Mid-American Conference Championships
Szoke, DiBetta Crowned MAC Champs on Day Three of MAC Swim and Dive Championships
3/1/2024 8:45:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio swimming and diving team returned to the Ohio University Aquatic Center for the third day of the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships on Friday (Mar. 1) in Athens. After three days of competition, the Bobcats sit in third place with 381 points.
Akron currently leads in the standings with 548.5 points, followed by Miami in second with 440.5 points.
The Bobcats were led by two individual conference championships. Freshman Zita Szoke (Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary) who won the conference title in 200-yard freestyle, finishing with a time of 1:46.01. Szoke gave the Bobcats their first conference championship in the event since 2004 and a spot within the NCAA B Cut.
In the 100-yard breaststroke championship race, sophomore Casadie DiBetta (St. Clairsville, Ohio) placed first with a time of 1:00.32, helping her secure a spot in the NCAA B Cut. DiBetta's win marked the first time since the 1996-97 season that Ohio won back-to-back championships in the 100-yard backstroke event after senior Ami Hornyak (Debrecen, Hungary) won in 2023.
The 100-yard butterfly consolation race marked the first event of the night, with senior Peyton Farrell (Beavercreek, Ohio) finished fifth, and 13th overall in the conference with a time of 55.22.
In the championship race of the 100-yard butterfly, senior Gabrielle Brust (Granville, Ohio) used a time of 53.24 to place fourth overall in the conference. Her time also secured her within the NCAA's B Cut.
For the 400-yard individual medley consolation race, Ohio had the top three finishers. Senior Morgan Croaning (Carmel, Ind.) finished first, ninth overall, with a time of 4:22.28. Finishing just behind Croaning, sophomore Emily Ellsworth (Westerville, Ohio) placed 10th overall with a time of 4:22.41, while sophomore Morgan Brown (Roanoke, Ind.) placed 11th overall with her time of 4:23.41.
After finishing fourth in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday night (Feb. 29), junior Gabrielle McKee (Gilbertsville, Pa.) placed third in the 400-yard individual medley championship race. McKee used a time of 4:17.76 to claim the third podium spot in the event.
Seniors Meg Voigt (Bryan, Ohio) and Caroline Dunigan (Lansdale, Pa.) placed fourth and fifth overall respectively in the 200-yard freestyle consolation race. Their finishes earned them overall places of 12th and 13th with times of 1:50.08 and 1:50.12.
Alongside Szoke's championship in the 200-yard freestyle championship race, graduate student McKenzie Grau (Mason, Ohio) placed sixth with a time of 1:49.33.
In addition to DiBetta's first place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke championship, two other Bobcats placed as finalists. Junior Julia Strine (Shippensburg, Pa.) finished in sixth place with a time of 1:01.60 while junior Edie Sawyer (Cranberry Township, Pa.) finished just behind in seventh with a 1:01.82 time.
In the final individual swim competition of the night for the Bobcats, senior Riley Bunstine (Alexandria, Ohio) placed eighth in the 100-yard backstroke consolation race. Her time of 55.82 seconds earned her a 16th-place finish overall.
Freshman Astrid Pichardo (Guanajato, Mexico) placed third in the three-meter diving consolation competition, the lone diving event of the evening. She recorded 266.40 points over her six dives, helping her place 11th in the conference.
In the final event of the night, the 200-yard freestyle relay, Ohio's team of Szoke, Voigt, Dunigan, and Grau placed second. The Bobcats' time of 1:29.89 was 0.58 seconds off Akron's winning time.
The Bobcats will complete the last leg of the 2024 MAC Swim and Dive Championships tomorrow (Mar. 2). Prelims are set to start at 10:00 a.m., while finals will start at 6:00 p.m.
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