Ball State vs Toledo (Women)
- January 20, 2024
- Muncie, Ind.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Ball State Sports
MUNCIE, Ind. – – The Ball State women’s swimming & diving program made the most of its final home meet of the 2023-24 season, opening its run to the Mid-American Conference Championships with a commanding 182-117 victory over Toledo Saturday afternoon at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
The Cardinals (4-0; 3-0 MAC) claimed the top spot in 13 of the day’s 16 events, led by another solid performance from sophomore Payton Kelly, who took top honors in both the 50 (23.63) and 100 (51.54) freestyle events. She also swam anchor for both winning relays to help BSU finish the home portion of its season with an unblemished 3-0 mark.
BSU set the tone early, with Lilia Newkirk, Laura Wright, Hannah Jones and Kelly combining to win the 200 medley relay be over two seconds with a mark of 1:44.84.
Marcella Ribeiro followed with her first to two event wins, taking the top spot in the 1000 freestyle by 13 seconds at 10:33.94. Ribeiro would go on to win the 500 freestyle as well, taking that race by over two seconds at 5:13.37. She also opened the 400 freestyle relay to finish the event with three total wins.
After Hannah Jones won the 100 backstroke in 57.06, Wright opened her breaststroke sweep with a time of 1:04.02 in the 100. Wright would go on to win the 200 breaststroke in 2:20.11 to join Ribeiro with three event wins.
Alexa Von Holtz scored wins in the 200 butterfly (2:03.10) and the 200 IM (2:07.48), while Newkirk added a victory in the 200 backstroke (2:03.66) to her 200 medley relay win.
Ball State rounded out action in the pool with Ribeiro, Haley Sakbun, Jones and Kelly combining for a time of 3:32.17 to take top billing in the 400 freestyle relay.
The Cardinals also found success in the diving well, with Grace Walker taking top honors on the 1M board with a season-best score of 288.30, bettering her NCAA Zone Diving qualifying mark.
The Ball State women’s swimming & diving team returns to action next Saturday, when it travels to Ohio for a 2 p.m. dual.
200 Medley Relay | Program Record – 1:39.69 by Crist, Wright, Jones, A. Sakbun in 2023
1st – Lilia Newkirk, Laura Wright, Hannah Jones, Payton Kelly – 1:44.84
DQ – Alyssa Messenger, Haley Sakbun, Alexa Von Holtz, Natalie Marshall
1000 Freestyle | Program Record – 10:01.21 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021
1st – Marcella Ribeiro – 10:33.94
2nd – Mary Kate Phillips – 10:46.94
6th – Callie Tuma – 11:12.26
200 Freestyle | Program Record – 1:48.13 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021
4th – Elizabeth King – 1:58.63
5th – Haley Sakbun – 1:59.98
6th – Emma Horton – 2:03.49
100 Backstroke | Program Record – 54.44 by Hannah Jones in 2022
1st – Hannah Jones – 57.06
2nd – Lilia Newkirk – 57.82
4th – Alyssa Messenger – 58.82
100 Breaststroke | Program Record – 1:00.58 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013
1st – Laura Wright – 1:04.02
3rd – Eliza Bader – 1:09.52
5th – Neely Agnew – 1:12.62
200 Butterfly | Program Record – 1:59.93 by Mallory Miles in 2013
1st – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:03.10
3rd – Sophia Kuehn – 2:12.19
50 Freestyle | Program Record – 22.32 by Payton Kelly in 2023
1st – Payton Kelly – 23.63
3rd- Natalie Marshall – 24.83
5th – Angelina Eliacin – 25.66
1M Diving | Program Record – 305.48 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
1st – Grace Walker – 288.30
4th – Ella Penny – 224.63
5th- Leelah Fettig – 217.73
EX – Ava Pavich – 190.43
100 Freestyle | Program Record – 49.12 by Payton Kelly in 2023
1st – Payton Kelly – 51.54
4th – Elizabeth King – 54.47
5th – Haley Sakbun – 53.37
Ex – Emma Horton – 56.38
Ex – Angelina Eliacin – 56.76
200 Backstroke | Program Record – 1:58.73 by Emily Wisolek in 2013
1st – Lilia Newkirk – 2:03.66
2nd – Alyssa Messenger – 2:07.85
200 Breaststroke | Program Record – 2:11.77 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013
