Ohio State women’s swim team competes against Wright State during a meet at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on Feb. 3. Credit: Fallon Perl | Lantern reporter
The Ohio State women’s swimming team dominated in their final dual meet of the season with a score of 153-88, claiming first place in all but two events.
Working to bounce back from a loss to Michigan last weekend, this victory over Wright State was a step in the right direction with just 12 days until the Big Ten Championships.
“We’re kind of swimming off-events tonight, so it’s fun to just get up and race something different,” senior Kaitlyn Ferrara said. “Last week was a tough loss, but we all raced well … so we’re all looking forward to bringing it back for Big Tens.”
Though the athletes may have been competing in races that they aren’t typically used to swimming, it served as a nice change of pace for the Buckeyes, Ferrara added.
“It’s kind of good for Big Tens. The energy is not quite as hype, so it kind of gets you ready to race no matter what the situation is,” she said. “Every time you get up on the blocks is good practice for the end-of-the-season meet.”
Senior Lindsey Clary said that the Big Tens will be an intense four days of swimming for the Buckeyes, and the last two dual meets have helped the team prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.
“For conference, you kind of want to hit it at that peak physically, but that isn’t where we’re at right now and that’s okay,” Clary said. “Mentally, everyone is getting super excited. I think we’re all in a good spot and ready to be racing fast and racing for each other, and I think this meet is helping us with that.”
The seniors concluded their final dual meet of their career at OSU. Clary, Ferrera, Taylor Vargo, Chantel Wynn, and Zulal Zeren were recognized for the past four years they dedicated to the program.
Vargo and Clary finished their final dual meet with a couple of victories. Vargo recorded the fastest time for the Buckeyes in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing with a time of 2:06.78, while Clary finished with a winning time of 2:17.71 in the 200-yard breaststroke.
The freshmen dazzled in a couple of races, showing promise for the future of the program. Kathrin Demler won both the 100- yard backstroke with a time of 56.44 seconds, as well as the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:01.08. Freshmen Devin Landstra also picked up a victory, touching the wall at 53.51 to win the 100-yard freestyle.
Clary was overwhelmed with emotions as the team concluded the meet, but her focus remained on the conference championships.
“Everyone was making bets that I was going to cry, but I’m excited. I’m happy to have my last meet with this group of girls,” Clary said. “It’s a really great group, and I’m excited to see what we can do in the next couple of weeks.”
The Ohio State Winter Invitational will be held on Feb. 11-12 at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, just before the team travels to West Lafayette, Indiana, for the Big Ten Championships, taking place from Feb. 15 to Feb. 18.
