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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
JCU Women's 2024 OAC Championships
Sean Finucane

Women's Swimming & Diving Captures Eighth Straight OAC Championship

| By: Joe Ginley '16, SID
The Blue Streaks rolled on the final day of the OAC Championships.
AKRON --  Eight is most certainly great!

John Carroll Women's Swimming & Diving has retained the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship for an eighth consecutive season after a strong finish to the week.

The Blue Streaks enjoyed the joy of victory thanks to a point total of 912. 

"It seems like we just started the season. To be where we are and to have this team standing atop the podium for the eighth straight year is a testament to how hard they've worked," said Barton.

Olivia Goodman captured her second straight OAC Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Year award, not a bad start to a career for the sophomore. The Rochester, Michigan native is the fifth Blue Streak in program history to win the honor back-to-back. 

"It feels amazing, I'm so glad to be surrounded by the most amazing teammates who get me through practice everyday," said Goodman. "The mornings are not easy. Without them I'd never be able to do it, I'm thankful for them."

A Blue Streak has secured the honor six straight meets, adding to the longest streak in OAC history.

"She completely deserves this," said Koppelmann. "She's the hardest working girl I know, she's in the pool like nine times a week, it's insane she never gets tired. I'm so proud of her, she's the kindest soul and we love Olivia."

"She is super consistent," stated Barton. "One of the things that speaks volumes about her and her swimming abilities is that last year, she won the IM events and the 200 Butterfly. This year, she won the IM events and the 200 Breaststroke this year. She's got a breadth of events to choose from, and she's ready to do what the team needs. She'll give it her best effort and stand atop the podium no matter what event we enter her in."

For the third straight year, Barton & Co. earned the OAC Most Outstanding Coaching Staff. That makes seven of eight years for JCU coaches securing the distinction. Barton's assistants are Lewis Fellinger, Ian Bishop, Larissa Czupik, Taylor Epstein, and Westin Fishel. 

The JCU staff did a marvelous job not only this week in Akron, but also over the course of the entire season. 

"I'm really proud of my staff – Ian, Larissa, Lewis, Westin, Taylor – they make coming to work fun," said Barton. "The student-athletes are the reason I get up every morning." 

The evening began with three Blue Streaks earning a spot on the podium in the 1650 Freestyle. Bella Genise, Hannah Smith, and Maddie Jarosz registered fourth, fifth, and seventh places, respectively. 

During WJCU's Radiothon, Lauren Koppelmann stood out in the 200 Backstroke. WJCU's Music Director fired up a time of 2:11.39, just barely off the title but still impressive. Senior Audrey Prisby smiled with an All-OAC finish, clocking in at 2:12.76. Annamarie Habusta got back to the podium with a seventh-place mark. 

Mairin Dalziel held off a furious rally to seize the 100 Free title for a second straight year. The sophomore scored a time of 52.42, bringing home big points for JCU. Abby Zablotny snagged an All-OAC medal with a third-place time of 54.45, while Anna Glass tabbed sixth. 

Olivia Goodman unseated the defending champ by a big margin in the 200 Breaststroke. The pride of the JCU Equipment Department fired off to a great start and never looked back. In a dominant showing, Goodman touched the wall in 2:23.23. Regan Gunzy enjoyed a nice All-OAC finish with a time of 2:27.58. 

"It's been a really tough season, as far as I've changed my training, but my coaches have guided me through all of that," Goodman said. "It's been tough but it's been worth it. My favorite this weekend was the 200 Breast because that's the first time I've dropped time in the race, so that felt good."

In the 200 Butterfly, Baldwin Wallace's Mallory Dondorfer pulled away late to become the Jackets' first winner in the event since 2008, but the Blue Streaks still scored well. Grace Roberts clocked in at 2:14.35, an improvement from her prelim time, for second. Marina Sneyd snagged fifth, while Bella Genise enjoyed a nice senior moment with a seventh-place finish. 

In the 1 Meter Diving portion, Emily Gelske (296.80), Sarah Roehrs (283.65), and Sarah Ruetschle (277.10) tallied fourth through sixth places.

The night concluded with the 400 Free Relay. JCU's streak winning the event ended at six, but the Blue Streaks still tallied a nice second-place effort. Dalziel, Kaitlyn Hilty, Zablotny, and Glass combined for a time of 3:38.22. 

And then, the awards and celebrations flowed. 

"I think this shows that we're incredibly strong and that we'll keep getting stronger," said Goodman. "The work we put in everyday is working and we need to keep going and pushing on."
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