Swim & Dive Put together for 2026 MAC Championships this Weekfinish in Akron

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron will host the 9 convention girls’s swimming & diving groups on the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium this week within the quest for the 2026 MAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship title. The four-day competitors will start on Wednesday night and run by Saturday.

All data, together with reside stream, outcomes, merchandise, and extra, might be discovered on the MAC Swimming & Diving Championship Central web page, right here.

The University of Akron Athletics moved to digital ticketing in 2022. All-Session Passes can be found for $75, whereas single-session tickets might be bought for $16 and can be found for buy here.

Below are 9 championship previews within the order of the 2026 Preseason Coaches Poll.

 

Previews courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Akron Zips

Preview coming quickly…

Miami RedHawks

Miami Swimming & Diving travels to their championships this week, with the ladies’s crew heading to Akron, Ohio, for the MAC Championships and the boys heading to Evansville, Ind., for the MVC Championships. 

Upcoming Events

Feb. 25 – Women’s Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships (Akron, Ohio), All Day

Feb. 26 – Women’s Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships (Akron, Ohio), All Day

Feb. 27 – Women’s Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships (Akron, Ohio), All Day

Feb. 28 – Women’s Swimming & Diving at MAC Championships (Akron, Ohio), All Day

Ohio Bobcats

Feb. 25-28 / at 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships / Akron, Ohio / Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium / Prelims: 10 a.m. ET/ Finals: 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Championship Central / Tickets 

The Ohio swim and dive crew is about for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships Feb. 25-28. This 12 months’s occasion is hosted by Akron on the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium in Akron, Ohio. Competition on Wednesday, Feb. 25, begins at 6 p.m. ET with the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay. The Bobcats return to motion on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m. ET for prelims, with finals set to start at 6 p.m. ET. The similar schedule goes for Friday and Saturday’s competitors, with a champion to be topped at Saturday evening’s finals. The Championship Award Ceremony is about to start at 8:55 p.m. ET. Every session might be streamed on ESPN+. 

Ohio appears to be like to enhance on final 12 months’s second-place end, in hopes to dethrone Akron as this 12 months’s Champion. Senior Casadie DiBetta and junior Zita Szoke look to defend their MAC Titles from a 12 months in the past. 

The Bobcats final competed as a full crew Jan. 30-31 at Akron, with the Zips profitable, 239-171. Junior Astrid Pichardo earned Diver of the Week honors for the second time this season for her efforts in Ohio’s meet in opposition to Akron. Individually, Pichardo positioned first in each the 1-meter and 3-meter diving occasions. Pichardo left Akron with new private data in each occasions, with a 1-m rating of 297.45 and a 3m rating of 327.15, and led the Bobcats’ diving efforts over the weekend.

Buffalo Bulls

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo swimming and diving program is competing on the 2026 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships, this Wednesday, February twenty fifth, by Saturday, February twenty eighth, on the University of Akron campus.

The Bulls enter the MAC Championships trying to earn their second convention championship within the 2020’s decade. The Bulls final gained the MAC in 2021 and have earned top-four placements each season since, together with second-place finishes in 2022 and 2023.

The program had a robust 2025-2026 common season, posting a 5-2 report in head-to-head matchups and a 2-2 report in opposition to convention opponents. The Bulls earned convention wins over Miami (OH) and Toledo, whereas falling to Ohio and Ball State. The crew earned non-conference wins over Niagara, Marshall and Duquesne.

In the pool, the Bulls have three returning athletes who earned medals finally 12 months’s convention championships, together with Bella Forsman, who was named MAC Freshman Swimmer of the Year. Forsman earned a silver medal within the 400-yard particular person medley (4:16.60). Ava Cunningham earned a bronze medal within the girls’s 500-yard freestyle (4:51.83). Forsman and Abbey Gardner additionally helped the Bulls to a silver medal end within the 800-yard freestyle relay (7:13.42).

