Women’s S&D Closes Miami Invite with Two More Event Wins
December 07, 2024 | Women's Swimming and Diving
OXFORD, Ohio - - Junior Payton Kelly picked up her third event win of the weekend, while sophomore Alexa Von Holtz earned her first as the Ball State women's swimming & diving program closed competition at the Miami Invitational Saturday.
Kelly completed her sweep of the freestyle sprint events, falling 0.03 shy of her own program record with a first-place time of 49.06 in the 100 freestyle. She won the 50 freestyle Thursday and the 200 freestyle Friday and now has 10 total individual event wins this season.
Von Holtz 's win came in the 200 butterfly when she clocked in at 1:59.70. It was her third 200 butterfly victory and sixth overall individual victory of the season.
Freshman Olivia Owens opened Saturday's finals session with the fourth-fastest individual 200 backstroke in program history, posting a final wall touch of 2:00.06 to place fourth overall in the race. Junior Alyssa Messenger added the fifth-fastest mark in the event in the prelims at 2:01.19.
The Cardinals also received a strong showing from freshman McKenna Potteiger in the 1650 freestyle, as she posted the eighth-best time in program history at 17:03.20 to place fifth overall. Her 1000 split of 10:17.41 was also the sixth-fastest on BSU's all-time list.
Ball State rounded out the meet with the fourth-best 400 freestyle relay in program history as freshman Anna Keen, junior Haley Sakbun, Von Holtz and Kelly clocked in at 3:23.29. In addition, Keen's leadoff 100 freestyle split of 50.10 was the fourth-fastest effort on BSU's top 10 list.
Overall, the Cardinals turned in nine individual top 10 finals finishes Saturday at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center, raising its meet total to 24.
With the effort, Ball State placed fourth among the four-team field with 632.5 points. Host Miami won the meet at 1171, followed by Indiana State (981.5) and Dartmouth (651).
The Ball State women's swimming & diving program returns to action after the holiday break, when it joins the men's squad to host Evansville for senior day on Jan. 11. The meet is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
Saturday Evening Finals Results
200 Backstroke
4th - Olivia Owens - 2:00.06 (4th in program history)
7th - Alyssa Messenger - 2:03.56
12th - Lilia Newkirk - 2:03.52
15th - Ava Butterfield - 2:06.54
19th - Lauren Fecher - 2:05.94
100 Freestyle
1st - Payton Kelly - 49.06
6th - Anna Keen - 51.03
15th - Haley Sakbun - 52.02
21st - Natalie Marshall - 53.19
200 Breaststroke
8th - Julia Ofman - 2:20.06
10th - Maya McDonald - 2:22.50
14th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:24.98
200 Butterfly
1st - Alexa Von Holtz - 1:59.70
12th - McKenna Potteiger - 2:06.61
18th - Savannah Farlee - 2:11.66
1650 Freestyle
5th - McKenna Potteiger - 17:03.20 (8th in program history)
6th - Callie Tuma - 17:05.32
400 Freestyle Relay
3rd - Anna Keen, Haley Sakbun, Alexa Von Holtz, Payton Kelly - 3:23.29 (4th in program history)
10th - Natalie Marshall, Kiran Stauffer, Ava Butterfield, Eliza Bader - 3:34.24
13th - Lauren Fecher, Olivia Owens, Julia Ofman, Maya McDonald - 3:37.66
Saturday Morning Preliminary Results
200 Backstroke
5th - Olivia Owens - 2:00.79
6th - Alyssa Messenger - 2:01.19 (5th in program history)
12th - Ava Butterfield - 2:04.16
16th - Lilia Newkirk - 2:06.12
18th - Lauren Fecher - 2:08.06
100 Freestyle
1st - Payton Kelly - 49.28
6th - Anna Keen - 50.99
T-13th - Haley Sakbun - 51.97
19th - Natalie Marshall - 53.01
26th - Kiran Stauffer - 53.77
29th - Eliza Bader - 54.01
200 Breaststroke
6th - Laura Wright - 2:20.65
7th - Julia Ofman - 2:20.69
10th - Maya McDonald - 2:22.26
15th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:28.78
200 Butterfly
2nd - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:00.95
10th - McKenna Potteiger - 2:06.44
18th - Savannah Farlee - 2:15.50
Kelly completed her sweep of the freestyle sprint events, falling 0.03 shy of her own program record with a first-place time of 49.06 in the 100 freestyle. She won the 50 freestyle Thursday and the 200 freestyle Friday and now has 10 total individual event wins this season.
