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ATHENS, Ohio –The Ohio swimming and diving team (4-0) competed in its final home meet of the season on Friday evening (Jan. 16), taking on MAC opponent Bowling Green State University (12-1). The Bobcats defeat the Falcons with a score of 244-56. Ohio would finish first in every event, sweeping the top-four finishes in six events.

Before the meet, Ohio honored its eight seniors, Stephanie Balthaser, Peyton Binns, Morgan Brown, Casadie DiBetta, Emily Ellsworth, Anna McGrath, Allison Schrank, and Alexandra Wayner.

The meet opened up with 3-meter diving, with junior Astrid Pichardo (Guanajuato, Mexico) taking first in dominant fashion, with a score of 303.15. Sophomore Annie Haluch (Hudson, Ohio) finished in third place with a score of 254.70, and freshman Bella Basford (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished in fourth with a score of 248.63.

In the first swimming event of the night, the 200-yard medley relay team of freshman Lily Baumgartner (Ada, Ohio), DiBetta (St. Clairsville, Ohio), junior Zita Szoke (Serbia, Bejec), and freshman Tori Wittenberg (Medford, N.J.) finished in first place with a time of 1:39.59.

In the 1000-yard freestyle, junior Ashley Sallows (Delaware, Ohio) took the first-place finish with a time of 10:28.32, and freshman Emma Schwertfeger (Fishers, Ind.) finished in third with a time of 10:33.07.

The Bobcats swept the top four spots in the 200-yard freestyle with freshman Katrina Kollin (Dublin, Ohio) claiming the first-place finish with a time of 1:49.42. McGrath (Lewis Center, Ohio) finished in second place with a time of 1:50.81, junior Katie Buroker (Zionsville, Ind.) finished in third place with a time of 1:51.33, and freshman Juliette Daigneault (Scottsdale, Az) finished in fourth with a time of 1:51.76.

The Bobcats would sweep the top four again in the 100-yard backstroke. Baumgartner took the first-place finish with a time of 54.45, junior Melanie Schweikert (Maineville, Ohio) finished in second place with a time of 54.62, sophomore Juliana Slaninka (Mentor, Ohio) finished in third with a time of 55.86, and Schrank (Blaine, MN) finished in fourth with a time of 56.12.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Dibetta claimed the top spot with a time of 1:01.67. Ellsworth (Westerville, Ohio) finished in second place with a time of 1:03.43. Freshman Katie Forbes (Littleton, Co) finished in third with a time of 1:06.86, and freshman Reese Benton (Dunwoody, Ga) finished in fifth with a time of 1:07.22.

Ohio would take the top two spots in the 200-yard butterfly, with freshman Jana Macik (Aldie, Va) taking first place with a time of 1:59.46, and junior Isabella Arbaugh (Ann Arbor, Mich) finishing in second with a time of 2:03.76.

Ohio would claim its third top-four sweep of the night in the 50-yard freestyle with Szoke taking the first-place finish with a time of 22.40. Wittenberg finished in second with a time of 23.19, sophomore Jordan poole (Parkersburg, WV) finished in third with a time of 23.40, and freshman Addison Lezinsky (Stratford, Ct) finished in fourth with a time of 24.33.

At the 1-meter dive break, Ohio would lead Bowling Green 118-32.

In the 1-meter dive, Basford would finish in first with a score of 261.23. Pichardo would follow her in second place with a score of 246.75. Balthaser (Delaware, Ohio) finished in fourth place with a score of 238.65.

In the 100-yard freestyle, the Bobcats swept the top four finishes for the fourth time, with Szoke placing first with a time of 48.16. Wittenberg finished in second with a time of 50.39, Buroker finished in third with a time of 51.35, and sophomore Ashlyn Morr (Galena, Ohio) finished in fourth with a time of 51.45.

The Bobcats would sweep the top four finishes again with the 200-yard backstroke, with Slaninka finishing in first with a time of 1:58.15. Schweikert finished in second place with a time of 1:59.56, Baumgartner finished in third with a time of 2:00.39, and sophomore Leah Guess (Hartville, Ohio) finished in fourth with a time of 2:05.17.

In the 200-yard breaststroke, Dibetta took the first-place finish with a time of 2:14.41. Ellsworth finished in second-place with a time of 2:18.77, Benton finished in third place with a time of 2:23.72, and Forbes finished in fifth place with a time of 2:29.76.

Ohio took its sixth sweep of the top-four finishes in the 500-yard freestyle. McGrath finished in first with a time of 4:57.07. Kollin finished in second-place with a time of 4:58.81, Arbaugh finished in third place with a time of 5:03.26, and Sallows finished in fourth place with a time of 5:08.33.

In the 100-yard butterfly, Claypoole finished in first place with a time of 54.34. Macik finished in second with a time of 55.63, Schrank finished in third with a time of 57.44, and Guess finished in fifth with a time of 58.74.

Daigneault took the first-place finish in the 100-yard IM, with a time of 57.30. Ellsworth finished right behind her in second place with a time of 57.52, Brown finished in third place with a time of 59.03, and Baumgartner finished in fifth place with a time of 1:00.07.

In the final event of the meet, Wittenberg, Szoke, Claypoole, and Buroker finished the 200-yard freestyle relay in first place with a time of 1:31.31.

The Bobcats would dominantly defeat the Falcons, with a score of 244-56. Ohio returns to the pool January 30-31 at Akron University at 5:00 p.m. and can be watched on the Zips Digital Network.

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