2020-21 Swimming & Diving Season in Review: History Made
5/14/2021 10:45:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
A little over year ago an article like this was written about how the 2019-20 University at Buffalo women's swimming and diving season was the best season to date. Well, here we are a year later and now we are talking about how the 2020-21 season surpassed last year.
After the 2020 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Swimming and Diving Championships concluded in late February, no one knew that two weeks later the world would shut down with the COVID-19 pandemic. All intercollegiate, professional, and Olympic competition would be halted with no end in sight. Until a Monday in mid-October where the MAC announced its' plan to conduct a 2020-21 season. The season had been saved and the pursuit for their first MAC title was alive.
The Bulls opened the season at the Zippy Invite where they faced the seven-time reigning MAC Champion Akron Zips. Over the course of the three day invite the Bulls racked up 1,570 points but would finish in second place to the Zips. The next time the teams faced each other was at a dual meet in Buffalo, N.Y. at the end of January. The Bulls would come out victorious by a score of 169-131.
For the first time since 2017, UB had a swimmer qualify for the NCAA Championships. Junior Toni Naccarella qualified for both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events. She finished third in her heat with a time of 22.70-seconds. Placing third, she beat three swimmers from Florida State and one from both Virginia and Alabama. In the 100-yard freestyle, she finished the event in a time of 49.22-seconds.
The team would close out the regular season with a home dual meet against Cleveland State. On Senior Day, UB honored their seven seniors prior to the meet: Brittney Beetcher, Isobel Holcomb, Jenna Krull, Jillian Lawton, Journi Northorp, Nicole Roitenberg, and Olivia Spaio. The Bulls stampeded all over Cleveland State as they won 167-82 to complete an undefeated dual meet season, 5-0 overall and 3-0 in MAC play. This would also mark just the second time they finished undefeated under Head Coach Andy Bashor's tenure. The win was a milestone as it gave Bashor his 150th career win as UB's swimming and diving head coach.
All the trials and tribulations from the season had led up to this moment, the 2021 Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. The Bulls traveled to Ypsilanti, Mich. where Eastern Michigan University would host the championships in the Jones Natatorium.
The Bulls were on a rampage at the first day of the MAC Championships. To start the championships was the 200 freestyle. The team of Lawton, T. Naccarella, Jenna Krull and Ellie Duley would narrowly pass Akron by .19-seconds to win the gold medal and set a new Jones Natatorium pool and UB program record.
In perhaps one of the most exciting events, UB would give the old one-two punch in the 50 freestyle. Lawton earned the silver medal, her second of the night, in a time of 22.91-seconds. T. Naccarella repeated as the MAC 50 freestyle champion as she improved her championship time to 22.37-seconds.
In the diving well, the Bulls had four divers make it to the 1-meter dive finals. Victoria Franz earned the silver medal with a finals score of 293.05. Louise Bradley just missed the podium by six points while finishing in fourth with a score of 283.15. Junior Patricia Arceri and senior Journi Northorp helped the Bulls round up the 1-meter diving finals as Arceri earned sixth place (263.65) and Northorp finished in eighth place (249.15). In total, the UB diving team gave the Bulls 56 points in the first day.
To close out the first night, the Bulls' 400 medley relay team of Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Clarice Fisher and Lawton claimed the silver medal in a school record time of 3:36.58. The Bulls were in first place with a total of 239 points as they held a narrow four-point lead over the Akron Zips.
The Bulls had a solid showing at the second day of the MAC Championships. The Bulls struck gold from the beginning as Roitenberg, Pollock, Lawton and T. Naccarella won the 200 medley relay in a UB school and Jones Natatorium record time of 1:37.82. The squad zipped by Akron for the win by .28-seconds.
T. Naccarella showed why she's one of the best freestyle specialists in the conference. She won the 200 freestyle in style as she shattered the Jones Natatorium pool record with a time of 1:47.97. Joining her on the championship podium was freshman Marij van der Mast as she earned the bronze medal with a time of 1:48.23. Pollock also set a new pool record in the 100 breaststroke. She walked her way up to the top of the podium with a championship time of 1:00.66, just shy of breaking her own school record.
The Bulls closed out the second day of championship competition with a final surge to victory. Beetcher, van der Mast, Maddy Rogan and T. Naccarella won the 800 freestyle relay with a new Jones Natatorium time of 7:16.17. The Bulls fell behind in the middle of the event, but Rogan tightened things up before the anchor run by T. Naccarella. T. Naccarella swam as if there were no tomorrow and pass the Miami (OH) swimmer for the first place finish.
