Miami Captures MAC Championship

Ohio Swimming and Diving Takes Second at MAC Championships
The Ohio University swimming and diving team won eight Mid-American Conference crowns over the four-day MAC Championships hosted by Bowling Green and finished in second place, just shy of champion Miami.

The Bobcats tallied 611.5 points at the meet, while the RedHawks managed 639.5 points. Toledo finished third with 568.5 points, while Eastern Michigan was fourth at 497.5. Akron (347), Buffalo (335), host Bowling Green (305.5) and Ball State (200.5) rounded out the final standings, respectively.

“We have the type of team that expected to win because we have the heart of champions and champions expect to win, they don’t hope to win,” Ohio head coach Greg Werner said. “We were disappointed that we didn’t come in first, but we performed very well. We made Miami earn it and that’s all I ask my team to do is to make the competition earn it, so you have to take your hat off to Miami.”

Ohio won three MAC titles for the second-straight night Saturday, while senior Ashley Marion (London, Ont.) was named the league’s Outstanding Senior Swimmer and Swimmer of the Year. Marion won the 200 back by over two ticks in a school and conference-record time of 1:57.15, which was also a provisional NCAA mark. She also led off the Bobcats’ winning 400 free relay team Saturday that touched in a school and league-record time of 3:20.04, another NCAA provisional time. Both standards broke the previous Ohio mark by over three seconds.

Joining Marion on the champion 400 free relay team were sophomore Rachel Heim (San Diego, Calif.), freshman Abby Corcoran (Tucson, Ariz.) and junior Chelsey Bower (Bethel Park, Pa.).

Marion earned four individual or relay titles at the 2009 Championships, and has accumulated 10 MAC championships over her stellar Bobcat career. She now shares four Ohio relay records and owns four individual Bobcat records.

“Ashley (Marion)’s meant a lot to us. She’s a tremendous performer and had one of the best championship meets I’ve experience since I’ve been at Ohio,” Werner said. “She’s also been a great leader outside of the pool and a great example. To see her have a great junior year and catapult that into a phenomenal senior year after some adversity early in her career, it’s very satisfying as a coach to know that she persevered and her hard work and dedication paid off.”

Also performing well in the 200 back were freshmen Sarah Owen (Portsmouth, England), who placed fifth at a personal-best pace, and Annika Games (Brea, Calif.), who claimed seventh also in a lifetime best.

Sophomore Stacey Huber (Gainesville, Fla.) defended her 2008 MAC championship in the 1650 free by repeating in a school-record time of 16:28.19, breaking a record she had set last year in her championship swim by over four seconds. She touched over nine and a half seconds ahead of Toledo runner-up Jacy Dyer and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships with her mark.

“It’s very satisfying to see Stacey defend her conference title,” Werner said. “She was worried early in the meet because she wasn’t swimming her fastest times, but she’s such a good competitor and racer. She didn’t take the lead until the 70 percent mark of the race and then she took off. She was able to overcome adversity, like Ashley (Marion), after missing the first part of the season with an injury, so it’s neat to see her win.”

Other Bobcats placing in the mile included sophomores Amanda Cecere (Chelmsford, Mass.) in sixth and Amanda Traylor (Los Alamitos, Calif.) in seventh, and freshmen Kristen Witham (Fort Wayne, Ind.) in 13th and Petra Chomicz (King’s Lynn, England) in 14th.

Cecere placed second in the 200 fly in 2:00.43, while setting a meet record with her preliminary time. Heim, who won the 100 fly and 100 back Friday, touched in sixth in 2:02.11.

Bower, who nabbed the 50 free crown Thursday, came in second in the 100 free in a school-record 49.16, just .18 behind Miami’s Alyson Schmidt. Bower’s mark broke a program standard that had stood since 1991 and was under the NCAA provisional time. Corcoran placed eighth in the 100 free in a personal-best mark, as well.

On the three-meter board, junior Lindsay Hamilton (White City, Sask.) finished eighth with 200.40 points, while fellow junior Amy Bromberg (Deerfield, Ill.) dove to 11th. Akron’s Katie Carter won three-meter diving with a score of 284.20.

Marion, Bower, Cecere, Heim and Huber all earned spots on the All-MAC First Team, while Traylor and Owen landed on the All-MAC Second Team.

In addition to their eight conference titles, the Bobcats set 14 school records and seven MAC records at the 2009 Championships.