1st – Laura Wright – 2:20.11
3rd – Sophia Kuehn – 2:23.24
5th – Eliza Bader – 2:36.79
500 Freestyle | Program Record – 4:48.37 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021
1st – Marcella Ribeiro – 5:13.37
2nd – Mary Kate Phillips – 5:15.43
6th – Callie Tuma – 5:29.97
100 Butterfly | Program Record – 53.64 by Mallory Miles in 2013
2nd – Alexa Von Holtz – 57.05
3rd – Hannah Jones – 58.26
4th – Natalie Marshall – 1:00.94
3-Meter Diving | Program Record – 347.78 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
3rd – Grace Walker – 260.63
4th – Leelah Fettig – 233.93
6th – Ava Pavich – 188.85
EX – Ella Penny – 180.45
200 IM | Program Record – 2:00.85 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2023
1st – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:07.48
3rd – Sophia Kuehn – 2:12.38
6th – Laura Wright – 2:18.06
400 Freestyle Relay | Program Record – 3:21.74 by Kelly, A. Sakbun, Ribeiro, Payne in 2023
1st – Marcella Ribeiro, Haley Sakbun, Hannah Jones, Payton Kelly – 3:32.17
3rd – Natalie Marshall, Eliza Bader, Alyssa Messenger, Elizabeth King – 3:39.40
5th – Mary Kate Phillips, Emma Horton, Angelina Eliacin, Lilia Newkirk – 3:44.78
Courtesy: Toledo Athletics
MUNCIE, Ind. – Kennedy Lovell, Leah Evans, and Madison Giglio each claimed individual victories to lead the Toledo women’s swimming & diving team at Ball State on Saturday afternoon, but the Rockets came up short to the Cardinals 182-117.
The Rockets improved four season-best times and two personal best marks since last week’s dual victory over Indianapolis.
Lovell claimed the crown in the 200 freestyle while Evans was victorious in the 100 butterfly. The Rockets kept pace with the Cardinals and finished second in all 10 events, including both relay races.
The Rockets swept the top three spots in the 200 freestyle, led by Lovell (1:55.64), followed by sophomore Janne Slegers (1:56.35) and senior Najla Karic (1:58.03).
Evans was neck-and-neck with BSU’s Alex Von Holtz in the 100 butterfly and broke away in the final turn to touch the wall first at 56.92. She also claimed second in the 200 butterfly and on both of UT’s “A” relay teams.
Toledo had a good day on the diving boards, going 2-3 on the one-meter and 1-2 on the three-meter. Giglio won the three-meter (292.43) and finished runner-up on the one-meter board with her best score of the season. Senior Ryli Harden finished behind Giglio on both boards, with her personal-best 3M score of 266.33, which puts her No. 9 on the all-time Toledo list.
The Rockets opened the meet with a second-and-third-place finish in the 200 medley relay and ended the meet with a runner-up finish in the 400 freestyle relay with its fastest time this season of 3:33.53.
Toledo will stay on the road next week to compete in its final road competition before the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championship meet. UT will face Marshall in Morgantown, W. Va. on Saturday, Jan. 27.
Ball State 182, Toledo 117
Toledo’s Top-3 Finishes
200 Medley Relay
2. Toledo A – Faith Sill, Lauren Kilgore, Leah Evans, Sydney Conrad – 1:47.11
3. Toledo B – Gracie Pardue, Alicia Zarzo-Ramirez, Morgan Schuld, Mackenzie Carter – 1:52.79
1,000 Freestyle
3. Jovana Duric – 10:47.16
200 Freestyle
1. Kennedy Lovell – 1:55.64
2. Janne Slegers – 1:56.35
3. Nejla Karic – 1:58.03
100 Backstroke
3. Faith Sill – 58.52
100 Breaststroke
2. Lauren Kilgore – 1:04.02
200 Butterfly
2. Leah Evans – 2:09.30
50 Freestyle
2. Kennedy Lovell – 24.72
1M Dive
2. Madison Giglio – 257.85
3. Ryli Harden – 244.13
100 Freestyle
2. Lauren Kilgore – 52.56
3. Janne Slegers – 53.60
200 Backstroke
3. Faith Sill – 2:08.50
200 Breaststroke
3. Kennedy Lovell – 2:30.68
500 Freestyle
3. Jovana Duric – 5:21.38
100 Butterfly
1. Leah Evans – 56.92
3M Dive
1. Madison Giglio – 292.43
2. Ryli Harden – 266.33 *PR
200 IM
2. Lauren Kilgore – 2:07.89
400 Freestyle
2. Toledo A – Janne Slegers, Kennedy Lovell, Leah Evans, Nejla Karic – 3:33.53