Women's Swim & Dive hosts Bellarmine For Senior Day Saturday

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's swimming & diving program completes its 2022-23 regular season campaign this weekend with a dual meet Saturday and an invitational Sunday.

First up, the Cardinals welcome Bellarmine for senior day on Saturday, Jan. 28, at noon at the Lewellen Aquatic Center. This will be BSU's eighth dual meet on the season (3-4). In addition to the action in the pool, the diving program will host an exhibition with Anderson.

Prior to the start of the meet, Ball State will be sending off seniors Shelby Crist, Sydney Dygert, Jessie Fraley, Jenn Gillen, MaKayla Miller, Phoebe Rensink, and Apsara Sakbun on Saturday afternoon. These Cardinals have a combined nine individual appearances in the Ball State record book. The men's team will also be honoring its seniors Saturday.

Ball State finishes the weekend by traveling to Fishers High School for the Butler Invite at noon on Sunday, Jan. 29. Along with the Cardinals and host Bulldogs, Eastern Illinois, Hillsdale, IUPUI, UIndy, Valpo, Xavier, and Youngstown State are slated to compete in the meet.

This will be the third invitational for the women's program, which owns a second-place finish among eight teams at the Indiana Intercollegiates (Oct. 22) and finished third among nine teams at the Miami Invitational (Dec. 1-3).

SATURDAY'S EVENT LINEUP VS BELLARMINE:
200 Medley Relay, 1000 Free, 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 200 Fly, 50 Free, 1M Diving, 100 Free, 200 Back, 200 Breast, 500 Free, 100 Fly, 3M Diving, 200 IM, 400 Free Relay

The last time out, the Cardinals captured six individual event victories in a dual meet versus the Miami RedHawks at the Lewellen Aquatic Center but suffered defeat 167-132.

Junior Laura Wright led the way for Ball State adding to her impressive season with a first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.43), and would complete the event sweep later in the meet with her victory in the 200 breaststroke (2:19.72).

The Cardinals also had a great showing in the sprint events, starting with a 1-2 finish in the 50 freestyle. Payton Kelly took home the victory in 24.08, while Apsara Sakbun was right behind in second at 24.09. Sakbun would not come away without an event win, however, as she took home the victory in the 100 freestyle (52.72).

Sophomore Ashleigh Provan continued her hot start to the second half of the season taking home victories on both the 1M (274.73) and 3M (277.58) diving boards. Provan has won three of her last four events and her score of 274.73 on the 1M board was a NCAA Zone Diving qualifying mark.

Ball State women last faced off versus the Knights Jan. 28, 2022, at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center where they picked up 10 event wins and rolled to a 157-99 victory.

IN THE MAC RANKINS – WOMEN:
Entering the weekend the Cardinals have eight student-athletes ranked in scoring position in their respective events as compiled by CollegeSwimming.com.

Junior Marcella Ribeiro, who holds program records in the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle, is BSU's top-ranked swimmer, holding third in the 1650 freestyle with her time of 17:01.74.

WOMEN'S SWIMMERS CURRENTLY RANKED IN THE MAC TOP 16
50 Free: 6 Payton Kelly (23.03), 12 Apsara Sakbun (23.30)
100 Free: 6 Payton Kelly (50.33), 10 Apsara Sakbun (50.69)
200 Free: 9 Marcella Ribeiro (1:50.00)
500 Free: 4 Marcella Ribeiro (4:54.87), 8 Kiran Stauffer (4:56:07), 16 Callie Tuma (4:59.44)
1000 Free: 4 Marcella Ribeiro (10:14.95), 8 Callie Tuma (10:18.93), 11. Kiran Stauffer (10:21.28)
1650 Free: 3 Marcella Ribeiro (17:01.74), 7 Kiran Stauffer (17:03.62), 9 Callie Tuma (17:05.41)
100 Back: 11 Hannah Jones (55.56)
200 Back: 13 Lilia Newkirk (2:01.93)
100 Breast: 5 Laura Wright (1:02.60)
200 Breast: 8 Laura Wright (2:16.98)
200 Free Relay: 5 Ball State (1:32.93)
400 Free Relay: 7 Ball State (3:27.48)
800 Free Relay: 4 Ball State (7:26.15)
200 Medley Relay: 5 Ball State (1:42.94)
400 Medley Relay: 5 Ball State (3:44.87)

MAC AWARD WINNERS:
So far this season, the Cardinals have already claimed two MAC awards, with freshman Payton Kelly earning a pair of MAC Women's Swimmer of the Week honors. Her first came after the Indiana Intercollegiates where she won both the 50 (23.45) and 100 (51.55) freestyle events and swam the first leg of the 200 freestyle relay (1:35.05). Her second came after the Akron (Nov. 5) dual, when she swept the freestyle sprints; 50 free (23.57), 100 free (51.74), and 200 free (1:52.48). She also swam anchor for the first-place 400 freestyle relay (3:27.48).

