Women's Swimming & Diving looking for eighth OAC Championships title Thursday-Saturday at U. of Akron
By Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's swimming & diving team will be gunning for its eighth Ohio Athletic Conference Championships title Thursday-Saturday at the U. of Akron's Ocasek Natatorium.
The Championships will get underway with prelims at 11 am each morning with the finals starting at 6 pm each evening.
Five events will be contested on Thursday, eight more on Friday and the final seven on Saturday.
The Polar Bears, under the guidance of 12th-year head coach Peggy Ewald, have won seven of the last nine OAC Championships crowns, including six straight from 2009-2014.
Last year's squad finished second at the OACs.
The 2015-16 squad won a share of the OAC Regular Season title with a 3-1 record, tying with Mount Union and John Carroll for top honors.
ONU features the top times in 10 of the 20 events entering the meet, led by senior Allison Lohnes and junior Jill Chapman.
Lohnes, a 9-time OAC champion in her first three seasons, currently holds the fastest times in the 100 and 200 back and the 200 I.M. events.
She is looking to get back to the top of the podium after winning the 200 back and 200 I.M. in 2014.
In all, Lohnes is a 7-time All-OAC honoree in the three events and holds the school record in the 200 I.M.
Chapman has the fastest times in the 50 and 100 free events heading into the meet.
She is a 6-time OAC champion and has posted All-OAC honors in both events in both her freshman and sophomore years, but hopes for her first OAC title in each race.
Last season, she qualified for the NCAA III Championships in the 50 free and holds the school record in both events.
Junior Emily Uhrin and sophomore Sydney Veon are also returning OAC Champions for Ohio Northern.
The Polar Bears hold the fastest times in all five relays and have set OAC records in all five races in the past two Championships meets.
