Women’s S&D Opens Miami Invitational with Strong Effort
December 05, 2024 | Women's Swimming and Diving
OXFORD, Ohio - - Junior Payton Kelly picked up her eighth individual victory of the season to help lead a strong effort from the Ball State women's swimming & diving program on the opening day of the Miami Invitational.
In fact, Kelly's time of 22.52 to win the 50 freestyle helped set up a 1-2 finish for the Cardinals in the event as freshman Anna Keen tied for second with the fifth-fastest individual 50 free swim in program history at 22.82.
It was the second of three entries in the program record book for Keen, who opened the evening session by leading off the 200 freestyle relay which turned in the second-fastest time on BSU's all-time list at 1:31.95. She was joined in the race by junior Haley Sakbun, sophomore Natalie Marshall and Kelly.
The Cardinals then closed the night with the fifth-fastest 400 medley relay in program history at junior Alyssa Messenger, sophomore Julia Ofman, Keen and Kelly produced a final wall touch of 3:42.94.
Overall, the Cardinals turned in five individual top 10 finals finishes on the opening day at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center. The total included a fifth-place effort by sophomore Alexa Von Holtz in the 200 IM (2:03.40), a sixth-place effort by sophomore Leelah Fettig in three-meter diving (237.60) and a seventh-place effort by freshman McKenna Potteiger in the 500 freestyle (5:02.01).
After the opening day of competition, the Cardinals are currently third among the four-team field with 176.5 points. Indiana State currently leads the meet at 314.5, followed by host Miami (294), BSU and Dartmouth (152). Those team scores, however, do not factor in the day's diving events.
Action in the Miami Invitational resumes Friday with event prelims at 9:30 a.m. and event finals at 5 p.m.
Thursday Evening Finals Results
200 Freestyle Relay
3rd - Anna Keen, Haley Sakbun Natalie Marshall, Payton Kelly - 1:31.95 (2nd in program history)
8th - Ava Butterfield, Eliza Bader, Alyssa Messenger, Kiran Stauffer - 1:36.45
11th - Maya McDonald, Lauren Fecher, Savannah Farlee, Alexa Von Holtz - 1:38.37
500 Freestyle Finals
7th - McKenna Potteiger - 5:02.01
11th - Callie Tuma - 5:00.14
14th - Olivia Owens - 5:04.41
18th - Kiran Stauffer - 5:04.74
200 IM Finals
5th - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:03.40
18th - Ava Butterfield - 2:08.31
19th - Maya McDonald - 2:08.98
20th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:09.04
50 Freestyle Finals
1st - Payton Kelly - 22.52
T-2nd - Anna Keen - 22.82 (5th in program history)
16th - Haley Sakbun - 23.76
3M Diving Finals
6th - Leelah Fettig - 237.60
400 Medley Relay
5th - Alyssa Messenger, Julia Ofman, Anna Keen, Payton Kelly - 3:42.94 (5th in program history)
11th - Ava Butterfield, Maya McDonald, Alexa Von Holtz, Haley Sakbun - 3:50.02
13th - Lauren Fecher, Magdalena Lechowska, Savannah Farlee, Kiran Stauffer - 3:51.80
Thursday Morning Preliminary Results
500 Freestyle Prelims
8th - McKenna Potteiger - 5:01.32
12th - Callie Tuma - 5:03.48
16th - Olivia Owens - 5:05.44
20th - Kiran Stauffer - 5:11.32?
200 IM Prelims
5th - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:04.97
17th - Ava Butterfield - 2:08.51
21st - Maya McDonald - 2:09.53
24th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:10.37
26th - Julia Ofman - 2:10.48
50 Freestyle Prelims
1st - Payton Kelly - 22.68
2nd - Anna Keen - 22.93
16th - Haley Sakbun - 23.67
27th - Natalie Marshall - 24.26
32nd - Eliza Bader - 24.60
33rd - Alyssa Messenger - 24.74
36th - Lauren Fecher - 24.95
39th - Maya McDonald - 25.21
40th - Savannah Farlee - 25.43
44th - Laura Wright - 29.68
3M Diving Prelims
7th - Leelah Fettig - 236.00
20th - Hannah Justice - 181.25
22nd - Eeva-Liisa Gibson - 179.75
In fact, Kelly's time of 22.52 to win the 50 freestyle helped set up a 1-2 finish for the Cardinals in the event as freshman Anna Keen tied for second with the fifth-fastest individual 50 free swim in program history at 22.82.
