2012 Women's OAC Swimming & diving Championships - Day 1 Recap

Junior Courtney Gabel and senior Alyson Kolesar won two events each to lead Mount Union into the lead on Day 1 of the 2012 Women’s Ohio Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships Thursday night at the University of Akron’s Ocasek Natatorium.

The Purple Raiders have 234 points, three-time defending champion Ohio Northern is second with 203, John Carroll us third with 173, Baldwin-Wallace in fourth with 92, Wilmington is fifth with 74 and first-year participant Defiance is sixth with 69 points.

Mount Union opened the championship by winning the 200-yard free relay in 1:38.65, edging second-place Ohio Northern by .48 of a second.

The Purple Raider foursome of Gabel, junior Jocelyn Gaydos, freshman Carly Brown and Kolesar gave MtU its first victory in the event since 2001.

Kolesar then followed up immediately and defended her title in the 500 free, touching first in 5:11.66.

Baldwin-Wallace sophomore Angela Musille broke the OAC record by winning the 200 I.M. in 1:09.86 for her first career league title in the event.

After a second place finish in 2011, Gabel broke the OAC record and surpassed the NCAA “B” Cut in the 50 free this year, winning the event in 23.97 seconds.

For the second consecutive year and for the seventh time in the last eight years, Ohio Northern won the women’s 400 medley relay.

Sophomore Jamie Garbash, Kasey Manko and Lindsey Rayhill and junior Mackenzie Hoffman finished in 3:59.40, just .27 off of the OAC record and 3.47 ahead of second place John Carroll.

Day two of the three-day championships will continue on Friday.