Sports
Ohio Swim & Dive dominates in day one of their first home meet
By: Ava Miller
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Ohio Swim and Dive (1-1) hosted Illinois State (0-1) in their home opener for the first day of a two-day dual meet.
Ohio opened the meet with a win in 1-meter diving, as Astrid Pichardo took first place with a score of 295.65.
In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the first swimming event of the night, the Bobcats took first and second place. The A relay team of Zita Szoke, Wittenberg, Buroker and Claypoole won the event. Szoke broke the school record, which she previously held, with an impressive 50-yard split of 22.06 seconds.
Ohio continued its momentum in the 1,000-yard freestyle, where Josie Marino won with a time of 10:21. Marino took an early lead and maintained it throughout the race. Teammate Katrina Kollin finished just three seconds behind her, while Illinois State swimmer Hope Westphal came in third with a time of 10:36.64.
The Bobcats continued their dominance in the 200-yard individual medley, with seven of the nine swimmers competing for the Bobcats. Ohio took the first four places, led by Juliette Daigneault, who finished in 2:03.97. Jordan Claypoole and teammate Jana Macik battled for third place, separated by just 0.18 seconds.
Illinois State gained important points in the 200-yard breaststroke, taking first and second place. Teammates Molly Allison and Ava Ostendorf battled for the top spot, with Ostendorf finishing first in 2:16.32, just 0.48 seconds ahead of Allison.
Ohio responded in the 200-yard backstroke, sweeping the first five places. Lily Baumgartner led the Bobcats with a time of 1:58.06, while teammate Melanie Schweikart finished just 0.07 seconds behind her.
The Bobcats continued their strong performance in the 200-yard butterfly, taking the top three places. Jana Macik led Ohio with a time of 2:01.34.
In the 100-yard freestyle, the only swimming event of the evening with two heats, Szoke finished with a time of 47.89 seconds. The impressive time does not guarantee her a spot, but Szoke did reach the NCAA qualifying time.
Ohio closed the night with the 400-yard medley relay. Both the Bobcats’ A and B relay teams finished ahead of Illinois State’s A team. The Ohio team of Schweikart, Szoke, Claypoole and Wittenberg won the event, ending the first day of the meet on a high note.
Ohio leads Illinois State 133-31 after the first day of competition. The meet will continue tomorrow, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. where the final result will be announced after the conclusion of the competition.