In the final dual meet of the season, Ohio beat a Mid-American Conference opponent for the first time this season in a 188-71 win over Toledo on Saturday at the Aquatic Center. The Bobcats finished in first-place in every event.
Eighteen different Bobcats had a top-three finish, including eight different swimmers picking up a first-place finish.
Ohio honored its seniors before the meet, and they showed well. All four seniors had at least one top-three finish, including three first-place finishes.
In her final meet in Athens, Laura Dawson picked up her second consecutive win in the 100-yard backstroke, along with her fourth win of the season in the 200-yard backstroke. Fellow senior Myriah Ariza-Balter was right behind Dawson in both backstroke events, as she picked up two second-place finishes.
Carrie Dukes picked up her second consecutive first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly in her final meet in Athens. The fourth senior, Josie Barker, was not able to win an event, but picked up third-place finishes in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events.
“We had our senior breakfast this morning ... For the team to be able to step up and carry on the legacy from our alumni and our seniors and go out with as big of a bang as we just did, I think that’s really special,” coach Rachel Komisarz-Baugh said.
Corrin Van Lanen finished the dual meet season with her seventh win in the 50-yard freestyle, which means that she won that event in every dual meet Ohio competed in. Van Lanen added her sixth win in the 100-yard freestyle and third of the month.
The long-distance freestyle events were dominated by Ana Henderson who won both the 500- and 1000-yard freestyle events. For Henderson, it was her first win of the season in the 500-yard freestyle and her third in the 1000-yard freestyle.
Mikayla Herich picked up her second victory of the season and month in the 200-yard breaststroke. Herich added a win in the 200-yard individual medley with her best time in a dual meet this season just behind Herich’s top time from the Louisville Invitational.
In the 100-yard breaststroke Ohio was able to sweep first through third, with Claire Mikesell winning for the second consecutive meet. Emilia Lahtinen followed in second and Emily Ortner rounding out the sweep of the event.
Emily Zimcosky rounded out the Bobcat individual wins with a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle for the fourth time this season. Kelsey Hahn and Barker rounded out the sweep in the event for Ohio with second- and third-place finishes, respectively.
Ohio claimed victories in both the 200-yard medley relay along with the 200-yard freestyle relay that wrapped up the Bobcats winning all fourteen events.
For the second consecutive event the opponent did not have any divers compete so Ohio’s three divers dove but their scores were not counted.
Ohio has the Marshall Invite left on the schedule Feb. 3-4, but it will be more of a scrimmage. Points will not be kept track of, according to Komisarz-Baugh.
