Ball State University Athletics
Wednesday, February 23
Bowling Green, Ohio
TBA
Ball State University
at
MAC Championships (hosted by Bowling Green)
Women’s S&D Heads To Bowling Green for MAC Championships
February 21, 2022 | Women's Swimming and Diving
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team will look to continue its upward trajectory this week when it competes at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at Bowling Green's Cooper Pool.
Action in the four-day meet begins Wednesday with a pair of relay swims. Individual action gets underway Thursday and will run through Saturday. Links for live results and live video will be provided soon.
The Cardinals have been trending upwards under the leadership of fourth-year head coach J. Agnew, including last year's championship performance which saw the squad place fifth overall for its best overall team finish since the 2005 squad earned fourth.
In the year prior to Agnew's arrival, the Cardinals had just one swimmer and two divers advance to the championship finals of their events. Last season, the Cardinals had 18 student-athletes score in individual events. Break down the relay events, and that number grew to 20 different Cardinals who had a hand in the team's 320 points.
AT THE 2021 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Highlighting the meet was then-freshman Marcella Ribeiro who became the program's first individual champion since 2014 and Ball State's first-ever MAC Champion (men or women) at the 1650 distance. On her way to winning the 1650 freestyle title, she set program records for both the 1000 freestyle (10:01.21) and the 1650 freestyle (16:32.61).
Ribeiro opened the three-day meet by becoming BSU's first medalist since 2014 when she took third in the 500 freestyle with a program-record time of 4:48.37. On the second day of the meet, she captured second in the 200 freestyle with another program record time of 1:48.13.
She was not BSU's only individual medalist on the second day of the meet, however, as then-junior Alex Bader earned her second bronze medal of the day by placing third in the 100 breaststroke at 1:01.74.
Bader's first bronze medal came as part of the 200 medley relay which took third in 1:41.25. Senior Audrey Schank led off with a 50 back time of 25.46, followed by Bader's 50 breaststroke time of 28.37. The third leg saw then-sophomore Shelby Crist clock a 50 butterfly time of 24.99, while then-sophomore Apsara Sakbun closed out the relay with a 50 freestyle time of 22.43.
In addition to Ribeiro's four individual program records, she ended the meet by combining with then-junior Alexa McDonald, then-freshman Kayleigh Witt and Sakbun for a program-record time of 3:24.35 in the 400 freestyle relay.
SO FAR THIS SEASON:
The Cardinals have continued to build this season, as evident by the team's last dual meet of the regular season when BSU went toe-to-toe with defending MAC Champion Buffalo.
Ball State won four of the final five swimming events to give the Bulls its toughest league dual of the season at 158-141. UB's previous closest spread was a 56-point victory over Miami.
Overall, Ball State's student-athletes have claimed 57 individual victories and six relay wins over 11 meets this season. Ribeiro leads the way with 11 overall wins, while Bader and Sakbun are tied for second on the squad with six apiece.
The Cardinals are also solid in the MAC event rankings, as compiled by USASwimming.org according to meet results submitted. Those rankings have the 11 different Ball State swimmers slated to score in 10 events at the league championships.
Ball State also boasts one of the top divers in the league in freshman Ashleigh Provan who has already locked up a spot in the NCAA Zone Diving Championship which will be held March 7-9 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Provan tallied an NCAA Zone Diving 1m cut of 276.00 versus Ohio (Oct. 30) and a 3M cut of 293.78 at IUPUI (Jan. 20).
