Eight teams will try to win the Mid-American Conference Championship starting Thursday, but after a long dual-meet season, only a few teams are left that can contend for a title.
Akron (3-5), 7th last year
The Zips lost all four conference dual meets this season. Buffalo, Ball State, Bowling Green and Miami all cruised past them by an average margin of 44 points. The Zips will have to fear finishing last this year.
Ball State (8-2), 6th last year
Coach Kristy Castillo has put together an impressive record in dual meets. The Cardinals were the only team to take Eastern Michigan (7-0) to the brink of a loss. Still, the Cardinals have a small roster and will have a hard time in the three-day competition.
Bowling Green (4-5), 8th last year
The Falcons look to improve on a last-place finish last year. In a weak, non-conference schedule, Bowling Green earned three wins. Against MAC teams, however, the Falcons struggled to win only one in four conference meets. This might be enough to allow them to finish seventh this year.
Buffalo (6-2), 4th place last year
The Bulls host the championships this year and are coming off the longest winning streak in program history, winning five dual meets in a row. A back-to-back, however, would be a surprise this year. Ohio, Toledo, Miami and Eastern Michigan should prove too strong for Buffalo.
Eastern Michigan (7-0), 5th place last year
The MAC’s only undefeated team has taken serious efforts to improve its competiveness in the off-season, recruiting 12 new freshmen, which increased the total roster size to 31 – the second-largest roster behind Miami.
“They are a very good program,” Ohio coach Greg Werner said, adding that the Eagles are a serious championship contender.
Miami (11-1), 3rd place last year
“They are the favorite for the Mid-American Championship this year,” Werner said. The RedHawks have defeated both Toledo and Ohio by a margin of more than 30 points and return all of their All-MAC first team honorees to the championships. Miami coach Dave Jennings knows that he is able to win the conference title this year. “Four teams will be able to compete for the championships: Toledo, Ohio, Eastern Michigan and us.”
Ohio (6-3), MAC-Runner-up last year
Ohio is able to beat MAC champion Toledo on a good day, but also able to lose by 40 points to Miami on a bad day. The Bobcats have yet to prove they can successfully compete in a three-day competition, as they lost to the Rockets by more than 400 points in the Zippy Invitational. “We will be ready for the championships,” Werner said.
Toledo (2-6), MAC-Champion last year
Toledo swam the toughest schedule of the conference. While it hurt their dual record, it didn’t hurt their swimming skills, as the Rockets won the Zippy Invitational and proved to be a three-day competition team. Toledo will take advantage of that at the championships.
am794811@ohiou.edu
