Women's Swimming & Diving posts 156-128 victory at Wittenberg

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's swimming and diving team posted a 156-128 victory  at Wittenberg Friday night at the HPER Center Natatorium.

The Polar Bears improve to 2-1 overall, while the Tigers fall to 4-3.

Senior Sydney Veon (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) and junior Kierra Watson (Brownsburg, Ind.) each won twice to lead Ohio Northern.

Veon won the 50 free in :25.71 and the 200 breast in 2:34.97, while Watson swept the back events, winning the 100 back in 1:04.19 and the 200 back in 2:20.17.

Freshman Marissa Taylor (Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell) won the 1000 free in 11:16.65.

Sophomore Libby Sartschev (Parma/Normandy) and freshman Claire Kaiding (Waterford, Mich./Brandon) won the two diving competitions. Sartschev won the 3-meter diving with 164.10 points and Kaiding won the 1-meter diving with 188.35 points.

"We came away with both the men's and women's teams winning but it wasn't our best performance of the season," ONU head coach Peggy Ewald said. "We mixed up a few of the events giving some of the athletes a chance to swim off events which ultimately helps keep them fresh. However, it proved closer on the women's side and a bit riskier than anticipated.

"We had such an outstanding weekend last week against JCU and just didn't bring the same energy into this meet. It's always a a rough time of year just before a holiday and everyone's mind is a bit scattered thinking about going home. We need to stay in the moment, in the here and now and just learn to race and stay out of our heads. As with all meets, it's the test to the lessons of the weekly grind of practice that unfold in competition. We have more work to lay down over the next two weeks as we prepare for The Wooster Invite."

The Polar Bears will return to action Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at the Wooster Invitational.