WOMEN SWIMMERS CURRENTLY RANKED IN MAC TOP 16:
50 Freestyle: Apsara Sakbun (23.26 - 14th)
500 Freestyle: Marcella Ribeiro (5:03.07 - 4th), Katie Walker (4:58.78 - 12th), Mary Kate Phillips (4:59.14 - 16th)
1000 Freestyle: Marcella Ribeiro (10:18.75 - 2nd), Katie Walker (10:25.32 - 8th)
1650 Freestyle: Marcella Ribeiro (16:46.89 – 2nd), Katie Walker (17:11.21 – 9th), Mary Kate Phillips (17:24.48 – 16th)
100 Backstroke: Hannah Jones (55.25 - 12th)
100 Breaststroke: Alex Bader (1:01.86 – 3rd), Laura Wright (1:02.95 - 12th)
200 Breaststroke: Alex Bader (2:15.35 – 6th), Laura Wright (2:15.87 – 7th), Jenn Gillen (2:19.97 – 16th)
100 Butterfly: Hannah Jones (54.55 – 9th), Phoebe Rensink (55.17 - 14th)
200 Butterfly: Katie Walker (2:03.86 – 16th)
400 Individual Medley: Alexa Arkenberg (4:24.25 - 7th)
2021-22 Women's Individual Event Winners (57 Total Wins):
11 - Marcella Ribeiro (So.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 1000 Freestyle (10:28.15) / 500 Freestyle (5:04.34)
11/6 at Toledo: 1000 Freestyle (10:21.95) / 500 Freestyle (5:03.76)
11/18 at IUPUI House of Champions: 500 Freestyle (4:53.07)
11/20 at IUPUI House of Champions: 1650 Freestyle (16:46.89)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 1000 Freestyle (10:18.75) / 500 Freestyle (5:04.26)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 200 Freestyle (1:54.74)
1/29 vs. Buffalo: 800 Freestyle (8:20.25) / 400 Freestyle (4:02.36)
6 - Alex Bader (Sr.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.65)
11/6 at Toledo: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.20)
11/19 at IUPUI House of Champions: 100 Breaststroke (1:01.86)
11/20 at IUPUI House of Champions: 200 Breaststroke (2:15.35)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.80)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.28)
6 - Apsara Sakbun (Jr.)
10/16 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 50 Freestyle (23.94) / 100 Freestyle (51.74)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 50 Freestyle (23.58)
11/6 at Toledo: 50 Freestyle (23.91)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 50 Freestyle (23.88)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 100 Backstroke (57.19)
5 - Laura Wright (So.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Breaststroke (2:25.16)
11/6 at Toledo: 200 Breaststroke (2:20.97)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 200 Breaststroke (2:20.19)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 200 Breaststroke (2:20.83)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 150 Breaststroke (1:41.47)
4 - Hannah Jones (Fr.)
10/16 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 100 Backstroke (57.18)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 50 Freestyle (24.70)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 100 Backstroke (57.57)
11/19 at IUPUI House of Champions: 100 Butterfly (54.55)
4 - Ashleigh Provan (Fr.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 1M Diving (276.00 - NCAA Zone Diving Cut) / 3M Diving (272.63)
1/20 at IUPUI: 3M Diving (293.78 – NCAA Zone Diving Cut)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 3M Diving (279.68)
3 - Lilia Newkirk (Fr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Backstroke (57.77)
11/6 at Toledo: 100 Backstroke (57.47) / 200 Backstroke (2:05.05)
3 - Gracey Payne (Fr.)
