Fifth-year senior Haleigh Bartlett continued her dominance on the boards.
During winter break, Ohio followed in the footsteps of many Midwestern grandparents by traveling to Florida for a nine-day team vacation.
Ohio coach Rachel Komisarz-Baugh, however, said she wouldn't call it a "vacation" for her Bobcats. Komisarz-Baugh said the training was "intense," and the Bobcats discovered their bodies could be pushed a lot further than they thought.
Friday evening against D-III powerhouse Denison, Ohio flexed its newly found muscles in an 161-139 victory.
Komisarz-Baugh said her strategy in the first part of the season, before the Bobcats' vacation, was to not push the team too hard and to keep everyone healthy.
As of Friday, junior Myriah Ariza-Balter was back in the pool. Senior Addison Ferguson raced in four events, and Komisarz-Baugh said no new injuries flared up during the Florida training session.
“I knew Denison was going to be tough competition today and they were,” Komisarz-Baugh said. “We are always happy with the win, but this meet showed us that we have a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks."
The divers also showed how good Florida was for them, as fifth-year senior Haleigh Bartlett broke Denison's three-meter pool record with a score of 345.83.
First-year Ohio diving coach Chelsea Ale said earlier in the season she came into her new job with high expectations of everyone, and the team's fulfillment of those expectations was a reason for Ohio's second dual meet win this season.
In the second half of the season, Komisarz-Baugh said she expects to see a faster team that puts together more crisp performances. She said she hopes the six-week break in competition will give the team "fresher legs." Komisarz-Baugh said the team still has a "chip on its shoulder because of the sixth place vote in the preseason conference polls."
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