Junior Laurin Williams was able to take home a respectable sixth place for the Bobcats with a time of 4:22.60. With a time of 4:25.32, sophomore Stephanie Gyurke slid in at 12th place for the Bobcats.
Ferguson and Clark brought home seventh and 12th place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly, earning Ohio 17 points total with times of 54.41 and 55.70, respectively.
Senior Katey Brooks earned a fourth place finish and 15 points with a time of 1:50.22 in the 200-meter freestyle finals. Sophomore Michelle Gasior added on three points with a 14th place finish and a time of 1:52.53.
In the 100-yard breaststroke, sophomore Tori Bagan swam a time of 1:02.44, good for fifth place and gaining the 14 points that the Bobcats took in the event.
The 100-yard backstroke saw Ferguson place for the third time Friday evening for the Bobcats. It also was her second first place finish of the day, as she narrowly defeated Miami senior Leah Thornton with a time of 54:02. Rachel Sterns and Anastasia Bocharnikova contributed to the Bobcat cause with 10 total points to make 30 for the event overall.
The day concluded with the 800-yard freestyle relay in which the Ohio team of Gasior, Brooks, Bianca Hauzer, and Clark finished in fifth place, good for 28 points. Their time of 7:27:13 left them about five seconds behind race winners and host Buffalo.
With 14 events in the books and heading into the final day of competition at the MAC Swimming and Diving Championships, the Bobcats face an uphill battle attempting to claim a 12th MAC title.