11/6 at Toledo: 200 Freestyle (1:55.20)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 100 Freestyle (52.62)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 100 Freestyle (53.56)
3 - Mary Kate Phillips (So.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 1000 Freestyle (10:42.05)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 1000 Freestyle (10:42.71) / 500 Freestyle (5:15.61)
2 - Abby Hartshorne (Fr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Freestyle (1:54.85)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 100 Butterfly (58.10)
2 - Sophia Kuehn (So.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 400 Individual Medley (4:34.17)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 200 IM (2:09.27)
2 - Katie Walker (Sr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Butterfly (2:07.71) / 500 Freestyle (5:11.83)
1 - Shelby Crist (Jr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Butterfly (58.31)
1 – Sydney Dygert (Jr.)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 200 Butterfly (2:09.07)
1 - Jessie Fraley (Jr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Backstroke (2:08.67)
1 - Abbie McCarter (Sr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Breaststroke (1:06.78)
1 - Alexa McDonald (Sr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Freestyle (53.55)
1 – Gracie Saulman (Jr.)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 50 Freestyle (24.77)
2021-22 Women's Relay Event Winners (6 Total Wins)
3 - 200 Medley Relay
10/30 vs. Ohio: Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Abby Hartshorne, Apsara Sakbun (1:44.76)
11/19 at IUPUI House of Champions: Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Hannah Jones, Apsara Sakbun (1:41.30)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: Hannah Jones, Alex Bader, Shelby Crist, Apsara Sakbun (1:45.04)
2 - 400 Medley Relay
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: Shelby Crist, Abbie McCarter, Phoebe Rensink, Hannah Jones (3:57.32)
1/28 at Bellarmine: Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Hannah Jones, Gracey Payne (3:55.63)
1 – 200 Freestyle Relay
1/28 vs. Buffalo: Apsara Sakbun, Gracie Saulman, Hannah Jones, Gracey Payne (1:36.46)
Action in the four-day meet begins Wednesday with a pair of relay swims. Individual action gets underway Thursday and will run through Saturday. Links for live results and live video will be provided soon.
2022 MAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championship Schedule
| Wednesday, Feb. 23 | Thursday, Feb. 24 | Friday, Feb. 25 | Saturday, Feb. 26 |
| Finals - 6:30 p.m. | Prelims - 10:30 a.m. | Prelims - 10:30 a.m. | Prelims - 10:30 a.m. |
| 200 Medley Relay | 500 Freestyle | 100 Butterfly | 200 Backstroke |
| 800 Freestyle Relay | 200 IM | 400 IM | 100 Freestyle |
| 50 Freestyle | 200 Freestyle | 200 Breaststroke | |
| Prelims - 3 p.m. | 100 Breaststroke | 200 Butterfly | |
| 1M Diving | 100 Backstroke | Finals - 4:10 p.m. | |
| Finals - 4:15 p.m. | Prelims - 3 p.m. | 1650 Freestyle - First Heat of Time Finals | |
| 1M Diving - Consolation | 3M Diving | Finals - 6:15 p.m. | |
| Finals - 6:30 p.m. | Finals - 6:30 p.m. | Senior Recognition | |
| 500 Freestyle | 100 Butterfly | 1650 Freestyle - Championship Heat | |
| 200 IM | 400 IM | 200 Backstroke | |
| 50 Freestyle | 200 Freestyle | 100 Freestyle | |
| 1M Diving - Championship | 100 Breaststroke | 200 Breaststroke | |
| 200 Freestyle Relay | 100 Backstroke | 200 Butterfly | |
| 3M Diving - Consolation | 3M Diving - Championship | ||
| 400 Medley Relay | 400 Freestyle Relay |
The Cardinals have been trending upwards under the leadership of fourth-year head coach J. Agnew, including last year's championship performance which saw the squad place fifth overall for its best overall team finish since the 2005 squad earned fourth.
In the year prior to Agnew's arrival, the Cardinals had just one swimmer and two divers advance to the championship finals of their events. Last season, the Cardinals had 18 student-athletes score in individual events. Break down the relay events, and that number grew to 20 different Cardinals who had a hand in the team's 320 points.
AT THE 2021 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Highlighting the meet was then-freshman Marcella Ribeiro who became the program's first individual champion since 2014 and Ball State's first-ever MAC Champion (men or women) at the 1650 distance. On her way to winning the 1650 freestyle title, she set program records for both the 1000 freestyle (10:01.21) and the 1650 freestyle (16:32.61).
Ribeiro opened the three-day meet by becoming BSU's first medalist since 2014 when she took third in the 500 freestyle with a program-record time of 4:48.37. On the second day of the meet, she captured second in the 200 freestyle with another program record time of 1:48.13.
