Several months with no competition left the Ohio University Aquatic Center quiet but the excitement, the cheers and the sound of splashing water returned Saturday afternoon.
The women’s swimming and diving team started their season with a 168-132 loss against Eastern Michigan.
For a team that has established the goal of winning the Mid-American Conference title every year, senior Lauren Funk said this meet was a disappointing start.
Ohio coach Greg Werner said the day before the dual meet that it should not be taken lightly.
“Eastern Michigan is a much deeper team this year as it was last year with 13 newcomers,” he said.
The depth proved to be the difference in the pool.
The Bobcats have been struggling with injuries in the early part of the season as Eastern Michigan traveled to Athens with 34 swimmers and divers, while Ohio could only use 25.
This problem became clear when freshman Haley Clark had to swim the 200-yard freestyle right after she finished the 100-yard freestyle race.
With many of the athletes struggling through injuries, other members have the chance to compete.
“There are now opportunities for other swimmers to step up,” Werner said.
Freshman Addison Ferguson placed second in both the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly in her first collegiate meet with times of 57.72 seconds and 56.72 seconds respectively
“I was only 0.5 seconds off my personal record in the butterfly,” Ferguson said.
The senior duo of Katey Brooks and Funk swept the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle races.
Brooks took second in the 50-yard freestyle race and first in the 100-yard freestyle. Funk took first in the 50 and second in the 100.
“We definitely are faster this year,” Funk said.
Sophomore diver Morgan Srail won the three-meter dive and took second in one-meter diving against a team which Werner called the best diving team in the league.
Still, the Bobcats weren’t able to make up the lack of depth as many finished in non-scoring ranks. This caused Eastern Michigan to take the lead from Ohio with five events left in the meet and pulled away for good.
Werner added that he hopes to see improvements in the distance squad, which was swept in every event.
“We lost against a very good swim team,” Werner said. “We have to improve on discipline at the wall and a lack of focus toward the end of the meet.”
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