Payton Kelly Swims 21.88 50 Free, Breaks Conference Record on Day 2 of MAC Championships

2026 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships – Women

• Dates: Wednesday, February 25–Saturday, February 28
• Location: Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium, Akron, OH
• Defending Champions: Akron women (4x)
• Live Results – Meet Mobile
• Live Video: ESPN+
• Championship Central
• SwimSwam Fan Guide
• Teams: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami-OH (women), Ohio, Toledo, UMass
• MAC Record Book
• Day 1 Results | Day 2 Results
• Day 1 Recap

Team Standings Thru Day 2

1. Akron – 265
2. Ohio – 193
3. Buffalo – 191
4. Ball State – 189
5. Miami – 188
6. Eastern Michigan – 120
7. Massachusetts – 86
8. Bowling Green – 55
9. Toledo – 41

Akron continues to lead the charge at the 2026 MAC Championships, holding onto its spot at the top of the leaderboard after another day of fast racing on day 2. The second night of racing saw one more conference record fall, while two athletes punched their tickets to NCAAs.

Ball State’s Payton Kelly enjoyed a tremendous evening, shattering the Mid-American Conference record in the 50 free with a lifetime best time of 21.88. Her performance shaved .16 off the previous record (22.04) set by Megan Burns of Buffalo back in 2017 and knocked .35 off of Kelly’s own personal best time, in addition to setting new MAC Championship and pool records.

Her record-breaking swim earned Ball State its first gold medal of the weekend and earned Kelly a ticket to the NCAA Championships; this would be the senior’s first time competing at NCAAs.

Ball State picked up another gold medal shortly after with another history-making performance courtesy of Grace Walker. She prevailed on the 1-meter with a score of 298.75 points, becoming the first Cardinal to win the event in 25 years since Bath Clark won in 2001.

Felicia Klintemar also punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships, winning the 200 IM in 1:57.52. The Akron sophomore smashed her previous lifetime best (2:00.00) that she posted earlier this season and charged into the wall a full second ahead of runner-up Kaylin Herbet to clinch the championship title.

The 500 free went to Akron’s Helena Lalkovic, whose winning time of 4:47.76 marked a significant personal best, knocking over three seconds off of her previous time (4:51.07).

Thursday’s competition wrapped up with another victory for Akron, as the team of Klintemar, Claire Cox, Callie Parkes and Ada Szwabinska took home the championship title in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:32.40, breaking the pool record in the event.

Ohio snagged the runner-up spot in the 400 medley relay thanks to the team of Mel Schweikert, Casadie DiBetta, Jordan Claypoole and Zita Szoke, with their time of 3:33.10 also sliding under the previous pool record mark (3:33.43).