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BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Ohio swimming and diving team returned to action on Thursday (Feb. 27) for the second day of the 2025 Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by Buffalo. Sophomore
Zita Szoke was crowned a MAC Champion in the 50 free, with the Bobcats sitting in third place with 215.5 points.
Ohio opened the evening finals with the 500-yard freestyle, Senior
Gabrielle McKee (Gilbertsville, Pa.) placed a second with a time of 4:51.22. Junior
Anna McGrath (Lewis Center, Ohio) earned a sixth-place finish with a time of 4:54.59, while junior
Peyton Binns (Hudson, Ohio) placed sixth in the 'B' final and 14
th overall, finishing the race with a time of 4:59.73.
Ohio has three more placers in the 200 IM, starting with junior
Emily Ellsworth (Westerville, Ohio) who placed fifth with a time of 2:01.88. Junior
Morgan Brown (Roanoke, Ind.) followed suit, finishing eighth with a time of 2:04.17, while senior
Julia Strine (Shippensburg, Pa.) placed seventh in the 'B' final and 15
th overall, touching in with a time of 2:04.25.
The Bobcats sprinted to two top three finishes in the 50 free, starting with Szoke (Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary) who tied for first with Ball State's Payton Kelly, both touching in with a time of 22.23 and sharing the top of the podium. Following right behind them was graduate student
Caroline Dunigan (Lansdale, Pa.) who placed third, touching in with a time of 22.45.
In the 1-meter dive, sophomore
Astrid Pichardo (Guanajuato, Mexico) earned a second-place finish, recording a score of 262.65. The finish was the highest finish for a Bobcat in the event since 2016.
In the final event of the night, the 400-yard medley relay, the Ohio team of junior
Allison Schrank (Blaine, Minn.), junior
Casadie DiBetta (St. Clairsville, Ohio), Szoke and Dunigan placed second, finishing with a time of 3:34.28 and earning a new school record, shaving three seconds off the previous mark.
The Bobcats are back in the pool on Friday, Feb. 28 for day three of the 2025 MAC Championships. Prelims are set to begin at 10 a.m. ET, with finals set for 6 p.m. ET. Fans can head to the
MAC Championship Central page for links for both streams.
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