AKRON, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's swimming and diving team won two Ohio Athletic Conference Championships, set one record and stands in fourth place after the second day of competition at the OAC Championships hosted by Wilmington College in the Ocasek Natatorium on the campus of the University of Akron.
BW is fourth of five teams with 370 points. Defending champion and crosstown rival John Carroll University leads with 554 points.
The top three individuals and the top two relay teams earn All-OAC honors.
The Yellow Jackets were led by junior All-OAC stroker Erika Nockengost (Cuyahoga Falls) and junior All-OAC freestyler Allie Thorson (Amherst/Marion Steele) as the duo claimed OAC titles. Nockengost successfully defended her crown in the 100-yard butterfly and claimed her third All-OAC accolade as she touched the wall first in a time of 58.84 seconds. Thorson won her first career OAC title in the 200-yard freestyle and claimed her fourth career All-OAC honor as she touched the wall first in a career-best time of 1:56.35.
In addition, freshman freestyler Madeleine Pierce (Perry) set a career-best in the prelims and then bested her time in the finals of the 100-yard backstroke when she finished third to claim her first All-OAC accolade with a career-best time of 59.58. Junior All-OAC freestyler Olivia Jacob (Canton/McKinley) set a career-best in the prelims and then bested her time in the finals of the 400-yard individual medley when she finished fourth with a career-best time of 4:46.73. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC diver/stroker Ellie Clymer (Independence) was fourth in the 1-meter 11-dive event with 294 points and fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke in a season-best time of 1:08.58. Sophomore All-OAC stroker Marissa Kural (LaGrange, Ill. /Lyons Township) took fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and 11th in the 100-yard backstroke in a season-best times of 1:00.12 and 1:03.79. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC stroker Sarah Krupp (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) took 11th in the 400-yard individual medley in a season-best time of 5:02.97
In relay action, the 200-yard medley squad of Pierce, Clymer, Nockengost and senior stroker Claire Onchuck (Darrien, Ill./Hinsdale South) took third in a time of 1:49.76. The 800-yard freestyle unit of Nockengost, freshman All-OAC freestyler Bella Ratino (Mentor/Hawken), Jacob and Thorson finished second in a school-record time of 7:51.87 to earn All-OAC honors.
BW is back in action on Saturday, February 16 for the third and final day of competition of the OAC Championships. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. and the finals will be contested at 6 p.m.
