2018 Women’s MAC Championship: Akron Wins 5th Straight Title

2018 WOMEN’S MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 21-24th
• Oxford, Ohio
• Short course yards
• Championship Central
• Day 1 results
• Day 2 results
• Day 3 results
• Day 4 results

Final Team Standings
       1. Akron – 827.5
2. Eastern Michigan – 590.5
3. Buffalo – 573
4. Miami – 516
5. Bowling Green – 333
6. Toledo – 254
7. Ohio – 253
8. Ball State – 158

MAC Postseason Awards
Swimming Coach of the Year: Brian Peresie, Akron
Diving Coach of the Year: Buck Smith, Eastern Michigan
Co-Most Outstanding Swimmer: Paloma Marrero, Akron / Nicole Swartz, EMU
Co-Most Outstanding Diver: Pei Lin, Miami / Talisa Lemke, BGSU
Most Outstanding Senior: Pei Lin, Miami
Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Paulina Nogaj, Akron
Freshman Diver of the Year: Mikela Schempf, Eastern Michigan

All-MAC First Team
Paloma Marrero, Akron
Sadie Fazekas, Akron
Madison Myers, Akron
Paulina Nogaj, Akron
Ellie Nebraska, Akron
Jackie Pash, Akron
Mackenzie Vargas, Akron
Talisa Lemke, Bowling Green
Megan Burns, Buffalo
Hannah Miller, Buffalo
Delaney Duncan, Eastern Michigan
Nicole Swartz, Eastern Michigan
Casey Gavigan, Eastern Michigan
Ella Moynihan, Miami
Pei Lin, Miami
Corrin Van Lanen, Ohio

All-MAC Second Team
Nicole Roitenberg, Buffalo
Brittany Beetcher, Buffalo
Claire Young, Eastern Michigan
Morgan Waggoner, Akron
Holly Schuster, Miami
Andrea Ernst, Buffalo
Carolyn Junger, Miami
Izzy Jones, Toledo
Emma Bradley, Miami
Paula Garcia, Akron
Eve Kosten, Buffalo
Brielle Johnston, Eastern Michigan
Emily Zimcosky, Ohio
Anne Lochridge, Akron
Izzy Herb, Miami

Pei Lin broke the MAC meet record in the 3 meter, scoring a total 402.55 points to win by 36.10 points over Talsia Lemke. Her score came in just over her own meet record of 401.00, which she set in 2016. It was also just off her own MAC conference record of 409.70, which she set in 2015. Additionally, Lin’s score was way over the NCAA A cut of 280.00, which gets you to the NCAA Zone meets.

EMU sophomores Casey Gavigan and Claire Young battled it out in the 200 back, with Gavigan overtaking Young in the final 50 to touch in 1:55.93 to Young’s 1:56.65. They traded the lead on all 4 50s, with Young hitting the 50 wall first, 26.99 to 27.08, then trailed slightly at the 100, 56.31 (29.32) to 56.05 (28.97). Young then re-took the lead on the 3rd 50, flipping at 1:26.06 (29.75) to Gavigan’s 1:56.16 (30.11), but Gavigan then outsplit Young significantly on the last 50, 29.77 to 30.59, to win the race.

Megan Burns defended her 100 free title, winning the race comfortably with a 48.61. Burns was out in a quick 23.38, and came back in 25.23 to finish nearly a second ahead of the field. Burns was half a second off her MAC record of of 48.14, which she set last year. Burns time is just outside the top 40 nationally, making her chances of getting invited to the NCAAs again this year pretty slim, but not out of the question.

Paloma Marrero went her 2nd fastest time of the season to win the 200 breast and break the meet record. Her final time of 2:09.13 was about half a second off her own conference record of 2:08.51, which she swam in November. Her season best comes in 15th in the NCAA this year with all the major conferences done woth their meets, so she will definitely be receiving an invite to the NCAAs. Delaney Duncan came in 2nd with a 2:11.13, a lifetime best, but comes in 53rd in the NCAA rankings. She will still be able to compete in the event at the NCAAs though, thanks to her A cut in the 100 breast and her 200 being well under the B cut. Akron freshman Paula Garcia came in 3rd with a 2:11.99, which was well under the B cut, but will definitely not be enough to get an invite to the NCAAs. That is a bright spot in Akron’s breaststroke future however, since Marrero is senior this year.

Akron teammates Mackenzie Vargas and Paulina Nogaj battled it out in the 200 fly, with both breaking the MAC record. Vargas edged out Nogaj on the final 50, posting a 30.79 to Nogaj’s 31.12 on the final 50 to finish in 1:57.05 and 1:57.24. Both Vargas and Nogaj are in the 50s in the national rankings, making it highly unlikely for them to receive invites. Nogaj already stands a good chance of being invited in the 100 fly, where she is ranked 39th with all the major conferences out of the way, which also happens to be the typical number of swimmers invited. She should make it event if a couple people swim faster at a last chance meet since there are usually a small number of people in place to be invited that won’t swim the event at the NCAAs.