The freshman class additionally options aggressive swimmers, three of whom joined this system’s report ebook. Pinar Donmez set a brand new college report within the 200-yard breaststroke (2:13.98) and ranks third in program historical past within the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.72), each instances set at Akron. Hattie Wasmuth joined the 200-yard backstroke program rankings at Akron, too (1:59.82). Kamilla Nemes was the third freshman swimmer to affix this system’s all-time ranks, incomes tenth within the 400-yard particular person medley (4:21.99).

The Bulls have three divers returning who gained medals finally 12 months’s championships in Presley Dorsett, Mallory Hanna and Sophie Meuwissen. Dorsett earned a silver medal within the three-meter dive (281.20). Meuwissen grabbed a bronze medal within the three-meter (269.05), and Hanna introduced dwelling bronze within the one-meter (256.90).

The Buffalo divers had a robust 2025-2026 as a crew, profitable 14 of the 16 occasions they competed in, with 4 totally different divers incomes a first-place end for this system. The crew additionally gained three MAC Diver of the Week awards, with freshman Adele Melamud being honored twice and Dorsett as soon as. Melamud additionally joined this system’s all-time prime 10 within the three-meter dive, taking seventh with a rating of 321.55.

Ball State Cardinals

MUNCIE, Ind. — After months of preparation, the Ball State girls’s swimming & diving program will put all of its arduous work to the check this week at Akron University’s Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships.

Action within the four-day meet begins Wednesday (Feb. 25) at 6 p.m. with 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays. Individual competitors will get underway Thursday (Feb. 27) and can run by Saturday (Feb. 28).

AT THE 2025 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ball State tallied 4 medals, together with three silvers and one gold, to earn a fifth-place end among the many eight-team subject with 305.5 factors. 

Payton Kelly was named first crew All-MAC after incomes her first-career gold medal within the 50 (22.23) freestyle, in addition to silver placements within the 100 (48.82) and 200 (1:48.87) freestyles. 

Anna Keen and Alexa Von Holtz have been awarded second-team All MAC, as Von Holtz captured silver within the 100 butterfly (1:58.52) whereas Keen swam two podium finishes and aided Ball State to 4 prime 5 finishes in relay competitors. 

2025-2026 PROGRAM RECORDS

While program data have a tendency to come back quick and livid on the MAC Championships, the Cardinals have already set seven program data this season.

At House of Champions (Nov. 20-22), the ladies’s squad set model new requirements in 4 relay occasions and three particular person. Payton Kelly earned program bests within the 100 again (52.86) and 100 freestyle (48.60), whereas Ava Butterfield swam a prime particular person time within the 200 again (1:57.93). In relay motion, the Cardinals recorded program-leading performances within the 200 (1:30.78), 400 (3:20.28) and 800 (7:21.7) relays in addition to the 400 medley relay (3:39.79). 

IN THE MAC RANKINGS

In the newest NCAA Division I Top Time Rankings as compiled by SchoolSwimming.com, the Cardinals have 13 student-athletes ranked in scoring place of their respective occasions heading into the MAC Championships.  

Eastern Michigan Eagles

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University swim and dive groups will compete on the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, hosted by the University of Akron, on the Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium in Akron, Ohio, Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 25-28.

EMU at MACs

Eastern has captured two MAC crowns in its historical past, coming in consecutive seasons in 2006 and 2007, underneath former head coach Peter Linn.

The Eagles took dwelling the 2006 MAC title, its first MAC Championship, besting second-place finisher, the University of Miami, by 11 factors. Eastern ended the meet scoring 637.5 factors with seven All-MAC honorees (two first crew picks and 5 second crew nods). Linn was named the MAC Swimming Coach of the Year whereas former diving coach Buck Smith was named Diving Coach of the Year. One of probably the most embellished swimmers in Eagles’ historical past, Madeline Pilchard was tabbed Swimmer of the Year by the convention.

Pilchard raked in three particular person MAC titles within the meet, profitable the 100y freestyle (50.48), 200y freestyle (1:48.74), and 500y freestyle (4:51.99). She additionally swam the anchor leg of EMU’s first-place 400y freestyle crew, a race the Eagles swam in 3:24.97.