After the second day of the MAC Championships, the Bulls fell to second place with 494 points, trailing the Akron Zips by 12 points.
The Bulls gained momentum in the 100 freestyle as they had four swimmers make the championship finals. T. Naccarella won the event in 48.70-seconds with Lawton finishing right behind for second. Lawton's time was 49.18-seconds. Duley finished in fourth place in 49.94-seconds. Krull would round up the Bulls in the event for a fifth-place finish (50.73-seconds). The team earned 66 points from the event to take a 22-point lead over the Zips.
After the 200 breaststroke, the Zips took a 39-point lead over the Bulls. Pollock was the lone Bull as she finished in fifth place with a time of 2:16.06. Akron had swimmers sweep the podium, and finish in sixth and ninth place.
Roitenberg bounced back and claimed the bronze medal in the 200 butterfly and finished in 1:58.73. Fisher helped the Bulls and finished in seventh place in 2:00.16.
In perhaps the most crucial event of the night, the diving team came through. With the Bulls being down by 39 points before the 3-meter dive and 400 freestyle relay, the Bulls reclaimed just a 1-point lead after great diving performances by Franz, Arceri and Bradley. Franz brought home another silver medal with a score of 313.85. Arceri found herself on the podium for third place (304.20). Bradley finished in fifth-place with a score of 276.10. Northorp grabbed a crucial six points in the consolation championship.
With their 1-point lead headed into the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, all the Bulls needed was to finish ahead of the Zips to be crowned champions. With the tension in the air the squad of Lawton, Duley, Krull and T. Naccarella swam in the final event for the Bulls. The team trailed by as much as 3.76-seconds with 50 yards to go when T. Naccarella put on the jets. She swam the final 50 yards in 25.27-seconds edging out Akron by 1.25-seconds. The Bulls captured the gold medal and their first MAC Championship in program history.
They had done it. They rewrote the history books and finished perhaps the most unique season on top. For the first time since 1998, when they won the Mid-Continent Conference (currently the Summit League) four consecutive years (1995-98), they were the last ones on the podium hoisting the trophy. Jumping into the pool had never felt so refreshing as they celebrated the night away together as champions.
The Bulls brought home additional awards as Brittney Beetcher was named MAC Outstanding Senior. For the third consecutive year, the Bulls earned MAC Freshman Diver of the Year as Louise Bradley had a fantastic championship. Diving Coach Russ Dekker earned his second MAC Diving Coach of the Year honor in his career, first as a Bull. Dekker also had this honor in 2014 with Ohio. Head Coach Andy Bashor won MAC Swimming Coach of the Year making it a repeat for the head coach as earned this honor a season ago.
A program record 10 Bulls earned All-MAC honors. Marij van der Mast, Victoria Franz, Maddy McDonough and Clarice Fisher all took home Second Team All-MAC distinctions. Toni Naccarella, Katie Pollock, Brittney Beetcher, Nicole Roitenberg, Jillian Lawton and Olivia Sapio all earned First Team All-MAC honors.
"This is huge for the present and the future," stated Head Coach Andy Bashor about what the 2020-21 season meant to the program. "This season represents more than just this team; it represents all the alumni that have competed for UB and have contributed back to the program. We all get to celebrate this year together. As for the future, it creates excitement and energy to continue to strive for more championships. I am grateful to experience the feeling of that moment, winning the championship, with my family, team, and coaching and support staff. All the work and effort was worth it for that moment of hoisting the MAC Championship trophy. We will always remember the COVID season and what we had to go through in order to even train and compete. Winning the MAC Championship made it worth it a little more. To the Class of 2021, thank you. Over your four years, you have created the foundation for our team culture that will continue to create success. We will miss your energy and enthusiasm. I am so grateful to be a part of your lives. You have impacted me and challenged me to be a better coach. Thank you!"
Click here for the MAC Championships photo gallery.
