Women’s Swim & Dive Celebrates Senior Day With Strong Effort versus Buffalo

Saturday, January 29

Muncie, Ind.

11 a.m.

Ball State University

141

158

Buffalo

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Women’s Swim & Dive Celebrates Senior Day With Strong Effort versus Buffalo

January 29, 2022 | Women's Swimming and Diving

Complete Results Photo Gallery

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team celebrated senior day with a strong showing, battling defending Mid-American Conference Champion Buffalo until the end in a 158-141 setback Saturday morning at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.

"We've been looking forward to this meet for a while," head coach J. Agnew said. "They are the defending MAC Champions, and we knew we could race with them. It was great to see the team rise the challenge, as we were in a lot of races and picked up several wins. I'm proud of how we did and excited for the results. Most importantly, just like every race, we're in it and we're mixing it up."

In fact, the Cardinals (3-3, 1-3 MAC) made a huge run at the end by winning four of the final five swimming events to give Buffalo (5-0, 4-0 MAC) its toughest league dual of the season. UB's previous closest point spread was a 56-point victory over Miami last Saturday.

Sophomore Marcella Ribeiro was the first to pick up an individual win for the Cardinals, as she continued her dominance of the distance freestyle events by clocking in at 8:20.25 to claim the top spot in the 800. The effort was over 18 seconds faster than second place, which went to sophomore teammate Mary Kate Phillips in 8:38.57.

Three events later, Alex Bader made sure her senior day was a special one, as she took first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.28. That led a second 1-2 finish for Ball State, as sophomore Laura Wright was right behind in 1:05.03.

"We were excited to come in and race with the defending MAC Champions and our spirits were pretty high," Bader said. "We knew going into today's meet we would have to give it our all. I was pretty happy with my races, and I really wanted to go out there and win it all for the team."

The two would flip spots in Ball State's next swimming event victory, the 150 breaststroke, with Wright taking first in 1:41.47 and Bader claiming second in 1:44.00.

That race sparked the Cardinals, as Ribeiro and Phillips followed with a fourth 1-2 finish, this time in the 400 freestyle by clocking in at 4:02.36 and 4:04.57, respectively.

After a third-place finish in the 100 butterfly (57.41) by freshman sensation Hannah Jones, who also took second in the 100 backstroke (57.74), the Cardinals would go on to win the final two event of the meet to close within the final margin of 17 points.

"Buffalo is the measuring stick right now," Agnew added. "So, to be in every race does a lot for our team toughness, motivating us moving forward. We know we're not that far off, but we have work to do to get there. Nobody is walking away from the challenge, and we're excited and looking forward to MACs. That's for sure."

The final individual swimming win came from sophomore Sophia Kuehn with a mark of 2:09.27 in the 200 individual medley. BSU would then close the meet by taking the top spot in the 200 freestyle relay as junior Apsara Sakbun, junior Gracie Saulman, Jones, and freshman Gracey Payne combined for a time of 1:36.46.

The Cardinals were also aided on the diving boards by a solid performance from freshman Ashleigh Provan, who claimed the top spot on the 3M board with a score of 279.68.

Saturday's meet marked the final scheduled dual for the Ball State women's swimming & diving team which will now turn its attention to the upcoming MAC Championships which will be hosted by Bowling Green Feb. 23-26. Select members of the program will also compete in the Ohio State Winter Invitational Feb. 11-13.

Ball State Individual Results versus Buffalo

200 Medley Relay
2nd - Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Hannah Jones, Apsara Sakbun (1:45.06)
4th - Lilia Newkirk, Laura Wright, Abby Hartshorne, Gracey Payne (1:48.14)
6th - Kayleigh Witt, Abbie McCarter, Eliza Bader, Alexa McDonald (1:51.11)

800 Freestyle
1st - Marcella Ribeiro (8:20.25)
2nd - Mary Kate Phillips (8:38.57)

150 Freestyle
3rd - Kayleigh Witt (1:25.49)
5th - Elizabeth King (1:25.85)
6th - Jessie Fraley (1:27.40)
EXH - Katie Walker (1:28.42)

100 Backstroke
2nd - Hannah Jones (57.74)
3rd - Shelby Crist (57.76)
5th - Lilia Newkirk (58.22)
EXH - Meri Gray (1:00.43)
EXH - MaKayla Miller (1:01.02)
EXH - Cecilia Moore (1:04.08)

100 Breaststroke
1st - Alex Bader (1:04.28)
2nd - Laura Wright (1:05.03)
5th - Abbie McCarter (1:09.90)
EHX - Jenn Gillen (1:09.52)

150 Butterfly
3rd - Sydney Dygert (1:33.99)
4th - Abby Hartshorne (1:34.42)
5th - Phoebe Rensink (1:35.08)

50 Freestyle
2nd - Apsara Sakbun (24.06)
4th - Gracey Payne (24.43)
5th - Alexa McDonald (24.87)
EXH - Gracie Saulman (24.88)
EXH - Eliza Bader (25.20)
EXH - Emma Horton (25.76)

3 Meter Diving
1st - Ashleigh Provan (279.68)
6th - Madison Gatzlaff (226.10)

100 Free
3rd - Gracey Payne (52.77)
4th - Apsara Sakbun (52.80)
6th - Alexa McDonald (54.62)
EXH - Elizabeth King (54.55)
EXH - Kayleigh Witt (54.84)
EXH - MaKayla Miller (55.44)

150 Backstroke
3rd - Lilia Newkirk (1:32.31)
4th - Jessie Fraley (1:33.53)
5th - Sophia Kuehn (1:34.95)

150 Breaststroke
1st - Laura Wright (1:41.47)
2nd - Alex Bader (1:44.00)
5th - Jenn Gillen (1:48.62)

400 Freestyle
1st - Marcella Ribeiro (4:02.36)
2nd - Mary Kate Phillips (4:04.57)
4th - Alexa Arkenberg (4:10.30)

100 Butterfly
3rd - Hannah Jones (57.41)
4th - Shelby Crist (58.18)
5th - Phoebe Rensink (1:00.19)
EXH - Eliza Bader (59.45)

1 Meter Diving
4th - Ashleigh Provan (224.55)
5th - Madison Gatzlaff (205.05)

200 IM
1st - Sophia Kuehn (2:09.27)
3rd - Alexa Arkenberg (2:10.61)
5th - Sydney Dygert (2:13.21)

200 Freestyle Relay
1st - Apsara Sakbun, Gracie Saulman, Hannah Jones, Gracey Payne (1:36.46)
2nd - Marcella Ribeiro, Abby Hartshorne, Elizabeth King, Alexa McDonald (1:38.58)
4th - Kayleigh Witt, Alex Bader, MaKayla Miller, Eliza Bader (1:40.56)