2023 MAC WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, February 25, 2023
- Oxford, OH
- Defending Champions: Akron (1x)
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Last night, the Mid-American Women’s Conference Championships featured finals in the 200 IM, 500 free, 50 free, 200 free relay, and 1-meter diving. Entering Day 2 of the meet, Akron held a slight lead as the Zips look to repeat as conference champions.
After winning the 500 free on day 2 of the meet last season, Miami’s Nicole Maier opted to contest the 200 IM as a junior this season. Maier’s decision worked out, as she claimed gold in a lifetime best of 1:56.04. That time is good enough for the team, conference, and pool record in the event. After competing at NCAA last season in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyles, she now sits within the top-24 of the IM this season with an NCAA B-cut.
With over a full year left in her collegiate career at Miami, Maier has already left a major impact on the Redhawks program. Entering the season, Maier already held five of the program’s records and is the only member of the team to currently hold Mid-American records.
Maier would actually pick up a second school record later in the night, leading off the Redhawk’s third-place 200 free relay. The junior touched in 22.39, breaking one of Miami’s oldest program records, originally set in 2013.
Despite Maier’s impressive leadoff leg, the Akron women were able to pull off the win in the 200 free relay. The relay was led off by Abby Daniel, who touched in 22.43, which would have been good for second individually, before Weronika Gorecka, Rebecca Reid, and Rachel Schiffli followed for a final time of 1:29.82.
With Maeir opting to contest the 200 IM this season over the 500 free, the battle for first was anyone’s race. The title eventually went to Maier’s freshman teammate, Greta Kolbeck. Kolbeck shaved nearly a second off of her lifetime best in the race, finishing in 4:47.44.
Notably, the 500 freestyle podium was made up entirely of freshmen, meaning the three will spend the next three years competing against each other. Behind Kolbeck was Miami’s Ali Kudo (4:48.90) and Ohio’s Lauren Hartel.
After finishing with the top time during prelims this morning, Toni Naccarella improved even more during finals to claim her first gold medal of the 2023 Mid-American Championships in a lifetime best of 22.15. After winning 7 gold medals as a junior two years ago, including the 50 free, Naccarella finished as the runner-up in the event last season. Her swim marks a lifetime best by two-tenths and stands as the second fastest time in program history. She has now won gold in the event three times at the conference championships.
Tying for silver behind Naccarella was Payton Kelly, a freshman at Ball State, and Maddy Gatrall, an Akron junior who entered the meet as the top seed in the event. Both swimmers finished in lifetime bests of 22.51, with Kelly’s time also setting a new program record for Ball State.
The Buffalo duo of Tori Franz (315.06) and Mari Kwak (299.79) went 1-2 in the 1-meter diving event, and with two more athletes in the championship final, the Bulls jump up into second in the team race with 224 points.
Team Scores (After Day 2)
- Akron – 246.5
- Buffalo – 224
- Miami (OH) – 210.5
- Eastern Michigan – 169
- Ohio – 161
- Ball State – 139
- Toledo – 97
- Bowling Green – 59
I think you are missing the diving points in the team totals. Additionally, the diving results referenced are for the consolation finals (9th-16th) and not the championship finals. Please take a look and update.
THNX!
Updated, thank you.