BUFFALO VS BALL STATE
- January 17, 2026
- Muncie, Ind.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Ball State Sports
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s swimming and diving program claimed victory in 13 out of 16 events inside the Lewellen Aquatic Center Saturday morning, defeating Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo, 197–102.
Anna Keen and Payton Kelly contributed with two individual event wins each. Keen took top prize in both the 50 freestyle (23.69) and 100 butterfly (56.25), while Kelly claimed wins in the 200 (1:51.49) and 100 freestyles (51.38). Kelly improves her team-leading win total to 13 individual events, followed by Keen, who raised her season total to nine.
In the 50 freestyle, Keen was followed by Haley Sakbun and Kiley Zoeller who tied for second (24.41).
Keen and Kelly both aided in the Cardinals’ relay wins, beginning the meet alongside Addie Beasley and Zoeller in the 200 medley relay (1:43.31). To close the meet, the pair joined forces with Sakbun and Reagan Graves to claim victory in the 400 freestyle relay (3:28.43).
The women’s squad has been most successful in those two relay events this year, seeing six wins in the 200 medley relay, and four in the 400 freestyle relay.
Beasley and Ava Butterfield earned their fourth individual event wins versus the Bulls, as Beasley took first in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.30) and Butterfield took first in the 100 backstroke (57.10). Butterfield was followed closely by Lauren Fecher, who placed second (57.60), and Alyssa Messenger, who placed third (57.77).
Messenger and McKenna Potteiger saw their first individual wins of the season, with Messenger touching the wall with a time of 2:05.69 in the 200 backstroke, and Potteiger taking top honors in 1000 freestyle with a time of 10:24.83.
Milagros Amione continued her strong freshman campaign, earning first in the 200 individual medley (2:05.05) for the third time this season.
In the 200 butterfly, Alexa Von Holtz finished first with a time of 2:03.39, her third win in the event this season.
On the 1-meter board, Grace Walker shined once more, placing first with a score of 273.38. Walker has tallied eight wins so far this season, including four on 1M. On the 3-meter board, Walker finished second (290.70) behind Buffalo’s Adele Melamund who scored 312.75.
The women’s squad will be back in action with the men at the Lewellen Aquatic Center Jan. 23 as both programs host IU Indy for senior day. Senior athletes from the men’s and women’s programs will be honored prior to the meet. Events are slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Ball State Results
200 Medley Relay | Program Record – 1:39.56 by Newkirk, Wright, Keen, Kelly in 2025
1st – Payton Kelly, Addie Beasley, Anna Keen, Kiley Zoeller – 1:43.31
2nd – Lauren Fecher, Maya McDonald, Savannah Farlee, Haley Sakbun – 1:45.95
4th – Aubrey Simmons, Julia Ofman, Alexa Von Holtz, Natalie Marshall – 1:47.73
1000 Freestyle | Program Record – 10:01.21 by Marcella Riberio in 2021
1st – McKenna Pottieger – 10:24.83
3rd – Addy Czarnecki – 10:30.97
4th – Callie Tuma – 10:43.26
200 Freestyle | Program Record – 1:47.27 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Payton Kelly – 1:51.49
3rd – Milagros Amione – 1:55.15
4th – Kiran Stauffer – 1:56.27
100 Backstroke | Program Record – 52.86 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Ava Butterfield – 57.10
2nd – Lauren Fecher – 57.60
3rd – Alyssa Messenger – 57.77
100 Breaststroke | Program Record – 1:00.58 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013
1st – Addie Beasley – 1:05.30
3rd – Julia Ofman – 1:05.73
5th – Maya McDonald – 1:06.64
200 Butterfly | Program Record – 1:58.52 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2025
1st – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:03.39
2nd – Reagan Graves – 2:04.75
4th – Haley Johnson – 2:12.90
50 Freestyle | Program Record – 22.23 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Anna Keen – 23.69
2nd – Kiley Zoeller – 24.41
2nd – Haley Sakbun – 24.41
1M Diving | Program Record – 305.48 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
1st – Grace Walker – 273.38
8th – Hannah Justice – 209.78
9th – Ella Penny – 189.83
10th – Eeva-Liisa Gibson – 183.45
11th – Ava Pavich – 130.13
100 Freestyle | Program Record – 48.60 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Payton Kelly – 51.38
4th – Reagan Graves – 53.52
5th – Haley Sakbun – 53.70