It was the second of three entries in the program record book for Keen, who opened the evening session by leading off the 200 freestyle relay which turned in the second-fastest time on BSU's all-time list at 1:31.95. She was joined in the race by junior Haley Sakbun, sophomore Natalie Marshall and Kelly.
The Cardinals then closed the night with the fifth-fastest 400 medley relay in program history at junior Alyssa Messenger, sophomore Julia Ofman, Keen and Kelly produced a final wall touch of 3:42.94.
Overall, the Cardinals turned in five individual top 10 finals finishes on the opening day at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center. The total included a fifth-place effort by sophomore Alexa Von Holtz in the 200 IM (2:03.40), a sixth-place effort by sophomore Leelah Fettig in three-meter diving (237.60) and a seventh-place effort by freshman McKenna Potteiger in the 500 freestyle (5:02.01).
After the opening day of competition, the Cardinals are currently third among the four-team field with 176.5 points. Indiana State currently leads the meet at 314.5, followed by host Miami (294), BSU and Dartmouth (152). Those team scores, however, do not factor in the day's diving events.
Action in the Miami Invitational resumes Friday with event prelims at 9:30 a.m. and event finals at 5 p.m.
Thursday Evening Finals Results
200 Freestyle Relay
3rd - Anna Keen, Haley Sakbun Natalie Marshall, Payton Kelly - 1:31.95 (2nd in program history)
8th - Ava Butterfield, Eliza Bader, Alyssa Messenger, Kiran Stauffer - 1:36.45
11th - Maya McDonald, Lauren Fecher, Savannah Farlee, Alexa Von Holtz - 1:38.37
500 Freestyle Finals
7th - McKenna Potteiger - 5:02.01
11th - Callie Tuma - 5:00.14
14th - Olivia Owens - 5:04.41
18th - Kiran Stauffer - 5:04.74
200 IM Finals
5th - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:03.40
18th - Ava Butterfield - 2:08.31
19th - Maya McDonald - 2:08.98
20th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:09.04
50 Freestyle Finals
1st - Payton Kelly - 22.52
T-2nd - Anna Keen - 22.82 (5th in program history)
16th - Haley Sakbun - 23.76
3M Diving Finals
6th - Leelah Fettig - 237.60
400 Medley Relay
5th - Alyssa Messenger, Julia Ofman, Anna Keen, Payton Kelly - 3:42.94 (5th in program history)
11th - Ava Butterfield, Maya McDonald, Alexa Von Holtz, Haley Sakbun - 3:50.02
13th - Lauren Fecher, Magdalena Lechowska, Savannah Farlee, Kiran Stauffer - 3:51.80
Thursday Morning Preliminary Results
500 Freestyle Prelims
8th - McKenna Potteiger - 5:01.32
12th - Callie Tuma - 5:03.48
16th - Olivia Owens - 5:05.44
20th - Kiran Stauffer - 5:11.32?
200 IM Prelims
5th - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:04.97
17th - Ava Butterfield - 2:08.51
21st - Maya McDonald - 2:09.53
24th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:10.37
26th - Julia Ofman - 2:10.48
50 Freestyle Prelims
1st - Payton Kelly - 22.68
2nd - Anna Keen - 22.93
16th - Haley Sakbun - 23.67
27th - Natalie Marshall - 24.26
32nd - Eliza Bader - 24.60
33rd - Alyssa Messenger - 24.74
36th - Lauren Fecher - 24.95
39th - Maya McDonald - 25.21
40th - Savannah Farlee - 25.43
44th - Laura Wright - 29.68
3M Diving Prelims
7th - Leelah Fettig - 236.00
20th - Hannah Justice - 181.25
22nd - Eeva-Liisa Gibson - 179.75
Players Mentioned
Fly, Back
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Fly/Back
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Fly
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Diving
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Diving
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Back, Free
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Breast
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Back
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Free/IM
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Free
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Free
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Free, Fly, IM
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Fly, IM
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Breast
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