University of Toledo
Mid-American Conference Championships
Toledo Looks to Make a Splash at 2017-18 MAC Championships
2/19/2018 11:53:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Toledo, Ohio - The Toledo women's swimming and diving team will head to Athens, Ohio to compete in the 2017-18 Mid-American Conference Championships. The championships run Feb. 21-24 and competition will take place in the Ohio University Aquatic Center. Participating teams include: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Ohio and Toledo.
ÂLAST TIME AROUND
Toledo finished seventh with a score of 240 in last year's MAC Championships. Jess Avery and Izzy Jones were awarded All-MAC second-team honors for their season-long performances.
Nearly three fourths (42 of 56) of the Rockets' finishes over the weekend were season-best times. The Midnight Blue & Gold recorded 17 lifetime-best finishes and tallied eight entries into Toledo's all-time Top-10 list. Avery, Jones and Maureen O'Sullivan all recorded NCAA B-cut qualifying times as well.
Second-year head coach Jonas Persson learned and saw a lot at last year's MAC Championships. While he ultimately wasn't disappointed or discouraged in the way his side performed, he knows what changes and preparations he needs to make in order to give the Rockets the best opportunity in Athens.
"I was pretty nervous walking in the first day and I think it showed. I think it reflected on our performance that first day," Persson said. "It should always be the complete opposite. If I'm nervous I shouldn't show it. I should be confident and know what's going on and be able to predict the future—I had been coaching these girls for six months. So that was a mistake that I learned from. We picked up really well the second day by going after it and having fun. We didn't have a bad meet at all last year. We had a great meet considering the situation that we were in."
While Persson is confident, he is not setting unrealistic expectations for his team.
"As long as we keep on getting better, keep on improving, I'm happy. That's gotta be the way that we approach it in order to get the title later on," Persson said. Â "We can't just look at the title and run as fast as we can for it. We have to approach it in a better and more methodical way."
Persson wants his team to "focus on process goals, not just the end goal." His immediate concern is to create a culture for his team that pushes everyone to be their best, while forming the base of a strong, competitive program.
"We work hard, we have fun, we do the right things," Persson added. "The results will come with that, as well."
RANKED ROCKETS
Ten Rockets are currently sitting in the top-20 of the MAC in an event this season:
ÂLisa Eriksson, freshman
11th 23.38 50 freestyle
15th 51.42 100 freestyle
ÂAlida Ramden, freshman
13th 23.46 50 freestyle
5th 49.97 100 freestyle
12th 1:50.46 200 freestyle
3rd 2:00.58 200 IM
ÂMacarena Garcia, freshman
12th 2:03.25 200 butterfly
17th 10:31.18 1000 freestyle
17th 2:04.87 200 IM
4th 4:19.50 400 IM
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Lina Berggren, freshman
11th 1:03.90 100 breaststroke
Gracie Storm, freshman
17th 2:03.17 200 backstroke
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Izzy Jones, sophomore
T-3rd 1:47.95 200 freestyle
2nd 4:47.79 500 freestyle
4th 54.57 100 backstroke
1st 1:56.10 200 backstroke (UT record, Dec. 3, 2017)
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Maureen O'Sullivan, sophomore
9th 55.41 100 backstroke
7th 2:00.79 200 backstroke
Rebecca Welke, sophomore
9th 1:03.66 100 breastroke
20th 2:21.67 200 breaststroke
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Eduarda Sales, sophomore
7th 55.66 100 butterfly
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Allison Dicke, senior
17th 51.46 100 freestyle
RELAY ROCKETS
Toledo also has three relays that are ranked in the top three this season:
Eriksson, Ramden, Welke, Dicke 1:33.06 3rd 200 freestyle relay
Eriksson, Ramden, Jones, Dicke 3:22.08 3rd 400 freestyle relay
Jones, Sales, Welke, Ramden 3:43.81 2nd 400 medley relay
TOLEDO'S TOP TIMES
The Rockets have 13 active swimmers who are currently on Toledo's All-Time performance lists. Six of those athletes are freshmen this season, four are sophomores and the other three are seniors.
Avery is fourth in the 100-yard breast (1:01.71) and third in the 200-yard breast (2:12.99).
Berggren is 10th in the 100-yard breast (1:03.90).
Eriksson is fourth in the 50-yard freestyle (23.38).
Maggie Hack is seventh in the 100-yard freestyle (50.73), 10th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:50.24), 10th in the 500-yard freestyle (4:54.18) and 10th in the 1,650-yard freestyle (16.56.80).
Megan Peepers is fifth in the 3-meter dive (211.45).
Brittany Puthoff is 10th in the 200-yard breast (2:18.06).
Ramden is eighth in the 50-yard freestyle (23.46), second in the 100-yard freestyle (49.97) and third in the 200 IM (2:00.58).
Jones is first in the 200-yard back (1:56.10), third in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.95), fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (4:47.79) and second in the 100-yard back (54.57).
O'Sullivan is sixth in the 200-yard back (1:59.78) and third in the 100-yard back (54.80).
Welke is ninth in the 100-yard breast (1:03.66).
Sales is fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (55.02) and ninth in the 200-yard butterfly (2:04.35).
Garcia is sixth in the 400 IM (4:19.50) and seventh in the 200-yard butterfly (2:03.25).
Elayna Yoskovich is sixth in the 3-meter dive (190.65).
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FRESHMEN MAKE A SPLASH
The freshmen class collectively holds 12 top-20 season times across the MAC, with three of those finishes being top five. Ramden and Garcia have blasted off in their first year at Toledo. Each swimmer holds four spots on the MAC top-20 lists going into the championship.
Players Mentioned