2020 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE MEDALISTS
MAC Champions
200 Freestyle Relay – Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella, Jenna Krull, Ellie Duley – 1:29.67
50 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella – 22.37
200 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella – 1:37.82
200 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella – 1:47.97
100 Breaststroke – Katie Pollock – 1:00.66
800 Freestyle Relay – Brittney Beetcher, Marij van der Mast, Maddy Rogan, Toni Naccarella – 7:16.17
100 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella – 48.70
400 Freestyle Relay – Jillian Lawton, Ellie Duley, Jenna Krull, Toni Naccarella – 3:17.76
MAC Silver Medalists
500 Freestyle – Brittney Beetcher – 4:48.34
50 Freestyle – Jillian Lawton – 22.91
1-Meter Dive – Victoria Franz – 293.05
400 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Clarice Fisher, Jillian Lawton – 3:36.58
400 IM – Olivia Sapio – 4:16.05
3-Meter Dive – Victoria Franz – 313.85
100 Freestyle – Jillian Lawton – 49.18
MAC Bronze Medalists
400 IM – Brittney Beetcher – 4:17.77
200 Freestyle – Marij van der Mast – 1:48.23
100 Backstroke – Nicole Roitenberg – 53.84
3-Meter Dive – Patricia Arceri – 304.20
200 Backstroke – Maddy McDonough – 1:57.40
200 Butterfly – Nicole Roitenberg – 1:58.73
NCAA Championships
50 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella, 47th Place out of 62 – 22.70-seconds
100 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella, 43rd Place out of 60 – 49.22-seconds
School Records
100 Backstroke – Nicole Roitenberg – 53.27
200 Backstroke – Maddy McDonough – 1:56.04
200 Butterfly – Nicole Roitenberg – 1:58.33
100 Breaststroke – Katie Pollock – 1:00.55
200 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella – 1:37.82
400 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Clarice Fisher, Jillian Lawton – 3:36.58
200 Freestyle Relay – Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella, Jenna Krull, Ellie Duley – 1:29.67
After the 2020 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Swimming and Diving Championships concluded in late February, no one knew that two weeks later the world would shut down with the COVID-19 pandemic. All intercollegiate, professional, and Olympic competition would be halted with no end in sight. Until a Monday in mid-October where the MAC announced its' plan to conduct a 2020-21 season. The season had been saved and the pursuit for their first MAC title was alive.
The Bulls opened the season at the Zippy Invite where they faced the seven-time reigning MAC Champion Akron Zips. Over the course of the three day invite the Bulls racked up 1,570 points but would finish in second place to the Zips. The next time the teams faced each other was at a dual meet in Buffalo, N.Y. at the end of January. The Bulls would come out victorious by a score of 169-131.
For the first time since 2017, UB had a swimmer qualify for the NCAA Championships. Junior Toni Naccarella qualified for both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events. She finished third in her heat with a time of 22.70-seconds. Placing third, she beat three swimmers from Florida State and one from both Virginia and Alabama. In the 100-yard freestyle, she finished the event in a time of 49.22-seconds.
The team would close out the regular season with a home dual meet against Cleveland State. On Senior Day, UB honored their seven seniors prior to the meet: Brittney Beetcher, Isobel Holcomb, Jenna Krull, Jillian Lawton, Journi Northorp, Nicole Roitenberg, and Olivia Spaio. The Bulls stampeded all over Cleveland State as they won 167-82 to complete an undefeated dual meet season, 5-0 overall and 3-0 in MAC play. This would also mark just the second time they finished undefeated under Head Coach Andy Bashor's tenure. The win was a milestone as it gave Bashor his 150th career win as UB's swimming and diving head coach.
All the trials and tribulations from the season had led up to this moment, the 2021 Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. The Bulls traveled to Ypsilanti, Mich. where Eastern Michigan University would host the championships in the Jones Natatorium.
The Bulls were on a rampage at the first day of the MAC Championships. To start the championships was the 200 freestyle. The team of Lawton, T. Naccarella, Jenna Krull and Ellie Duley would narrowly pass Akron by .19-seconds to win the gold medal and set a new Jones Natatorium pool and UB program record.
In perhaps one of the most exciting events, UB would give the old one-two punch in the 50 freestyle. Lawton earned the silver medal, her second of the night, in a time of 22.91-seconds. T. Naccarella repeated as the MAC 50 freestyle champion as she improved her championship time to 22.37-seconds.