Von Holtz 's win came in the 200 butterfly when she clocked in at 1:59.70. It was her third 200 butterfly victory and sixth overall individual victory of the season.
Freshman Olivia Owens opened Saturday's finals session with the fourth-fastest individual 200 backstroke in program history, posting a final wall touch of 2:00.06 to place fourth overall in the race. Junior Alyssa Messenger added the fifth-fastest mark in the event in the prelims at 2:01.19.
The Cardinals also received a strong showing from freshman McKenna Potteiger in the 1650 freestyle, as she posted the eighth-best time in program history at 17:03.20 to place fifth overall. Her 1000 split of 10:17.41 was also the sixth-fastest on BSU's all-time list.
Ball State rounded out the meet with the fourth-best 400 freestyle relay in program history as freshman Anna Keen, junior Haley Sakbun, Von Holtz and Kelly clocked in at 3:23.29. In addition, Keen's leadoff 100 freestyle split of 50.10 was the fourth-fastest effort on BSU's top 10 list.
Overall, the Cardinals turned in nine individual top 10 finals finishes Saturday at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center, raising its meet total to 24.
With the effort, Ball State placed fourth among the four-team field with 632.5 points. Host Miami won the meet at 1171, followed by Indiana State (981.5) and Dartmouth (651).
The Ball State women's swimming & diving program returns to action after the holiday break, when it joins the men's squad to host Evansville for senior day on Jan. 11. The meet is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
Saturday Evening Finals Results
200 Backstroke
4th - Olivia Owens - 2:00.06 (4th in program history)
7th - Alyssa Messenger - 2:03.56
12th - Lilia Newkirk - 2:03.52
15th - Ava Butterfield - 2:06.54
19th - Lauren Fecher - 2:05.94
100 Freestyle
1st - Payton Kelly - 49.06
6th - Anna Keen - 51.03
15th - Haley Sakbun - 52.02
21st - Natalie Marshall - 53.19
200 Breaststroke
8th - Julia Ofman - 2:20.06
10th - Maya McDonald - 2:22.50
14th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:24.98
200 Butterfly
1st - Alexa Von Holtz - 1:59.70
12th - McKenna Potteiger - 2:06.61
18th - Savannah Farlee - 2:11.66
1650 Freestyle
5th - McKenna Potteiger - 17:03.20 (8th in program history)
6th - Callie Tuma - 17:05.32
400 Freestyle Relay
3rd - Anna Keen, Haley Sakbun, Alexa Von Holtz, Payton Kelly - 3:23.29 (4th in program history)
10th - Natalie Marshall, Kiran Stauffer, Ava Butterfield, Eliza Bader - 3:34.24
13th - Lauren Fecher, Olivia Owens, Julia Ofman, Maya McDonald - 3:37.66
Saturday Morning Preliminary Results
200 Backstroke
5th - Olivia Owens - 2:00.79
6th - Alyssa Messenger - 2:01.19 (5th in program history)
12th - Ava Butterfield - 2:04.16
16th - Lilia Newkirk - 2:06.12
18th - Lauren Fecher - 2:08.06
100 Freestyle
1st - Payton Kelly - 49.28
6th - Anna Keen - 50.99
T-13th - Haley Sakbun - 51.97
19th - Natalie Marshall - 53.01
26th - Kiran Stauffer - 53.77
29th - Eliza Bader - 54.01
200 Breaststroke
6th - Laura Wright - 2:20.65
7th - Julia Ofman - 2:20.69
10th - Maya McDonald - 2:22.26
15th - Magdalena Lechowska - 2:28.78
200 Butterfly
2nd - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:00.95
10th - McKenna Potteiger - 2:06.44
18th - Savannah Farlee - 2:15.50
Players Mentioned
Fly, Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Fly/Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back/Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free/Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free, Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast/IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back, Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free/IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly, IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Fly, IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast
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