BALL STATE VS EASTERN MICHIGAN (WOMEN)
- January 24, 2026
- Ypsilanti, Mich.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Ball State Sports
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Ball State women’s swimming and diving program followed yesterday evening’s victory over IU Indy with 11 event wins inside the Michael H. Jones Natatorium to overcome Eastern Michigan 166.5-133.5. The women’s squad advances to 5-1 as the team reaches the final stretch of the 2025-26 campaign.
Saturday afternoon saw four different Cardinals capture two individual event wins against the Eagles.
Payton Kelly added another pair of freestyle victories to her weekend, taking the 200 (1:50.14) and the 500 (4:51.22). Her time in the 500 freestyle stands as the second-fastest in program history.
Anna Keen also brought her weekend total to four event wins, claiming the top placement in the 50 (23.21) and100 (50.65) freestyles.
Ava Butterfield shaved nearly three seconds off her winning mark in yesterday’s 100 backstroke, finishing first with a time of 54.71. Butterfield completed her sweep of the backstroke events after claiming first in the 200 (2:00.65) shortly after. Alyssa Messenger and Ella Sears followed closely behind in the 200 back, with Messenger placing second (2:03.30) and Sears finishing just half a second later to take third (2:03.80).
Alexa Von Holtz took top prize in the 200 butterfly (2:01.64) as well as the 400 IM (4:25.20). After this weekend, Holtz has doubled her season total to six wins.
Addy Czarnecki found herself in the top spot of the 1000 freestyle (10:07.85), earning her fastest time in the event this season and the third-fastest time in program history.
In the relays, Ball State opened with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:41.06) and closed with a win in the 200 freestyle relay (1:33.78). The effort in the 200 free was put together by Keen, Kiley Zoeller, Haley Sakbun and Kelly.
The Cardinals host Indiana State for one final dual meet on Jan. 30 before entering preparation for the MAC Championships (Feb. 25-28). Start time for competition versus the Sycamores is to be determined.
Ball State Results
200 Medley Relay | Program Record – 1:39.56 by Newkirk, Wright, Keen and Kelly in 2025
1st – A – Ball State University – 1:41.06 – eight in program history
3rd – C – Ball State University – 1:45.75
5th – B – Ball State University – 1:46.87
6th – D – Ball State University – 1:48.12
1000 Freestyle | Program Record – 10:01.21 by Marcella Riberio in 2021
1st – Addy Czarnecki – 10:07.85 – third in program history
4th – McKenna Potteiger – 10:12.50
5th – Callie Tuma – 10:18.70
200 Freestyle | Program Record – 1:47.27 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Payton Kelly – 1:50.14
2nd – Reagan Graves – 1:51.97
6th – Milagros Amione – 1:56.78
7th – Kiran Stauffer – 1:58.96
100 Backstroke | Program Record – 52.86 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Ava Butterfield – 54.71
3rd – Lauren Fecher – 57.30
4th – Alyssa Messenger – 57.44
5th – Aubrey Simmons – 57.75
100 Breaststroke | Program Record – 1:00.58 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013
2nd – Maya McDonald – 1:04.21
3rd – Julia Ofman – 1:04.64
4th – Addie Beasley – 1:05.07
200 Butterfly | Program Record – 1:58.52 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2025
1st – Alexa Von Holtz – 2:01.64
3rd – Haley Johnson – 2:06.44
5th – Savannah Farlee – 2:15.42
50 Freestyle | Program Record – 22.23 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Anna Keen – 23.21
2nd – Kiley Zoeller – 23.81
6th – Haley Sakbun – 24.39
8th – Ella Sears – 24.90
1-Meter Diving | Program Record – 305.48 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
5th – Eeva-Liisa Gibson – 191.48
6th – Ella Penny – 169.43
7th – Ava Pavich – 162.98
100 Freestyle | Program Record – 48.60 by Payton Kelly in 2025
1st – Anna Keen – 50.65
5th – Kiley Zoeller – 52.59
6th – Haley Sakbun – 52.94
7th – Natalie Marshall – 54.09
200 Backstroke | Program Record – 1:57.93 by Ava Butterfield in 2025
1st – Ava Butterfield – 2:00.65
2nd – Alyssa Messenger – 2:03.30
3rd – Ella Sears – 2:03.80
4th – Aubrey Simmons – 2:04.33
200 Breaststroke | Program Record – 2:11.77 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013
2nd – Julia Ofman – 2:21.60
3rd – Maya McDonald – 2:21.60
4th – Addie Beasley – 2:23.08
500 Freestyle | Program Record – 4:48.37 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021
1st – Payton Kelly – 4:51.22 – second in program history
3rd – Addy Czarnecki – 4:59.03
5th – Kiran Stauffer – 5:10.21
100 Butterfly | Program Record – 53.03 by Anna Keen in 2025
4th – Reagan Graves – 57.17
5th – Savannah Farlee – 57.87
6th – Haley Johnson – 57.89
3-Meter Diving | Program Record – 347.78 by Caitlin Locante in 2021
5th Eeva-Liisa Gibson – 217.13
6th – Ella Penny – 184.65
7th – Ava Pavich – 180.53
400 IM | Program Record – 4:20.22 by Mallory Miles in 2011
1st – Alexa Von Holtz – 4:25.20
3rd – Milagros Amione – 4:29.06
4th – McKenna Potteiger – 4:30.59
7th – Callie Tuma – 4:36.18
200 Freestyle Relay | Program Record – 1:30.78 by Keen, Zoeller, Butterfield, Kelly in 2025
1st – Anna Keen, Kiley Zoeller, Haley Sakbun, Payton Kelly – 1:33.78
4th – Reagan Graves, Alyssa Messenger, Lauren Fecher, Kiran Stauffer – 1:38.06
5th – Addie Beasley, Aubrey Simmons, Ella Sears, Natalie Marshall – 1:38.28
6th – Maya McDonald, Addy Czarnecki, Savannah Farlee, Julia Ofman – 1:41.71
Courtesy: EMU Athletics
YPSILANTI, Mich. – (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swim and dive programs were highlighted by taking the top four spots in both one-meter and three-meter diving events in their loss to Ball State University inside Jones Natatorium Saturday, Jan. 24.
