 "Photo: Courtesy of the UT Athletic Department")
For the first time in school history, the University of Toledo swimming and diving team became Mid-American Conference Champions on Saturday after piling up 670.5 total points over the course of four days of competition at the championships, which were held at Miami (OH) in Oxford. The Rockets set eight school records en route to their first championship in the program’s 19-year history, outdistancing the second place RedHawks (572 points) by nearly 100 points.
“It’s an incredible feeling, really,” Toledo Head Coach Lars Jorgensen said. “We’ve been working a long time for this. Through the years, we’ve been getting closer and closer, and it’s great to get over the top. It’s a great team, and we’re really happy for them and all their hard work.”
Toledo won 8-of-20 events at the MAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, with six swimmers scoring in the last day of competition on Saturday. Junior Jacy Dyer placed first or competed in five of the eight events the Rockets captured at the championships and set a conference, meet and pool record in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 16:21.74. Overall at the meet, Dyer captured three individual MAC titles to bring her career total to four and tie former Toledo swimmer Meghan Reissig. She also set two school records and one MAC record, garnering First Team All-MAC and the conference’s Co-Swimmer of the Year honors.
“It feels amazing,” Dyer said. “I can’t even explain it. This is huge. I wanted this so bad for the team—I never wanted anything more. It’s just unbelievable. There are no words, really.”
Toledo began the championships by taking first place in the first event, where seniors Ashley Cusack and Katie White teamed up with junior Amanda Thompson and sophomore Laura Lindsay to take the 200 Yard Medley Relay (1:40.20). The Rockets followed that up with a victory in the 800 Yard Freestyle Relay in 7:14.53 from the team of Dyer, freshman Carly Harter and juniors Kelsey Atchison and Laura Heckroth. On day two, Dyer set a meet and school record in the 500 Yard Freestyle (4:44.23) in the fourth event, while Harter won the 200 Yard IM in 2:01.19 (NCAA “B” qualifying time).
Day three of the championships saw Cusack, Lindsay, Thompson and Harter take first in the 400 Yard Medley Relay (3:40.06) and Dyer win the 200 Yard Freestyle in 1:47.62—an NCAA “B” qualifying time and school record. On the final day, Dyer won the 1650 freestyle and helped Atchison, Harter and White capture the 400 Freestyle Relay in 3:21.77.
Jorgensen was named MAC Swimming Coach of the Year for the second time in his six-year career at Toledo, while Dyer was joined on the All-MAC First Team by teammates Atchison and Harter. Cusak, Heckroth, Lindsay, and White earned second-team All-MAC honors with freshman Kenzie Bagan and sophomore Claire Leichty.
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