WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

MAC Women's Swim Championships to be Held in Buffalo

Andrea Lehner

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo hosts the 2008 Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at Alumni Arena Natatorium with action starting on Wednesday, February 20 and continuing through Saturday, February 23.

Eight MAC schools (Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Ohio and Toledo) will be vying for league supremacy at the annual meet, which is being held at UB for the second time since 2001.

Eastern Michigan comes into the meet as the two-time defending champions (2006-07) after the Eagles broke Miami's string of four straight league titles (2002-05). Both teams are considered strong contenders for the league title at this season's meet. Eastern Michigan returns two-time MAC Swimmer of the Year Madeleine Pilchard. Toledo went undefeated in dual-meet competition against the MAC this season with a 7-0 league mark and could grab its first league championship. Ohio was 12-1 in duals this season, with their only loss coming to Toledo in November. The Bobcats won the MAC title in 2001 when the championships were last held in Buffalo.

UB had a strong dual-meet season with a 6-4 overall record and 3-4 in MAC meets. The Bulls look to contend in several events with sophomores Andrea Lehner (Lockport, NY/Orchard Park) and Meili Carpenter (Boulder, CO/Fairview) expected to reach the championship podium. Lehner broke four individual and a relay record in her first season at UB and has the league's fastest time in three events (500-yard freestyle, 100- and 200- yard backstroke) this season. Carpenter, an All-MAC honoree at last season's championships, broke her own school records in the one- and three-meter diving events during the 2007-08 campaign and is near the top of the league's diving charts.

Competition begins on Wednesday, February 20 at 7:00 pm with championship races in the 200-yard medley and 800-yard freestyle relays. Preliminary heats will take place Thursday through Saturday at 11:00 am each day with finals getting underway at 7:00 pm.

Individual session tickets and an all-session pass are available for those attending the meet. Tickets are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, $3.00 for students per session. All-session passes are available for $25.00 for adults, $18.00 for seniors and $10.00 for students and are good throughout the meet.

For those unable to attend the championships in person, the meet will be streamed live on the web. A link to the webstream can be found in the Bulls Multimedia Center.