MAC Swimming and Diving Championships: UB Roundup

You can blame a busy day on the basketball courts Saturday and my newfound love of the film industry on Oscars Sunday for this delayed wrap up of the MAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, but better late than never.

After two days UB was sitting in fourth place, likely out of the running for the meet championship, but had wrapped up several individual and relay wins thanks to the power trio of Brittney Kuras, Jessica Powers, and Spencer Rodriguez.

Saturday would be no different at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, OH, as the trio of Bull swimmers notched another handful of wins and were all named First Team All-MAC at the end of the meet. UB finished 5th overall in the team competition.

The big story for UB, as it has been in the pool for three years, was the success of now-Senior Brittney Kuras, who this weekend became just the fourth-ever swimmer to earn three-time Most Outstanding Swimmer Recognition. In 2014 Kuras won three individual events and was a part of two more victorious and two second-place relay teams.

Over the course of the meet, Kuras set two MAC records individually, was the anchor on the 400 free relay team that set another MAC record, and missed her own conference mark, set last year, but just three hundredths of a second. A ctrl+f search of her name on the meet results brings up a whopping 26 results.

Powers and Rodriguez went 1-3 in the 1,650 meter swim, as Powers set a school record by finishing in 16:21.10, and Rodriguez bested her top time by 50 full seconds.

Though UB was not team champions, the meet finished the way it began: with a Bulls relay victory, as the 400 free relay set a MAC record by finishing in 3:19.37.

UB's Men's Swimming and Diving team will compete in their conference championship next weekend. Go Bulls!

Final Standings:

Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 104
1. Akron, University of 574
2. Miami University (Ohio) 496
3. Bowling Green State Univ. 476
4. Eastern Michigan University 469
5. University at Buffalo 446
6. Ohio University 362
7. University of Toledo 348
8. Ball State University 334