BEREA, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's swimming and diving team hopes to have a much-improved season in 2014-2015.
The Yellow Jacket women were 7-6 overall a year ago. This year's squad will be led by junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference swimmer Chandler Ashbaugh (Napoleon), and following winter break junior All-OAC diver Maddie Fortune (Akron/ irestone) returns from studying abroad and will bolster the team. In addition, look for seniors Kayla Eyster (Canton, Mich./ Plymouth-Canton), Emily Payne (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley) and Olivia Vocke (Napoleon) to all be leaders.
"I am happy with the leadership that we have in our reurning upperclassmen this year," said Head Coach Laura Wolff. "We have continued to add talent and depth in our freshmen class which is exciting. I am looking forward to these swimmers turning some heads in the OAC this year."
Ashbaugh returns after earning All-OAC honors in the 100-yard butterfly and as a member of the 400-yard medley relay team. She also set a school record individually in the 200-yard individual medley and was a member of the school record-setting 200-yard medley, 400-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Ashbaugh also is a standout academically and earned Academic All-OAC honors.
Fortune returns this winter after placing second a year ago in both diving events at the OAC Championships. At the 2014 NCAA Division III Regional Meet, she placed 17th in the 3-meter event with 373.30 points and was 22nd in the 1-meter with 363.25 points.
Last season, Eyster earned All-OAC honors as a member of the 400-yard medley relay team. She also joins Ashbaugh as a member of four school record-setting relay teams overall. A year ago, Eyster posted career-bests in the 100 free (55.49), 200 free (2:00.17), 500 free (5:23.31), 1000 free (11:37.01), 100-yard backstroke (1:17.94) and 200-yard individual medley (2:34.38).
Payne had career-bests in the 50-yard freestyle (27.25 seconds), 100-yard free (59.55), 500-free (6:30.02), 50-yard breaststroke (36.27), 100-yard breaststroke (1:14.50) and 100-yard butterfly (1:15.38) last winter. Vocke posted career-bests last year in the 50-yard freestyle (27.98 seconds), 500-yard free (5:49.22), 50-yard backstroke (36.22 seconds), 100-yard breaststroke (1:12.44), 200-yard breaststroke (2:37.10) and 400-yard IM (5:14.13).
Also look for junior backstroke/freestyler Contessa Elliott (Ypsilanti, Mich.) to help. She had personal-bests in the 50 free (29.12), 100-yard breaststroke (1:26.80), and 200-yard IM (2:48.97).
Other returning veterans include sophomore Carly Croyle (Avon) and distance freestyle specialist Becca Weil (Ypsilanti, Mich./Milan). Weil has the talent and ability to break the school-record in the 1650-free. Newcomers include freshmen Nicole Gladish (Fairview Park/Fairview), Allison Seemann (Napoleon) and Courtney Severns (Bucyrus).
The Yellow Jackets open the schedule this Saturday, October 25 when they travel to face Wilmington College for an OAC duale meet in the Wilmington Natatorium at 1 p.m. The next day, Sunday, October 26, BW swims a non-conference dual meet against Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware at 11 a.m. The first home dual meet is on Saturday, November 15 when the team hosts Penn State-Behrend in the BW Natatorium at 1 p.m.
