Ball State Women, Purdue Men Earn Wins At Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate
The Ball State women set multiple program records and earned eight wins to ultimately total 584.5 points, followed by host Purdue (583) and IU Indy (252.5). Current photo via Bobby Ellis/Ball State University
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Eight event wins and 22 individual podium finishes, including 24 total top-five finishes, led the Ball State women’s swimming and diving program to a first-place finish at the Don Ron Indiana Intercollegiates. Ball State totaled 584.5 points, followed by host Purdue (583) and IU Indy (252.5).
Sophomore Anna Keen and senior Payton Kelly led the afternoon with three event wins each. Keen topped the 100 individual medley (55.90) and 100 breaststroke (1:03.21), and Kelly took first in both the 50 (22.52) and 100 (49.18) freestyles.
The Cardinals completed a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 breaststroke, with Maya McDonald following Keen’s top placement with a second place finish (1:03.48), just barely ahead of Addie Beasley who placed third (1:03.57).
Keen and Kelly opened and closed the meet with contributions to winning relay efforts. The two joined sophomore Lauren Fecher and freshman Addie Beasley in a first-place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:41.26), earning the ninth-best time in program history. To close, the two combined with Haley Sakbun and Kiley Zoeller to place first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:32.70).
Freshman Aubrey Simmons earned the first individual event win of her collegiate career, touching the wall with a time of 56.17, 0.36 seconds ahead of Alexa Von Holtz who placed second (56.53). Simmons also earned a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (56.17), shortly behind Ava Butterfield who earned second (55.27).
Also showing a strong effort in her first collegiate meet was freshman Reagan Graves, capturing the ninth-best time in program history in the 200 freestyle (1:50.95) and placing third. Graves also placed third in the 100 freestyle (51.83) and was the leadoff for the first place 500 freestyle relay team (4:01.62), joining Sakbun, Natalie Marshall and Ella Sears.
Ball State had three women earn a podium finish on the 1M board, as senior Grace Walker finish fifth with 269.70 points, followed by Leelah Fettig who place seventh (226.35). Fettig also earned a sixth-place finish on the 3M board (225.10).
Next up, the Cardinals travel to Toledo Oct. 25, with events beginning at noon.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Swimming & Diving’s 10 event wins Saturday at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate included repeat victories for a pair of seniors at the annual home opener, a sweep of the springboard diving events and two relay winners for the men.
Daryn Wright swept the springboard diving events at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate for the third time in her career, finishing her four years at the meet 7-for-8 in event victories. Max Miller and Zach Welsh swept the men’s springboard events and the wins – coupled with having at least five of the top finishers – helped the Purdue men finish atop the team scoring on a day in which many of the Boilermakers’ swimmers primarily competed in their secondary or off events.
Lara Phipps and Kate Mouser teamed up for a 1-2 finish in the 200 freestyle, an event in which the Purdue women had four of the top five finishers. Phipps was also the runner-up in the 100 individual medley and led off the 200 free relay with a 50 split of 22.94 to move into 13th place in program history.
For the men, newcomers Alex Hotta (100 back) and Brody LePine (100 IM) won their events via heat 1 victories. They also helped Purdue win the 500 free relay, an event that was added to the annual in-state showcase this year.
Senior Abby Marcukaitis was victorious in the 100 back at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate for the third year in a row.
Jānis Dzirkalis (100 back, 200 free) and Blake Rowe (100 free, 100 fly) won heats in both of their individual events. Dzirkalis and LePine also teamed up with classmates Jonah Lee and Biko Hooper-Haviland to help the freshmen win the 200 medley relay and the men’s class relay challenge.
The Boilermakers are back in action Saturday, Oct. 18 when they host Missouri for the lone co-ed dual meet of the home season. Action begins at 11 a.m. ET.
