Ohio bests Ball State on its senior night.
Ohio got out to a fast start against Ball State and didn’t look back.
After losing to Buffalo last Saturday, in a performance where the Bobcats got out to a slow start and couldn't turn it around, Ohio recovered by beating Ball State, 194-102, Saturday. It was also its senior day.
"Sometimes, when you have some setbacks like we did last week, it's almost a little of a reality check," Ohio coach Rachel Komisarz-Baugh said. "It kicks your butt into gear a little bit."
Ohio took the top two spots in the first two events, the 400-yard medley relay and the 1000-yard freestyle, and then swept the podium on the next two: the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke.
"They went out to prove to themselves, to me and to the competition, that's not who they are as a team," Komisarz-Baugh said.
Komisarz-Baugh said she hopes this meet can build confidence in her team for the upcoming Marshall Invite and Mid-American Conference Championships on Feb. 24.
"I think they should build some confidence after this," Komisarz-Baugh said. "Even in some races where we were trying different strategies, and trying to build confidence, and I think that's exactly what we did."
One senior swimmer who stepped up Saturday was Steph Gyurke, who won the 200-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard IM.
"(Gyurke) had an amazing meet today. She's not typically a breaststroker, and we've kind of turned her into a breaststroker," Komisarz-Baugh said. "For her to have those swims today, having a lifetime best in the 200-yard breaststroke, she's stepped up and taken a lot of pride in what this team is."
Haleigh Bartlett continued winning on the diving side, picking up a win in both diving events, with her seventh victory in a row in the 3-meter.
Komisarz-Baugh said she is proud of Bartlett's performance this year.
"Everytime she goes out on the boards to dive, I'm really proud of her, and pretty impresses," Komisarz-Baugh said. "She's dealt with some injuries this year, she actually had strep throat this week, and for her to come out and perform like that, it shows the leadership we have from the seniors and her on the boards."
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Bartlett, while performing well on her senior day, thinks she could have done better.
"I definitely didn't do as well as I could have done," Bartlett said.
Ohio will return to action next weekend at the Marshall Invite in Huntington, West Virginia.
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