She was not BSU's only individual medalist on the second day of the meet, however, as then-junior Alex Bader earned her second bronze medal of the day by placing third in the 100 breaststroke at 1:01.74.
Bader's first bronze medal came as part of the 200 medley relay which took third in 1:41.25. Senior Audrey Schank led off with a 50 back time of 25.46, followed by Bader's 50 breaststroke time of 28.37. The third leg saw then-sophomore Shelby Crist clock a 50 butterfly time of 24.99, while then-sophomore Apsara Sakbun closed out the relay with a 50 freestyle time of 22.43.
In addition to Ribeiro's four individual program records, she ended the meet by combining with then-junior Alexa McDonald, then-freshman Kayleigh Witt and Sakbun for a program-record time of 3:24.35 in the 400 freestyle relay.
SO FAR THIS SEASON:
The Cardinals have continued to build this season, as evident by the team's last dual meet of the regular season when BSU went toe-to-toe with defending MAC Champion Buffalo.
Ball State won four of the final five swimming events to give the Bulls its toughest league dual of the season at 158-141. UB's previous closest spread was a 56-point victory over Miami.
Overall, Ball State's student-athletes have claimed 57 individual victories and six relay wins over 11 meets this season. Ribeiro leads the way with 11 overall wins, while Bader and Sakbun are tied for second on the squad with six apiece.
The Cardinals are also solid in the MAC event rankings, as compiled by USASwimming.org according to meet results submitted. Those rankings have the 11 different Ball State swimmers slated to score in 10 events at the league championships.
Ball State also boasts one of the top divers in the league in freshman Ashleigh Provan who has already locked up a spot in the NCAA Zone Diving Championship which will be held March 7-9 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Provan tallied an NCAA Zone Diving 1m cut of 276.00 versus Ohio (Oct. 30) and a 3M cut of 293.78 at IUPUI (Jan. 20).
WOMEN SWIMMERS CURRENTLY RANKED IN MAC TOP 16:
50 Freestyle: Apsara Sakbun (23.26 - 14th)
500 Freestyle: Marcella Ribeiro (5:03.07 - 4th), Katie Walker (4:58.78 - 12th), Mary Kate Phillips (4:59.14 - 16th)
1000 Freestyle: Marcella Ribeiro (10:18.75 - 2nd), Katie Walker (10:25.32 - 8th)
1650 Freestyle: Marcella Ribeiro (16:46.89 – 2nd), Katie Walker (17:11.21 – 9th), Mary Kate Phillips (17:24.48 – 16th)
100 Backstroke: Hannah Jones (55.25 - 12th)
100 Breaststroke: Alex Bader (1:01.86 – 3rd), Laura Wright (1:02.95 - 12th)
200 Breaststroke: Alex Bader (2:15.35 – 6th), Laura Wright (2:15.87 – 7th), Jenn Gillen (2:19.97 – 16th)
100 Butterfly: Hannah Jones (54.55 – 9th), Phoebe Rensink (55.17 - 14th)
200 Butterfly: Katie Walker (2:03.86 – 16th)
400 Individual Medley: Alexa Arkenberg (4:24.25 - 7th)
2021-22 Women's Individual Event Winners (57 Total Wins):
11 - Marcella Ribeiro (So.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 1000 Freestyle (10:28.15) / 500 Freestyle (5:04.34)
11/6 at Toledo: 1000 Freestyle (10:21.95) / 500 Freestyle (5:03.76)
11/18 at IUPUI House of Champions: 500 Freestyle (4:53.07)
11/20 at IUPUI House of Champions: 1650 Freestyle (16:46.89)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 1000 Freestyle (10:18.75) / 500 Freestyle (5:04.26)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 200 Freestyle (1:54.74)
1/29 vs. Buffalo: 800 Freestyle (8:20.25) / 400 Freestyle (4:02.36)
6 - Alex Bader (Sr.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.65)
11/6 at Toledo: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.20)
11/19 at IUPUI House of Champions: 100 Breaststroke (1:01.86)
11/20 at IUPUI House of Champions: 200 Breaststroke (2:15.35)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.80)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.28)
6 - Apsara Sakbun (Jr.)
