Women’s S&D Caps MAC Championships with 5th Program Record

Women’s S&D Caps MAC Championships with 5th Program Record

February 26, 2022 | Women's Swimming and Diving

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving team closed a solid run at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championships the same way it started, with a program record at Bowling Green's Cooper Pool.

Freshman Gracey Payne, senior Alexa McDonald, junior Apsara Sakbun and freshman Hannah Jones clocked in at 3:22.31 in the 400 freestyle relay to cap the meet with the Cardinals' fifth program record of the championship.

In helping best the previous 400 freestyle relay record of 3:23.46 which the same quartet set earlier this season at the IUPUI House of Champions (Nov. 20), Jones and Sakbun each finished the championship with four program records. Payne had a hand in three program records, while McDonald factored in two.

In addition to five program records, Ball State's student-athletes closed the four-day meet with 12 other individual times which broke into the Top 7 on BSU's all-time lists.

Five of those individual marks came in Saturday's action, capped by two in the finals of the 200 backstroke. Freshman Lilia Newkirk led the way, taking 11th overall with the third-best time in program history at 2:00.38. Junior Jessie Fraley followed in 14th with the fifth-fastest time in BSU annals at 2:01.99.

Ball State's Saturday finals started with sophomore Marcella Ribeiro taking sixth in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 16:57.11. Senior Katie Walker also scored in the event, placing 14th at 17:14.39. It was the first of two scoring swims for Walker, who also placed 16th in the 200 butterfly at 2:05.76.

The Cardinals placed three in the finals of the 200 breaststroke, with sophomore Laura Wright leading the way in seventh at 2:15.59. Senior Alex Bader won the consolation final, earning ninth overall with a time of 2:16.17, while junior Jenn Gillen took 15th at 2:19.69. In preliminary action, Wright would tally the second-fastest time in program history at 2:14.61, while Gillen collected the sixth-best at 2:18.39.

Prior to swimming leadoff for the record-setting 400 freestyle relay, Payne added a 15th-place effort in the 100 freestyle, earning a finals time of 50.78. Her prelim wall touch of 50.48 tied as the third-fastest individual effort in the Ball State record books.

Rounding out Ball State's scorers Saturday was freshman diving sensation Ashleigh Provan who took eighth in the 3M finals with a score of 187.15. Provan is slated to return to action March 7-9 at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships hosted by Michigan at Canham Natatorium.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Akron - 896.5
2. Buffalo - 619.5
3. Miami - 429.5
4. Ohio - 367.5
5. Eastern Michigan - 354
6. Bowling Green - 339
7. Ball State - 243.5
8. Toledo - 233.5

BALL STATE'S SATURDAY CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
1650 Freestyle Championships
6th - Marcella Ribeiro - 16:57.11 - 13 points
14th - Katie Walker - 17:14.39 - 3 points
19th - Mary Kate Phillips - 17:28.49

200 Backstroke Championships
11th - Lilia Newkirk - 2:00.38 - 6 points - 3rd in program history
14th - Jessie Fraley - 2:01.99 - 3 points - 5th in program history

100 Freestyle Championships
15th - Gracey Payne - 50.79 (50.48 in prelims - T3rd in program history) - 2 points

200 Breaststroke Championships
7th - Laura Wright - 2:15.59 (2:14.61 in prelims - 2nd in program history) - 12 points
9th - Alex Bader - 2:16.17 - 9 points
15th - Jenn Gillen - 2:19.69 (2:18.39 in prelims - 6th in program history) - 2 points

200 Butterfly Championships
16th - Katie Walker - 2:05.76 (2:04.27 in prelims) - 1 point

3M Diving
8th - Ashleigh Provan - 187.15 (265.60 in prelims) - 11 points

400 Freestyle Relay
6th - Gracey Payne, Alexa McDonald, Apsara Sakbun, Hannah Jones - 3:22.31 - 26 points - PROGRAM RECORD

BALL STATE'S SATURDAY PRELIM RESULTS
200 Backstroke Prelims
17th - Shelby Crist - 2:04.75
20th - Alexa Arkenberg - 2:06.78
24th - Sophia Kuehn - 2:10.01
EXH - Cecilia Moore - 2:04.47
EXH - Meri Gray - 2:05.90

100 Freestyle Prelims
19th - Apsara Sakbun - 51.31
23rd - Alexa McDonald - 51.70
EXH - Elizabeth King - 52.54
EXH - Gracie Saulman - 52.81
EXH - Kayleigh Witt - 53.17

200 Breaststroke Prelims
EXH - Abbie McCarter - 2:27.70

200 Butterfly Prelims
18th - Phoebe Rensink - 2:06.32
19th - Sydney Dygert - 2:07.14