Since the first Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships were held in 1981, only three teams have ever won the team title, with either the Bobcats or RedHawks claiming all but the first team title. Since then, Miami and Ohio have dominated the conference championships winning the last 23 conference titles.
The Ohio women have won nine MAC championships, the last one in 2001, while Miami has won 14 titles, including the last three years.
Coach Greg Werner, who led the Bobcat women to the 2000 and 2001 conference championships, said the rivalry is important to both teams.
It's something that we look forward to
and we know that it makes us better he said. We like to believe that we make them better as well because of the rivalry. It's something that we talk about all year long.
Miami coach Dave Jennings, who has coached the RedHawks to 13 conference championships, said there has always been good competition between the two teams.
It has just been good healthy competition for two great teams over the years
he said.
After Bowling Green won the inaugural title, Miami won the next seven championships and Ohio followed with seven of their own.
The RedHawks then won the next four starting in 1996, including the 1999 championship, which took place at their home pool.
In recent years, Miami and Ohio have provided some close and exciting competition for the conference championship.
At the 1995 championships, the Bobcat women were down by 60 points after two days of competition in Oxford. In the final relay event of the meet, Ohio had to finish no lower than fourth to win and beat Miami by 11.5 points for their seventh straight championship.
In 2000, when Ohio played host to the MAC Championships last, the Bobcat women took advantage of swimming at their home pool, winning 14 of 18 events and setting nine conference records.
The Bobcats went on to win the 2001 conference championship, and the championship came down to the final event the following year.
Ohio was behind Miami by 22 points after the first event on the final day of competition and going into the final event, they were leading Miami by five points.
After winning the 400-yard freestyle relay, an Ohio swimmer entered the pool before all teams were finished, disqualifying the Bobcats giving the RedHawks the MAC Championship.
Senior and co-captain Jessica Waites, who was a freshman that year, said that the outcome of that meet has stuck with those in her class since then.
My class understands it (the rivalry) more because of our freshman year where we won MAC's
but were disqualified in the last relay
she said.
Waites said the competition between the two teams has continued to stay strong during her collegiate career.
It's a really big rivalry
she said.
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Julie Goldberg
