Ball State Falls to Miami (OH), Tops Xavier on Back to Back Days

Ball State vs. Miami (OH)

  • February 12, 2021
  • Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center, Oxford, Ohio
  • Short Course Yards (SCY)
  • Final Score: Miami (OH): 155 – Ball State: 137

Starting off the weekend on the road, the Ball State women traveled to Miami (OH). The Cardinals kept the meet close, winning seven of the first fourteen individual events, but fell short across the final two events.

The Miami women got out to a strong start in the 400 medley relay, leading Ball State by almost two seconds with a time of 3:46.80. The RedHawks would end up sweeping the relay events on the day, winning the 400 free relay in 3:26.31.

Ball State came back after the relay loss to finish with the top-2 fastest times in the 1000 freestyle. Katie Walker and Mary Kate Phillips finished with the top two times in the event, touching in 10:32.52 and 10:42.55, respectively. Walker was only just off of her best time, a 10:28.32, that ranks her ninth in school history.

In the 200 freestyle, Miami’s Camila Lins de Mello won the first of her two individual events on the day. Lins de Mello won the 200 in 1:52.47, before later adding a 51.83 to win the 100 free. Lins de Mello is the school record holder in the 200 free and 200 IM, as well as a member of the school’s 400 and 800 freestyle relay records.

The 100 backstroke went to Ball State’s Audrey Schank in a time of 59.01. Schank is the third-fastest performer in the event in school history, holding a 55.21 from 2019.

Joining Schank in winning one event on the day for Ball State was Alex Bader. The school’s third-fastest performer in history in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke, Bader topped the field in the 100 breast in a time of 1:02.91. Her time was only .3 off of her lifetime best.

Kayleigh Cannon swept the butterfly events for Miami. The school record holder in the 200 fly, Cannon topped the field in the 200 in 2:02.02 and the 100 in 55.50. Her time in the 200 was just over two seconds off of her school record of 1:59.68.

The 50 free went to Miami freshman Honor Brodie-Foy. Brodie-Foy touched in a time of 23.72. She was the only swimmer to finish under 24.0.

Both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events went to Ball State’s Caitlin Locante. In an impressive showing, Locante first set a new personal best and NCAA Zone Diving A Cut on the 1-meter board. Her score of 296.25 made her the program’s third-best performer in the event. She later added a 314.25 on the 3-meter, narrowly missing her personal best and school record of 323.625.

Ball State continued their strong showing in the stroke events with Sophia Kuehn and Laura Wright winning the 200 backstroke and 200 breaststroke. Kuehn topped the field in the back in 2:06.81, while Wright won the breast in 2:20.01.

Miami’s Nicole Maier won the 500 free with a time of 4:54.46. Maier was joined in dipping below 4:54.46 by Ball State’s Marcella Ribeiro, who finished in 4:59.68.

The final individual event of the day went to Miami’s Anna Martin. Martin topped the field in the 200 IM with a time of 2:08.29.

Ball State vs Xavier

  • February 13th, 2021
  • Lewellen Aquatic Center, Muncie, Indiana
  • Short Course Yards (SCY)
  • Final Score: Ball State: 166 – Xavier: 80

After traveling to Miami on Friday, the Cardinal women returned to their home pool to race on Saturday. The Ball State women were dominant in their win, losing only one event on the day. The Cardinal women were wearing competition suits for the meet.

Ball State started off the meet by resetting the pool record in the 200 medley relay. The relay team of Audrey Schank, Alex Bader, Shelby Crist, and Apsara Sakbun touched in 1:42.24, almost a second under the previous record set by Notre Dame in 2017.

In the first of the individual events, Marcella Ribeiro cruised to a nearly 30-second win in the 1000 free. The freshman finished in a time of 10:18.08, making her the third-fastest performer in the event in school history.

Kayleigh Witt, a freshman at Ball State, finished with the fastest time in the 200 free, touching in 1:52.89. She later added the second-fastest time in the 100 free while swimming exhibition, a 52.70.

Shelby Crist finished with the top time in a 1-2-3 Ball State sweep of the 100 back. Crist’s time of 55.82 was just off of her time of 55.55 from last season that ranks her as the 4th fastest performer in team history.

After winning the 100 breast in a near-best time on Friday, Alex Bader returned to swim to new best time, and pool record, in the same event on Saturday. Bader finished in 1:01.92, making her just the second swimmer in Ball State history to dip below 1:02.0.

Continuing Ball State’s streak of pool records, Sydney Dygert reset the Lewellen Pool record in the 200 fly. Dygert finished in 2:02.94, beating the field by over a second and topping the pool record by .33.

Sweeping the sprint freestyle events for the Cardinals was Apsara Sakbun. The sophomore won the 50 free in 23.82 and the 100 free in 51.38. Sakbun currently ranks as the third-fastest performer in the 50 free in school history with her 23.10 from last season.

Xavier’s lone event win of the day came in the 200 back, where freshman Kali Fischer ran down Ball State’s Jessie Fraley over the final 100 yards to win in 2:03.90.

Friday’s runner-up in the 1000 free returned on Saturday to post the top time in the 500 free. The freshman finished in a time of 5:08.34, over 15 seconds ahead of runner-up Erin Ritz.

Phoebe Rensink finished with the fastest time in the 100 fly, touching in 56.61.

Breaking into Ball State’s all-time top-10 in the 400 IM was Katie Walker. Walker finished over eight seconds ahead of the competition touching in 4:29.07.

The Cardinals finished out the meet with a win in the 200 free relay. The team of WItt, Lexie McDonald, Bader, and Sakbun touched in a time of 1:35.27.

Ball State competes in the Mid-American Conference, one of a handful of conferences who have opted to hold their conference championship meet in April, after the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The women’s MAC Championship meet is currently scheduled to take place from April 15-17.

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