CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio swimming and diving team was selected to finish tied second in the 2025-26 Mid-American Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, as voted by the league's nine head coaches, the conference announced today (Oct. 1). Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Akron earned the most votes with 64 team points, with eight of nine first-place votes. Miami and Ohio were tied for second place in this year's poll, with Miami earning the other first-place vote. Both teams earned 53 total points in the poll.
Akron will host the 2025-26 MAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championship Feb. 25-28 at Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium in Akron, Ohio.
Ohio finished last season with a second-place team finish at the MAC Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. Head coach
Mason Norman was named the MAC Coach of the Year, which is the first time a coach has been named Coach of the Year since 2011.
Junior
Zita Szoke (Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary) was crowned MAC Champion in the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyles and 200-yard medley relay. Senior
Casadie DiBetta (St. Clairsville, Ohio) was also crowned champion in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke and the 200 and 400-yard medley relay. Szoke competed in the NCAA Championships, finishing in 11
th in the 100-yard freestyle, which is the highest finish from a Bobcat since 1995. Szoke earned All-American honors and is the first to do so since 2000. Szoke, DiBetta, and senior
Emily Ellsworth (Westerville, Ohio) all return to the pool for the Bobcats after earning First Team All-MAC honors, and Senior
Morgan Brown (Roanoke, Ind.) returns after earning All-MAC Second Team honors.
The Bobcats open the 2025-26 season with their Green and White Meet this Saturday, October 4
, at 10 a.m. ET at the Aquatic Center. Ohio opens the regular season competition Oct. 24-25 against Buffalo and Marshall in Athens.
2025-26 MAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coaches Poll
First-Place votes in ()
1.Akron (8) – 64 pts.
T2. Miami (1) – 53 pts.
T2. Ohio – 53 pts.
4. Buffalo – 44 pts.
5. Ball State – 36 pts.
6. Eastern Michigan – 22 pts.
7. UMass – 21 pts.
8. Bowling Green – 19 pts.
9. Toledo – 12 pts.
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