AKRON, Ohio – The Ball State ladies’s swimming and diving program captured three medals together with eight podium finishes to wrap up motion on the 2026 Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted by Akron. At the tip of the 4 days the Cardinals completed third general with 500 factors, claiming this system’s first top-three end since 1998. 

Alexa Von Holtz claimed the Cardinals’ remaining gold medal of the week, storming by the ultimate lap of the 200 butterfly to tie Akron’s Felicia Klintemar with a time of 1:58.75. With the location, Von Holtz earned the primary gold of her collegiate profession. 

Senior Payton Kelly took her third particular person medal of the week within the 100 freestyle (48.58), incomes silver whereas shaving .03 seconds off her earlier program normal to set a brand new Ball State document. 

Freshman Addy Czarnecki claimed her first collegiate medal, grabbing silver with a 16:44.23 end within the 1650 freestyle. Czarnecki was adopted carefully behind by Callie Tuma, who positioned fourth with a time of 16:45.69.

To shut the week’s occasions, the 400 freestyle relay staff of Anna Keen, Reagan Graves, Ava Butterfield and Kelly mixed for a program-leading time of 3:19.59, inserting fourth general within the occasion. 

After an awesome week of competitors, 5 Cardinals have been honored with all-conference awards. Grace Walker, Kelly, Keen, and Von Holtz have been named first staff All-MAC, whereas Czarnecki was named second staff All-MAC. 

To shut her final MAC Championship, Kelly earned the league’s Most Outstanding Senior and Swimmer awards. Kelly completed the week with six whole medals, together with three particular person and three relay, whereas additionally recording NCAA qualifying marks in each the 50 freestyle (21.88) and 100 backstroke (52.07). 

As he guided the ladies’s staff to phenomenal 2025-26 season, capped by a historic end on the J. Ocasek Natatorium, Ball State head coach J Agnew was voted because the 2026 MAC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. 

Up subsequent for a number of Cardinals are attainable postseason competitions between the NCAA Zone Diving Championships (March 9-10), the CSCAA National Invitational Championships (March 12-14) and the NCAA Championships (March 18-21).

 

Final Team Results

1.Akron – 771

2.Ohio – 559

3.Ball State – 500

4.Miami (OH) – 492

5.Buffalo – 446

6.Eastern Michigan – 263

7.UMass – 195

8.Toledo – 174

9.Bowling Green – 159

 

Ball State Results on Day 4 of the MAC Championships

SATURDAY EVENING FINALS RESULTS

1650 Freestyle | Program Record – 16:32.61 by Marcella Ribeiro in 2021 

2nd – Addy Czarnecki – 16:44.23 – third in program historical past

4th – Callie Tuma – 16:45.69

twelfth – McKenna Potteiger – 17:07.66

 

200 Backstroke | Program Record – 1:57.93 by Ava Butterfield in 2025 

fifth – Ava Butterfield – 1:57.44

ninth – Alyssa Messenger – 1:58.00 – second in program historical past

sixteenth – Olivia Owens – 2:00.11 

 

100 Freestyle | Program Record – 48.60 by Payton Kelly in 2025 

2nd – Payton Kelly – 48.58 – program document

 

200 Breaststroke | Program Record – 2:11.77 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013 

eighth – Julia Ofman – 2:15.54 – fourth in program historical past

thirteenth – Maya McDonald – 2:17.75 – fifth in program historical past

sixteenth – Milagros Amione – 2:19.00 – tenth in program historical past

 

200 Butterfly | Program Record – 1:58.52 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2025 

1st – Alexa Von Holtz – 1:58.75

fifth – Reagan Graves – 2:00.37 – third in program historical past

tenth – Haley Johnson – 2:02.32 – eighth in program historical past

 

400 Freestyle Relay | Program Record – 3:20.28 by Keen, Butterfield, Graves, Kelly in 2025 

4th – Anna Keen, Reagan Graves, Ava Butterfield, Payton Kelly – 3:19.59 – program document

 

SATURDAY MORNING PRELIMS RESULTS

200 Backstroke | Program Record – 1:57.93 by Ava Butterfield in 2025 

4th – Ava Butterfield – 1:56.93 – Advances to A Final – program document

twelfth – Alyssa Messenger – 1:59.41 – Advances to B Final

fifteenth – Olivia Owens – 2:00.33 – Advances to B Final

twenty sixth – Lauren Fecher – 2:03.77

EX: Ella Sears – 2:00.23

EX: Aubrey Simmons – 2:01.83

 

100 Freestyle | Program Record – 48.60 by Payton Kelly in 2025 

2nd – Payton Kelly – 49.35 – Advances to A Final

thirtieth – Kiley Zoeller – 52.11

EX: Haley Sakbun – 51.28

EX: Kiran Stauffer – 52.33

EX: Natalie Marshall – 52.35

 

200 Breaststroke | Program Record – 2:11.77 by Bridgette Ruehl in 2013 

eighth – Julia Ofman – 2:15.81 – Advances to A Final 

thirteenth – Maya McDonald – 2:18.59 – Advances to B Final 

fifteenth – Milagros Amione – 2:19.38 – Advances to B Final 

18th – Addie Beasley – 2:19.74

 

200 Butterfly | Program Record – 1:58.52 by Alexa Von Holtz in 2025 

2nd – Alexa Von Holtz – 1:59.69 – Advances to A Final

4th – Reagan Graves – 2:00.97 – Advances to A Final 

eleventh – Haley Johnson – 2:02.70 – Advances to B Final



Sources