Women's S&D Closes Thursday With Another Program Record

Women's S&D Closes Thursday With Another Program Record

February 23, 2023 | Women's Swimming and Diving

OXFORD, Ohio - - Ball State started out hot on day two of the Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, continuing the momentum from Wednesday's program records.
Freshman Kiran Stauffer started the day off for the Cardinals with a career best in the 500 freestyle prelims (4:57.14). In the championship heat, she crushed her prelim time with a finish at 4:52.64 for the second-fastest in school history.

The current 500 freestyle record holder, junior Marcella Ribeiro, took more than three seconds off her season-best score and finished fifth in the championship heat for the Cardinals (4:50.72).

Freshman Payton Kelly and senior Apsara Sakbun both qualified for the 50 freestyle championship heat with career-best times in the prelims. Kelly touched at 22.94 and Sakbun finished at 23.09.

Both swimmers blew past those times in the 50 freestyle championship heat. Kelly finished second and had the top time in program history at 22.51, beating the 1997 record set by Joy Gallagher (22.50). Sakbun finished close behind tying for fourth-place at 22.77, which is the third fastest time in program history.

Kelly and Sakbun would finish their day with a bang in the 200 freestyle relay helping sophomores Hannah Jones and Gracey Payne set another program record with a time of 1:31.38. The relay finished fourth for the Cardinals. After two days, the Cardinals are currently sixth among the eight-team field at 139 points. Akron is first overall at 246.5. Action at the MAC Championships resumes Friday, with five individual swimming events, 3-meter diving, and the 400 medley relay.

Preliminaries for the 100 butterfly will start at 10:30am and will be followed by the 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 backstroke.

TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 2
1. Akron – 246.5
2. Buffalo – 224
3. Miami – 210.5
4. EMU - 169
5. Ohio - 161
6. Ball State – 139
7. Toledo – 97
8. Bowling Green – 59

BALL STATE THURSDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCES

500 Freestyle
5^th – Marcella Ribeiro – 4:50.72
11^th – Kiran Stauffer – 4:52.64 (2^nd in program history)
16^th – Callie Tuma – 5:03.09

50 Freestyle
2nd - Payton Kelly – 22.51 (Program Record)
4th - Apsara Sakbun – 22.77 (3^rd program history)

200 Freestyle Relay
4^th – Payton Kelly, Apsara Sakbun, Hannah Jones, Gracey Payne – 1:31.38 (Program Record)

BALL STATE THURSDAY'S PRELIM PERFORMANCES

500 Freestyle
6^th – Marcella Ribeiro – 4:53.81
15^th – Kiran Stauffer – 4:57.14
16^th – Callie Tuma – 4:57.54
42^nd – Mary Kate Phillips – 5:09.06

200 IM
27^th - Phoebe Rensink – 2:06.84
30^th - Sophia Kuehn – 2:07.15
32^nd - Sydney Dygert – 2:07.35

50 Freestyle
3^rd - Payton Kelly – 22.94
7^th - Apsara Sakbun – 23.09
17^th - Hannah Jones – 23.60
18^th - Gracey Payne – 23.67
20^th – Elizabeth King – 23.81
39^th - Laura Wright – 29.32
40^th - Jenn Gillen – 29.64
EXH - Haley Sakbun – 23.67
EXH – Eliza Bader – 24.13
EXH – MaKayla Miller – 24.57
EXH – Emma Horton – 25.29

1M Diving
14^th - Ashleigh Provan – 236.82
17^th - Maddy Hischer – 231.57
23^rd - Hannah Justice – 223.05