10/16 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 50 Freestyle (23.94) / 100 Freestyle (51.74)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 50 Freestyle (23.58)
11/6 at Toledo: 50 Freestyle (23.91)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 50 Freestyle (23.88)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 100 Backstroke (57.19)
5 - Laura Wright (So.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Breaststroke (2:25.16)
11/6 at Toledo: 200 Breaststroke (2:20.97)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 200 Breaststroke (2:20.19)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 200 Breaststroke (2:20.83)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 150 Breaststroke (1:41.47)
4 - Hannah Jones (Fr.)
10/16 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 100 Backstroke (57.18)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 50 Freestyle (24.70)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 100 Backstroke (57.57)
11/19 at IUPUI House of Champions: 100 Butterfly (54.55)
4 - Ashleigh Provan (Fr.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 1M Diving (276.00 - NCAA Zone Diving Cut) / 3M Diving (272.63)
1/20 at IUPUI: 3M Diving (293.78 – NCAA Zone Diving Cut)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 3M Diving (279.68)
3 - Lilia Newkirk (Fr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Backstroke (57.77)
11/6 at Toledo: 100 Backstroke (57.47) / 200 Backstroke (2:05.05)
3 - Gracey Payne (Fr.)
11/6 at Toledo: 200 Freestyle (1:55.20)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: 100 Freestyle (52.62)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 100 Freestyle (53.56)
3 - Mary Kate Phillips (So.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 1000 Freestyle (10:42.05)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 1000 Freestyle (10:42.71) / 500 Freestyle (5:15.61)
2 - Abby Hartshorne (Fr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Freestyle (1:54.85)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 100 Butterfly (58.10)
2 - Sophia Kuehn (So.)
10/30 vs. Ohio: 400 Individual Medley (4:34.17)
1/28 vs. Buffalo: 200 IM (2:09.27)
2 - Katie Walker (Sr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Butterfly (2:07.71) / 500 Freestyle (5:11.83)
1 - Shelby Crist (Jr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Butterfly (58.31)
1 – Sydney Dygert (Jr.)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 200 Butterfly (2:09.07)
1 - Jessie Fraley (Jr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 200 Backstroke (2:08.67)
1 - Abbie McCarter (Sr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Breaststroke (1:06.78)
1 - Alexa McDonald (Sr.)
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: 100 Freestyle (53.55)
1 – Gracie Saulman (Jr.)
1/28 at Bellarmine: 50 Freestyle (24.77)
2021-22 Women's Relay Event Winners (6 Total Wins)
3 - 200 Medley Relay
10/30 vs. Ohio: Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Abby Hartshorne, Apsara Sakbun (1:44.76)
11/19 at IUPUI House of Champions: Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Hannah Jones, Apsara Sakbun (1:41.30)
1/22 vs. Eastern Michigan: Hannah Jones, Alex Bader, Shelby Crist, Apsara Sakbun (1:45.04)
2 - 400 Medley Relay
10/29 at Eastern Illinois: Shelby Crist, Abbie McCarter, Phoebe Rensink, Hannah Jones (3:57.32)
1/28 at Bellarmine: Shelby Crist, Alex Bader, Hannah Jones, Gracey Payne (3:55.63)
1 – 200 Freestyle Relay
1/28 vs. Buffalo: Apsara Sakbun, Gracie Saulman, Hannah Jones, Gracey Payne (1:36.46)
Players Mentioned
IM, Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back, Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast, Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free, Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Fly, Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back, Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back, IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Dive
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free, Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back, Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming and DivingWednesday, February 25
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