Women's S&D Opens MAC Championships Thursday

MUNCIE, Ind. - - After an accomplished regular season which saw the Cardinals knock out several pool and program records, the Ball State women's swimming & diving program aims to continue its success at the 2021 Mid-American Conference Championships.

In addition to the Cardinals, the eight team meet also features Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, host Eastern Michigan, Miami, Ohio and Toledo. The action begins Thursday inside the Jones Natatorium in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Prelims are set for 10:30 a.m. each morning with the top 16 competitors moving on to the championship competition in the evening. Championship events begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, 6:00 p.m. Friday and 6:10 p.m. Saturday.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, there will be NO SPECTATORS allowed at this year's event. Fans can watch the action live with video and live results. All links can be found on the Ball State women's swimming & diving schedule page, or here on the Championship Central page.

SCHEDULE OF CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

Thursday, April 15	Friday, April 16	Saturday, April 17
200 Freestyle Relay	200 Medley Relay	1650 Freestyle
500 Freestyle	400 IM	200 Backstroke
200 IM	100 Butterfly	100 Freestyle
50 Freestyle	200 Freestyle	200 Breaststroke
1m Diving	100 Breaststroke	200 Butterfly
400 Medley Relay	100 Backstroke	3m Diving
	800 Free Relay	400 Freestyle Relay

The improvement the Cardinals have seen under the tutelage of head coach J. Agnew over the past three years is nothing short of exhilarating. It also bodes well as for the future of the program on the hunt for its first-ever MAC Team Championship.

In the year prior to his arrival, the Cardinals had just one swimmer and two divers advance to the championship finals of their events. Last year, the Cardinals had 16 swims in championship events and all three divers score in the meet during Agnew's second season.

Ball State's 223 total points last year were also the most for the program since the 2014 MAC Championships and had the Cardinals within striking distance of moving up in the final team standings.

The Cardinals are looking to continue that progress after a successful 2020-21 regular season which was highlighted by 60 individual event wins, five relay victories and a perfect 4-0 home record.

Senior diver Caitlin Locante and sophomore freestyle specialist Apsara Sakbun led the Cardinals with eight individual victories each, while freshman Marcella Ribeiro followed close behind with seven.

In fact, the Cardinals have seven different swimmers ranked in scoring position in the latest NCAA Division I Top Times report, including three poised to break into championship heats of the finals.

In addition, Locante has already proved to be one of the top divers in the MAC, advancing to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships earlier this season. She also set the program records on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.

Locante has been named MAC Diver of the Week three times this season, as well as MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week twice. In the pool, Sakbun and Ribeiro have each earned MAC Women's Swimmer of the Week honors once this season while also notching some of the fastest times in their respective events in program history.

Ball State women's swimming and diving family looks to cap off the season with a splash against its fierce MAC opponents starting Thursday in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Individual Event Winners (60 Total):
8 - Apsara Sakbun (So.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 50 Freestyle (24.17), 200 Backstroke (2:07.08)
         vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20) - 50 Freestyle (24.15), 100 Freestyle (52.76)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 50 Freestyle (24.41), 100 Freestyle (52.52)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 50 Freestyle (23.82), 100 Freestyle (51.38)

8 - Caitlin Locante (Sr.): vs. UIndy (1/16/21) - 1M Diving (253.425), 3M Diving (323.625 - NCAA Zone / Program Record)
         at Miami (2/12/21) – 1M diving (296.25 – NCAA Zone), 3M diving (314.25)
         at Miami (2/26/21) – 1M diving (305.48 – Program Record), 3M diving (347.78 – Program Record)
         at Indiana State with Southern Illinois (3/26/21) – 1M diving (267.25), 3M diving (327.65)

7 - Marcella Ribeiro (Fr.): vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) – 200 Freestyle (1:53.56), 500 Freestyle (5:04.49)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 1000 Freestyle (10:18.08)
         at Akron (3/13/21) – 200 Freestyle (1:51.54), 500 Freestyle (4:58.20)
         at Indiana State with Southern Illinois (3/26/21) – 200 Freestyle (1:50.62), 500 Freestyle (4:58.35)

6 - Phoebe Rensink (So.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 200 Butterfly (2:08.18)
         vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20) - 200 Butterfly (2:08.39), 100 Butterfly (58.01)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 200 Butterfly (2:07.62), 200 IM (2:09.87)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 100 Butterfly (56.61)

5 - Katie Walker (Jr.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 500 Freestyle (5:13.05)
         vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20) - 1000 Freestyle (10:37.91)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 1000 Freestyle (10:38.92)
         at Miami (2/12/21) – 1000 Freestyle (10:32.52)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 400 IM (4:29.07)

5 - Laura Wright (Fr.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 200 Breaststroke (2:22.01)
         vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20) - 200 Breaststroke (2:24.20)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 200 Breaststroke (2:23.31)
         at Miami (2/12/21) – 200 Breaststroke (2:20.01)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 200 Breaststroke (2:17.50 – Lewellen Pool Record)

5 - Alex Bader (Sr.): vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20) – 100 Breaststroke (1:05.62)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 100 Breaststroke (1:04.81)
         at Miami (2/12/21) – 100 Breaststroke (1:02.91)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 100 Breaststroke (1:01.92 – Lewellen Pool Record)
         at Akron (3/13/21) – 100 Breaststroke (1:02.90)

4 - Sophia Kuehn (Fr.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 200 IM (2:09.50)
         vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20) - 400 IM (4:42.43)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 200 Backstroke (2:08.05)
         at Miami (2/12/21) – 200 Backstroke (2:06.81)

3 - Shelby Crist (So.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 100 Backstroke (58.30)
         vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21) - 100 Backstroke (57.81)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 100 Backstroke (55.82)

2 - Sydney Dygert (So.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 100 Butterfly (59.22)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 200 Butterfly (2:02.94 – Pool Record)

2 - Alexa McDonald (Jr.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 100 Breaststroke (1:06.83), 100 Freestyle (54.24)

2 - Mary Kate Phillips (Fr.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 1000 Freestyle (10:48.01)
         vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 500 Freestyle (5:08.34)

1 - Kya Pawli (Fr.): vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20) - 200 Freestyle (1:57.02)

1 – Audrey Schank (Sr.): at Miami (2/12/21) – 100 Backstroke (59.01)

1 – Kayleigh Witt (Fr.): vs. Xavier (2/13/21) – 200 Freestyle (1:52.89)

Relay Event Winners (5 Total):
vs. Eastern Illinois (11/6/20)
200 Medley Relay - Audrey Schank, Laura Wright, Shelby Crist, Apsara Sakbun - 1:45.35

vs. Bowling Green (11/7/20)
200 Medley Relay - Audrey Schank, Laura Wright, Shelby Crist, Apsara Sakbun - 1:46.36

vs. Bellarmine (1/16/21)
200 Medley Relay - Shelby Crist, Laura Wright, Phoebe Rensink, Kayleigh Witt (1:47.36)

vs. Xavier (2/13/21)
200 Medley Relay - Audrey Schank, Alex Bader, Shelby Crist, Apsara Sackbun (1:42.24 - Pool Record)
200 Freestyle Relay - Kayleigh Witt, Alexa McDonald, Alex Bader, Apsara Sakbun (1:35.27)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alex Bader

Shelby Crist

Sydney Dygert

Sophia Kuehn

Caitlin Locante

Alexa McDonald

Kya Pawli

Mary Kate Phillips

Phoebe Rensink

Marcella Ribeiro

Apsara Sakbun

Audrey Schank

Katie Walker

Kayleigh Witt

Laura Wright