Lauren Halle wins two titles, sets two school records to lead Women's Swimming & Diving at 2018 OAC Championships

February 18, 2018

By Tim Glon

AKRON — Sophomore Lauren Halle (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) won two titles and set two school records to lead Ohio Northern at the 2018 Ohio Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Championships Thursday-Saturday at the University of Akron's Ocasek Natatorium.

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 mark 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.

Ohio Northern finished fourth of five teams with 561.5 points in the team standings.

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.

JCU won the team title with 885 points, Mount Union was second with 712.5 points, Baldwin Wallace edged ONU for third by one half a point 562-561.5 and Wilmington was fourth with 267 points.

Final Team Standings

1. John Carroll 885, 2. Mount Union 712.5, 3. Baldwin Wallace 562, 4. Ohio Northern 561.5, 5. Wilmington 267.