200 Backstroke | Program Record – 1:57.93 by Ava Butterfield in 2025
1st – Alyssa Messenger – 2:05.69
3rd – Aubrey Simmons – 2:08.48
4th – Ava Butterfield – 2:10.05
200 Breaststroke | Program Record – 2:11.77 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013
2nd – Julia Ofman – 2:23.64
4th – Addie Beasley – 2:26.22
5th – Maya McDonald – 2:26.34
500 Freestyle | Program Record – 4:48.37 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021
2nd – McKenna Potteiger – 5:10.96
4th – Callie Tuma – 5:22.76
100 Butterfly | Program Record – 53.03 by Anna Keen in 2025
1st – Anna Keen – 56.25
3rd – Savannah Farlee – 57.51
5th – Haley Johnson – 1:00.22
3-Meter Diving | Program Record – 347.78 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
2nd – Grace Walker – 290.70
7th – Eeva-Liisa Gibson – 219.53
9th – Ava Pavich – 164.10
10th – Ella Penny – 181.35
200 IM | Program Record – 2:00.85 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2023
1st – Milagros Amione – 2:05.05
2nd – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:07.00
3rd – Addie Beasley – 2:08.74
400 Freestyle Relay | Program Record – 3:20.28 by Keen, Butterfield, Graves, Kelly in 2025
1st – Haley Sakbun, Reagan Graves, Anna Keen, Payton Kelly – 3:28.43
4th – Lauren Fecher, Mckenna Potteiger, Ella Sears, Aubrey Simmons – 3:38.10
5th – Kiley Zoeller, Kiran Stauffer, Addy Czarnecki, Natalie Marshall – 3:38.34
Courtesy: Buffalo Athletics
MUNCIE, Ind. – The University at Buffalo swimming and diving program competed at Ball State on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Cardinals, 197-102. The meeting between the two programs was the 20th all-time, tying the series at 10-10.
IN THE POOL
Ava Pauly (2nd, 1:05.55) and Pinar Donmez (4th, 1:05.78) both earned top-four finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke. The two Buffalo swimmers trailed the first-place swimmer by less than half of a second (1:05.30). Pauly doubled back to win the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:23.37. Madi Tewksbury trailed to take third for the Bulls too, posting a time of 2:26.19.
Elise McCaul placed second in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:30.26. Karen Austin earned a second top-five placement for the Bulls, taking fifth (10:51.26). McCaul doubled back to win the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:10.74. Ava Cunningham trailed to take third for the Bulls (5:12.20).
Bella Forsman finished second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.55. The sophomore was just two seconds shy of her season-best time in the event (1:52.52).
Nicole Aguilar (4th, 24.45) and Alex Bulat (5th, 24.72) earned top-five placements in the 50-yard freestyle. Aguilar finished within a second of the first-place swimmer (23.69) and her season best time (23.41).
Aguilar doubled back to earn second place in the 100-yard butterfly (57.07). Maddy Schnelzer (4th, 1:00.21) also posted a top five finish.
Forsman (2nd, 52.46) and Bulat (3rd, 53.26) later posted top-three placements in the 100-yard freestyle.
Freshman Kamilla Nemes placed third in the 200-yard butterfly, posting a time of 2:06.26. Nemes also earned a second-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke (2:08.34).
All swimming results from the meet at Ball State can be accessed here.
DIVING WELL
The Bulls continued their success in the diving well, taking four of the top five spots in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events.
Tristan Krajcarski was the team’s top finisher in the one-meter, taking second with a new personal best score of 264.90. The Bulls earned the next five spots in the event, with Adele Melamud taking third (259.65), Maggie Meyers in fourth (237.38), Mallory Hanna placing fifth (233.18), Daphne Fox finishing sixth (229.95) and Presley Dorsett in seventh (216.83).
Melamud continued her success in the three-meter event for the Bulls, winning the competition with a score of 312.75. The freshman diver has now won eight events this season. The Bulls took five of the top six spots in the event, with Hanna in third (266.10), Krajcarski finishing fourth (263.03), Dorsett in fifth (227.55) and Fox placing sixth (227.25). Meyers rounded out the Buffalo divers, taking eighth (193.05).
All diving results from the meet at Ball State can be accessed here.
UP NEXT
The Bulls return home for their final meet of the regular season, hosting senior day against Miami (OH) on Saturday, January 31st at 11 a.m. A complete schedule for UB Swimming & Diving can be found here.
