Women's Swimming & Diving claims Golden Kickboard trophy for 12th consecutive season with 127-112 victory at Baldwin Wallace

By Tim Glon

BEREA — The Ohio Northern women's swimming and diving team won 10-of-13 events and posted a tight 127-112 victory at Baldwin Wallace on Friday night at the BW Natatorium.

The Polar Bears improve to 4-1 overall and finish 3-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference with the victory, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 5-3, 1-2.

Ohio Northern also claimed the Golden Kickboard trophy, which is awarded annually to the ONU-BW regular season meet winner.

ONU is now 12-2 all-time and has won 12 consecutive meets in the Golden Kickboard series.

Senior Sydney Veon (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), junior Kierra Watson (Brownsburg, Ind.) and freshman Marissa Taylor (Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell) led the Polar Bears with three victories each in the meet.

Veon won the 100 free in :56.09 and the 100 breast in 1:09.41, Watson won the 50 free in :26.32 and the 100 back in 1:02.91 and Taylor won the 200 free in 2:02.83 and the 500 free in 5:28.99.

The trio began the meet by joining sophomore Kyley Stuart (Ada) to win the 200 medley relay in 1:55.72.

Sophomore Lauren Halle (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) won the 200 I.M. in 2:17.55 and combined with Katie Kelly (Fremont/Ross), Abby Leatherwood (Loveland/Milford) and Freshman Avery Manbeck (Aldie, Va./Champe) to win the 200 free relay in 1:45.78.

Sophomore Libby Sartschev (Parma/Normandy) won the 1-meter diving competition for six dives with 149.80 points.

The Polar Bears will return home on Saturday afternoon for a 1 pm dual meet with Oberlin on Senior Day at the ONU Sports Center Natatorium.