EVENT WINNERS:
As a squad, the Cardinals have chalked up 46 individual wins and six relay victories over the first seven meets of the season. Senior Laura Wright led the pack last time out sweeping the breaststroke events adding to her total of seven individual event victories on the season.

2022-23 WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL EVENT WINNERS (46 TOTAL WINS):
9 - Marcella Ribeiro (Jr.)
            10/22 at Indiana Intercollegiates - 200 Free (1:54.04)
            10/29 at Bowling Green - 200 Free (1:53.73) / 500 Free (5:07.35)
            11/5 vs. Akron - 500 Free (5:03.03) / 1000 Free (10:24.34)
            11/11 at IUPUI - 200 Free (1:51.42) / 500 Free (4:59.33)
            12/3 at Miami – 1650 Free (17:01.74)
            1/14 at Indiana State – 1000 Free (10:25.30)

7 - Hannah Jones (So.)
            10/22 at Indiana Intercollegiates - 100 Back (56.41)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 50 Free (24.48) / 100 Back (2:06.86)
            10/29 at Bowling Green - 100 Fly (57.16)
            11/11 at IUPUI - 100 Back (56.72) / 100 Fly (56.46)
            1/14 at Indiana State – 100 Back (56.88)

7 - Laura Wright (Jr.)
            10/29 at Bowling Green - 200 Breast (2:19.47)
            11/5 vs. Akron - 100 Breast (1:05.18)
            11/11 at IUPUI - 100 Breast (1:05.56) / 200 Breast (2:20.22)
            12/3 at Miami – 200 Breast (2:16.98)
            1/21 vs Miami – 100 Breast (1:04.43) / 200 Breast (2:19.72)

7 - Payton Kelly (Fr.)
            10/22 at Indiana Intercollegiates - 50 Free (23.45) / 100 Free (51.55)
            11/5 vs. Akron - 50 Free (23.57) / 100 Free (51.74) / 200 Free (1:52.48)
            12/1 at Miami – 50 Free (23.59) (23.16 in prelims - 4th in program history)
            1/21 vs Miami – 50 Free (24.08)

3 - Apsara Sakbun (Sr.)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 100 Back (57.96) / 100 Fly (58.98)
            1/21 vs. Miami – 100 Free (52.72)

3 – Ashleigh Provan (So.)
            1/14 at Indiana State – 3M Diving (264.65)
            1/21 vs. Miami – 1M Diving (274.73) / 3M Diving (277.58)

2 - Alyssa Messenger (Fr.)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 100 Free (54.13)
            10/29 at Bowling Green - 200 Back (2:05.69)

2 - Gracey Payne (So.)
            11/11 at IUPUI - 50 Free (23.92) / 100 Free (52.05)

2 - Kiran Stauffer (Fr.)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 200 Free (1:54.66)
            10/29 at Bowling Green - 1000 Free (10:33.13)

1 – Maddy Hischer (Fr.)
            11/11 at IUPUI - 3M Diving (260.03)

1 - Mary Kate Phillips (Jr.)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 200 Fly (2:10.10)

1 - Haley Sakbun (Fr.)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 500 Free (5:15.31)

1 - Callie Tuma (Fr.)
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois - 1000 Free (10:49.14)

2022-23 WOMEN'S RELAY EVENT WINNERS (6 TOTAL WINS):
2 – 400 Freestyle Relay
            11/5 vs. Akron - Gracey Payne, Apsara Sakbun, Marcella Ribeiro, Payton Kelly (3:27.48)
            11/11 at IUPUI – Haley Sakbun, Apsara Sakbun, Marcella Ribeiro, Gracey Payne (3:30.46)

2 - 200 Medley Relay
            10/28 vs. Eastern Illinois – Alyssa Messenger, Laura Wright, Eliza Bader, Haley Sakbun (1:48.08)
            11/5 vs. Akron - Shelby Crist, Laura Wright, Hannah Jones, Apsara Sakbun (1:44.43)

1 - 200 Freestyle Relay
            10/22 at Indiana Intercollegiates - Payton Kelly, Hannah Jones, Marcella Ribeiro, Apsara Sakbun (1:35.05)

1 - 400 Medley Relay
            11/11 at IUPUI – Lilia Newkirk, Laura Wright, Hannah Jones, Apsara Sakbun (3:50.36)

Women's Swim & Dive hosts Bellarmine For Senior Day Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Eliza Bader

Shelby Crist

Sydney Dygert

Jessie Fraley

Jenn Gillen

Maddy Hischer

Hannah Jones

Payton Kelly

Alyssa Messenger

MaKayla Miller

Lilia Newkirk

Gracey Payne

Mary Kate Phillips

Ashleigh Provan

Phoebe Rensink

Marcella Ribeiro

Apsara Sakbun

Haley Sakbun

Kiran Stauffer

Callie Tuma

Laura Wright