Feb. 27, 2010

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Complete Results

By Drew Davis

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami women's swimming and diving surged back into title contention over the final two days of the Mid-American Conference Championships, finishing second overall. The University of Toledo led from day one and held on for its first conference championship in program history.

The RedHawks finished the first day in third place before falling to sixth after day two. They made their biggest move on the third day of competition, jumping to second place. At Saturday's final session, the Red and White held onto second place despite a hard-charging Ohio team.

The runner-up finish marks the 15th time in the last 17 years that the RedHawks have finished first or second and preserved their streak of finishing in the top four every year since the program became a varsity sport in 1975.

In the first event of the evening, Miami junior Miranda Kaltenborn swam a career-best 17:02.33 in the 1,650-yard freestyle, placing 10th. Toledo's Jacy Dyer set new pool, meet and conference records in the event with a time of 16:21.74.

Senior Kasey Carpenter finished her Miami career with a second-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 1:58.28, breaking the school record she set earlier in the day at prelims. Carpenter's performance, in addition to the efforts of freshman Leah Thornton (seventh), freshman Jenny Warmolts (11th) and Kaltenborn (16th) gave Miami a 30-point cushion over third-place Ohio.

Freshman Maegan O'Connor helped keep Miami out in front of Ohio with a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly.

Miami sealed second place overall with second-, seventh- and 11th-place finishes by senior Kelsey Anagnos and freshmen Danica Roskos and Corrine Bangs, respectively. The divers' performances gave Miami a 43-point lead over Ohio with just one event to go.

The RedHawks who earned NCAA Championship "B" cuts now must wait to see if their times qualify them for the NCAA Championships. Last season Vehr and 2009 graduate Alyson Schmidt competed in the National Championship meet. Miami swimmers who earned "B" cuts this season were Carpenter in the 200-yard backstroke; Vehr and Brunn in the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes; Vehr in the 400-yard IM; Thornton and freshman Maegan O'Connor in the 100-yard backstroke; and O'Connor and Way in the 100-yard butterfly.

Vehr and Brunn were named First-Team All-MAC, while Anagnos, Thornton and O'Connor were selected as Second-Team All-MAC members.

Other point-scorers for the RedHawks on Saturday were redshirt freshman Claire Dickmann (14th) in the 1,650-free; senior Allison Way (12th), freshman Bekka Westrick (13th) and sophomore Sarah Radke (15th) in the 100-free; redshirt freshman Brittney Rohr (11th), Dickmann (12th) and Thornton (16th) in the 200-fly; and the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Westrick, freshman Katie Arlinghaus, Radke and Way.

All-MAC Women's Swimming and Diving Teams

First Team

Jacy Dyer, Toledo ... Carly Harter, Toledo ... Annie Donovan, Ohio ... Kelsey Vehr, Miami ... Rachel Heim, Ohio ... Meili Carpenter, Buffalo ... Kendall Karchner, Akron ... Caroline Simmons, Buffalo ... Amanda Traylor, Ohio ... Samatha Partridge, EMU ... Chelsey Bower, Ohio ... Megan Brunn, Miami ... Kelsey Atchison, Toledo ... Alie Schirmirs, Buffalo ... Sarah Kowalski, EMU

Second Team

Steph Zielinski, Akron ... McKenzie Bagan, Toledo ... Briana Emig, EMU ... Laura Lindsay, Toledo ... Maegan O'Connor, Miami ... Ashley Cusak, Toledo ... Laura Heckroth, Toledo ... Claire Leichty, Toledo ... Katie White, Toledo ... Katie Miles, Akron ... Meg Richardson, Bowling Green ... Leah Thornton, Miami ... Danielle Hulvey, EMU... Kelsey Anagnos, Miami ... Stacy Huber, Ohio ... Lindsay Hamilton, Ohio

Swimmer of the Year

Jacy Dyer, Toledo and Rachel Heim, Ohio

Diver of the Year

Meili Carpenter, Buffalo

Swimming Coach of the Year

Lars Jorgensen, Toledo

Diving Coach of the Year

Buck Smith, EMU