The Eagles repeated as champs within the 2007 season, scoring 665 factors to edge second-place Ohio University (618 factors) by a margin of 47 factors inside Eastern’s Jones Natatorium.

Pilchard gained swimmer of the 12 months for the second consecutive season and Sarah Chrzanowski earned the Diver of the Year Award along with her first-place end within the 1m dive (293.60 factors). Eastern noticed 9 people named to All-MAC groups (4 to first crew and 5 to second crew), whereas claiming gold in eight occasions all through the meet.

Last time at MACs

The Eagles completed seventh as a crew with 215 factors finally 12 months’s MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1. They have been highlighted by Megan Lupa, who earned MAC Freshman Diver of the Year, putting seventh within the 3m dive closing with 255.75 factors, and fifteenth within the 1m dive finals, scoring 226.95 factors. On the fourth and closing day of the meet, Eastern scored 73 factors, making it their most profitable day. The swimmers noticed three program prime 10 instances on the third day of the championships, as Tristen Mina and Olivia Clarino teamed as much as swim the No. 5 (54.59) and No. 7 (55.08) 100y butterfly program instances, respectively, earlier than Nina LaRosa improved her program prime 10 100y breaststroke time from No. 8 to No. 7, as she positioned ninth within the finals in 1:02.62.

EMU at MACs Under Perkins

Eastern’s highest end on the MAC Championships underneath Derek Perkins got here in his first season when the Eagles positioned third with 485 factors. His Eagles positioned fifth within the 2021-22 season (354 factors), and completed sixth in 2020-21 (305 factors), 2022-23 (302 factors), and 2023-24 (273 factors).

 

Last Time Out Highlights

The Eagles final competed in opposition to Ball State University inside Jones Natatorium, Jan. 24, leading to a lack of 133.5 factors to Ball State’s 166.5 factors. Eastern gained three occasions within the pool, two of which got here from LaRosa, as she swam the 100y breaststroke in 1:02.61 for first place, together with taking first within the 200y breaststroke in 2:20.02. The third occasion win got here from Mina, as she took first place within the 100y butterfly with a time of 55.31. Mina was adopted by Abbey Clarke, who completed in second place with a time of 56.43, and Nehir Guven, who earned third with a private greatest time of 56.53 to brush the race.

The divers swept each occasions, incomes the highest 4 scores in every. Rose Kendrick gained each occasions with a private greatest rating of 280.88 factors within the one-meter, and one other private greatest rating of 295.13 factors within the three-meter. Marnie Howard took second place within the one-meter with 236.78 factors, adopted by Taityn Speier, who earned third with 234.75 factors, and Aisling Gutierrez, who scored 231.83 factors to take fourth place. In the three-meter, Kendrick was adopted by Speier with 252.15 factors for second place, Gutierrez earned third with 249.83 factors, and Howard closed the sweep with 231.75 factors for fourth place.

Up Next

Qualified divers will transfer on to the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, hosted by Eastern Michigan, inside Jones Natatorium, Monday-Wednesday, March September 11. Select swimmers will compete on the CSCAA NICs, hosted by the CSCAA, in Ocala, Fla., Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14.

Massachusetts Minutewomen

Preview coming quickly…

Bowling Green Falcons

Preview coming quickly…

Toledo Rockets

Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 25-28 / at MAC Championships / Akron, Ohio / Championship Central

Women’s Swimming & Diving enters the championship portion of its season with the MAC Championships this week. The competitors runs from Wednesday to Saturday in Akron, Ohio. Both preliminary and closing rounds every day might be streamed on ESPN+. Last day trip, senior Janne Slegers gained the 100 free (50.32) as sophomore Rosie Richards positioned first within the 200 free (2:52.13). The 400 free relay crew of Richards, Helena Pinto Coelho Lopes, Kenzie Myco and Slegers gained the occasion with a time of three:27.47.

 

For extra MAC Swimming & Diving information and notes all through the season, go to www.GetSomeMaction.com and observe @MACSports on X, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.