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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio swim and dive team wrapped up competition at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships on Saturday (March 2). The Bobcats placed third with a total off 583 points. Following the meet, freshman Zita Szoke was named the MAC Freshman Swimmer of the Year. 
 
Akron won this year's championship with 812.5 points, while Miami placed second with 652.5 points. 
 
The Bobcats third-place finish is the highest finish for Ohio since 2013, while Szoke's Freshman Swimmer of the Year honor marks the first time that Ohio was won the award in back-to-back years. 
 
Along with Freshman Swimmer of the Year accolades, Szoke (Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary) earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team, as did sophomore Casadie DiBetta (St. Clairsville, Ohio), senior Gabrielle Brust (Granville, Ohio) and junior Gabrielle McKee (Gilbertsville, Pa.). Meanwhile, graduate student McKenzie Grau (Mason, Ohio) and junior Julia Strine (Shippensburg, Pa.) earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. 
 
Coming off her championship in the 100-yard breaststroke Friday night, DiBetta picked up where she left off, winning the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing with a time of 2:11.59. DiBetta is the first Bobcat to win a MAC title in the 200-yard breaststroke since 2000. 
 
In the first event of the night, the 1650 freestyle, senior Morgan Croaning (Carmel, Ind.) placed third overall with a time of 16:47.27. Junior Gabrielle McKee (Gilbertsville, Pa.) earned a fourth-place finish, touching in with a time of 16:49.37, while sophomore Anna McGrath (Lewis Center, Ohio) placed fifth with a time of 16:53.16. Freshman Ashley Sallows (Delaware, Ohio) picked up a 13^th-place finish, touching in with a time of 17:13.60. 
 
In the 200-yard backstroke consolation finals, sophomore Morgan Brown (Roanoke, Ind.) placed sixth, so 14^thoverall, touching in with a time of 2:01.44. 
 
In the 100-yard freestyle finals, Szoke finished in second place, touching in with a time of 48.71. Grau placed seventh with an overall time of 50.12. 
 
In the 100-yard freestyle consolation finals, senior Caroline Dunigan (Lansdale, Pa.) finished fourth, 12^thoverall, earning a time of 50.65, while senior Meg Voigt (Bryan, Ohio) placed seventh, 15^th overall, with a time of 51.09. 
 
The remaining finishers in the 200-yard breaststroke finals start with Strine, who placed fourth with a time of 2:14.38, while sophomore Emily Ellsworth (Westerville, Ohio) finished seventh with a time of 2:15.36. 
 
In the 200 breaststroke consolation finals, junior Edie Sawyer (Cranberry Township, Pa.) finished first, ninth overall, touching in with a time of 2:15.08, while junior Raphaelle Anglade (Toulouse, France) finished seventh, 15^th overall, finishing with a time of 2:19.83. 
 
In the 200-yard butterfly, Brust placed third, finishing with a time of 1:58.46. In the consolation finals, senior Peyton Farrell (Beavercreek, Ohio) finished seventh, 15^th overall, finishing with a time of 2:05.46. 
 
In the final event of the championships, the 400-yard free relay team of Szoke, Grau, Dunigan and Voigt placed third, finishing with a time of 3:17.74. 
 
Up next, the Ohio swimmers will head to CSCAA National Invitational Championship March 14-15 in Ocala, Fla., while freshman Astrid Pichardo (Guanajuato, Mexico) will head to NCAA Zone C Diving Championships. 
 
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