The Cardinals outscored the Eagles with 166.5 points to 133.5 points.
How it Happened: Swim
The Eagles won three events in the pool, two of which came from Nina LaRosa (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), as she swam the 100y breaststroke in 1:02.61 to take first place, and finished first in the 200y breaststroke with a time of 2:20.02.
The third event win came from Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King’s Academy), as she took first place in the 100y butterfly with a time of 55.31. Mina was followed by Abbey Clarke (Caledon, Ontario/Robert F. Hall), who finished in second place with a time of 56.43, and Nehir Guven (Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Atanur Oguz Okullari), who earned third with a personal best time of 56.53 to sweep the race.
Clarke earned two more second-place finishes as she swam the 50y freestyle in a personal-best 23.59, along with finishing the 100y freestyle with another personal best time of 51.29.
Shayne Patrick (Reno, Nev./TMCC Magnet High School) also earned two second-place finishes, swimming the 200y butterfly in 2:06.28, and the 400y individual medley in 4:27.90.
How it Happened: Dive
The divers swept both events, earning the top four scores in each. Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) won both events with a personal best score of 280.88 points in the one-meter, and another personal best score of 295.13 points in the three-meter.
Marnie Howard (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community West) took second place in the one-meter with 236.78 points, followed by Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson), who earned third with 234.75 points, and Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent), who scored 231.83 points to take fourth place.
In the three-meter, Kendrick was followed by Speier with 252.15 points for second place, Gutierrez earned third with 249.83 points, and Howard closed the sweep with 231.75 points for fourth place.
Personal Bests
The Eagles saw a combined total of six personal-best performances.
EMU Individual Results
*Denotes Personal-Best
200y Medley Relay
2. EMU A (Sang, LaRosa, Mina, Christie) – 1:41.65
4. EMU B (Burrough, Littrell, Patrick, Guven) – 1:46.16
1000y Freestyle
2. Nehir Oz – 10:11.53
3. Marianna Fardella – 10:12.38*
6. Nicole Shanks – 10:54.39
200y Freestyle
2. Emma Littrell – 1:51.97
4. Amelia Jones – 1:54.65
5. Morgan Hofmeister – 1:56.69
8. Ali Kudo – x1:59.75
100y Backstroke
2. Siporah Sang – 56.84
6. Addy Burrough – 58.43
100y Breaststroke
1. Nina LaRosa – 1:02.61
5. Tristen Mina – 1:05.84
200y Butterfly
2. Shayne Patrick – 2:06.28
4. Sydney Ulmer – 2:10.06
50y Freestyle
2. Abbey Clarke – 23.59*
3. Marlee Christie – 23.74
5. Nehir Guven – 24.35
7. Sophie Gatrall – x24.41
One-Meter Diving
1. Rose Kendrick – 280.88*
2. Marnie Howard – 236.78
3. Taityn Speier – 234.75
4. Aisling Gutierrez – x231.83
8. Cate Migliori – x162.53
100y Freestyle
2. Abbey Clarke – 51.29*
3. Emma Littrell – 51.73
4. Marlee Christie – 52.48
8. Sophie Gatrall – x54.91
— Ali Kudo – X57.91
200y Backstroke
5. Addy Burrough – 2:06.76
6. Siporah Sang – 2:10.74
200y Breaststroke
1. Nina LaRosa – 2:20.02
5. Morgan Hofmeister – 2:31.14
500y Freestyle
2. Marianna Fardella – 4:57.33
4. Amelia Jones – 5:08.62
6. Nicole Shanks – 5:26.28
100y Butterfly
1. Tristen Mina – 55.31
2. Abbey Clarke – 56.43
3. Nehir Guven – 56.53*
Three-Meter Diving
1. Rose Kendrick – 295.13*
2. Taityn Speier – 252.15
3. Aisling Gutierrez – 249.83
4. Marnie Howard – x231.75
400y Individual Medley
2. Shayne Patrick – 4:27.90
5. Morgan Hofmeister – 4:34.30
6. Nehir Oz – 4:35.88
8. Sydney Ulmer – x4:43.76
200y Freestyle Relay
2. EMU A (Christie, Gatrall, Littrell, Clarke) – 1:34.34
3. EMU B (Mina, Guven, Jones, Kudo) – 1:38.01
Meet Scores
1. Ball State – 166.5
2. Eastern Michigan – 133.5
Up Next
The Eagles will celebrate their graduating members with their annual Senior Day Extravaganza in Jones Natatorium Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m.
