Season Recap: Women's Swimming & Diving posts winning season in 2017-18

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's swimming and diving team posted a winning season in 2017-18 under 14th-year head coach Peggy Ewald.

The Polar Bears were 5-4-1 overall and finished second in the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season with a 3-1 record.

ONU then posted a fourth place finish of five teams with 561.5 points at the 2018 OAC Championships at the University of Akron's Ocasek Natatorium.

Sophomore Lauren Halle (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) won two titles and set two school records to lead Ohio Northern at the OAC Championships meet.

Halle edged John Carroll's Gwyn Ledrick in the 200 I.M. by just .42 of a second, winning in 2:08.26. Her time broke the previous ONU record of 2:08.79 set in 2016 by Allison Lohnes.

Halle also won the 200 fly in 2:08.28, touching a full 3.43 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor for her second championships title of the meet and her second consecutive crown in the event.

She earned All-OAC honors with a second place finish and set a school record in the 400 I.M. in 4:35.78, breaking her own mark of 4:36.57.

In all, Halle earned All-Conference accolades in five events.

Freshman Marissa Taylor (Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell) also earned All-OAC kudos in the event, finishing third right behind Halle in 4:38.70. Taylor earned All-Conference accolades in four events over the three days.

The top three finishers in each individual event and the top two relay teams in each event earn All-Conference honors.

The Ohio Northern coaching staff, led by 14th-year head coach Peggy Ewald, was named the Co-OAC Women's Coaching Staff of the Year.

Senior Sydney Veon (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) earned All-Conference accolades in three individual events and a team-best six events overall.

Veon was second in the 100 breast in 1:06.33, was third in the 50 free in :24.46 and was third in the 100 free in :53.53.

Junior Kierra Watson (Brownsburg, Ind.) earned All-OAC honors in both 200 backstroke events. She was second in the 100 back in :58.23 and was second in the 200 back in 2:07.32. Watson was All-OAC in five events overall.

Sophomore Libby Sartschev (Parma/Normandy) finished second and was named All-OAC in the 3-meter diving for the second straight season, scoring 298.80 points.

Northern started the meet with the 200 free relay team of Watson, Halle, Taylor and Veon finishing second in 1:38.20.

The Polar Bear squad of Watson, Veon, sophomore Kyley Stuart (Ada) and Taylor were second in the 200 medley relay in 1:48.30.

Watson, Taylor, Halle and Veon earned All-Conference honors with a second place finish in the 400 free relay in 3:36.98 in the final event of the Championships.

Watson and seniors Maggie Dempster (Akron/Firestone) and Kasey Mucher (Arlington, Tex./Oakridge) were named Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference in women's swimming & diving for 2017-18.

Watson and Veon were also named OAC Swimmer of the Week.