In the diving well, the Bulls had four divers make it to the 1-meter dive finals. Victoria Franz earned the silver medal with a finals score of 293.05. Louise Bradley just missed the podium by six points while finishing in fourth with a score of 283.15. Junior Patricia Arceri and senior Journi Northorp helped the Bulls round up the 1-meter diving finals as Arceri earned sixth place (263.65) and Northorp finished in eighth place (249.15). In total, the UB diving team gave the Bulls 56 points in the first day.
To close out the first night, the Bulls' 400 medley relay team of Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Clarice Fisher and Lawton claimed the silver medal in a school record time of 3:36.58. The Bulls were in first place with a total of 239 points as they held a narrow four-point lead over the Akron Zips.
The Bulls had a solid showing at the second day of the MAC Championships. The Bulls struck gold from the beginning as Roitenberg, Pollock, Lawton and T. Naccarella won the 200 medley relay in a UB school and Jones Natatorium record time of 1:37.82. The squad zipped by Akron for the win by .28-seconds.
T. Naccarella showed why she's one of the best freestyle specialists in the conference. She won the 200 freestyle in style as she shattered the Jones Natatorium pool record with a time of 1:47.97. Joining her on the championship podium was freshman Marij van der Mast as she earned the bronze medal with a time of 1:48.23. Pollock also set a new pool record in the 100 breaststroke. She walked her way up to the top of the podium with a championship time of 1:00.66, just shy of breaking her own school record.
The Bulls closed out the second day of championship competition with a final surge to victory. Beetcher, van der Mast, Maddy Rogan and T. Naccarella won the 800 freestyle relay with a new Jones Natatorium time of 7:16.17. The Bulls fell behind in the middle of the event, but Rogan tightened things up before the anchor run by T. Naccarella. T. Naccarella swam as if there were no tomorrow and pass the Miami (OH) swimmer for the first place finish.
After the second day of the MAC Championships, the Bulls fell to second place with 494 points, trailing the Akron Zips by 12 points.
The Bulls gained momentum in the 100 freestyle as they had four swimmers make the championship finals. T. Naccarella won the event in 48.70-seconds with Lawton finishing right behind for second. Lawton's time was 49.18-seconds. Duley finished in fourth place in 49.94-seconds. Krull would round up the Bulls in the event for a fifth-place finish (50.73-seconds). The team earned 66 points from the event to take a 22-point lead over the Zips.
After the 200 breaststroke, the Zips took a 39-point lead over the Bulls. Pollock was the lone Bull as she finished in fifth place with a time of 2:16.06. Akron had swimmers sweep the podium, and finish in sixth and ninth place.
Roitenberg bounced back and claimed the bronze medal in the 200 butterfly and finished in 1:58.73. Fisher helped the Bulls and finished in seventh place in 2:00.16.
In perhaps the most crucial event of the night, the diving team came through. With the Bulls being down by 39 points before the 3-meter dive and 400 freestyle relay, the Bulls reclaimed just a 1-point lead after great diving performances by Franz, Arceri and Bradley. Franz brought home another silver medal with a score of 313.85. Arceri found herself on the podium for third place (304.20). Bradley finished in fifth-place with a score of 276.10. Northorp grabbed a crucial six points in the consolation championship.
With their 1-point lead headed into the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, all the Bulls needed was to finish ahead of the Zips to be crowned champions. With the tension in the air the squad of Lawton, Duley, Krull and T. Naccarella swam in the final event for the Bulls. The team trailed by as much as 3.76-seconds with 50 yards to go when T. Naccarella put on the jets. She swam the final 50 yards in 25.27-seconds edging out Akron by 1.25-seconds. The Bulls captured the gold medal and their first MAC Championship in program history.
They had done it. They rewrote the history books and finished perhaps the most unique season on top. For the first time since 1998, when they won the Mid-Continent Conference (currently the Summit League) four consecutive years (1995-98), they were the last ones on the podium hoisting the trophy. Jumping into the pool had never felt so refreshing as they celebrated the night away together as champions.
The Bulls brought home additional awards as Brittney Beetcher was named MAC Outstanding Senior. For the third consecutive year, the Bulls earned MAC Freshman Diver of the Year as Louise Bradley had a fantastic championship. Diving Coach Russ Dekker earned his second MAC Diving Coach of the Year honor in his career, first as a Bull. Dekker also had this honor in 2014 with Ohio. Head Coach Andy Bashor won MAC Swimming Coach of the Year making it a repeat for the head coach as earned this honor a season ago.
A program record 10 Bulls earned All-MAC honors. Marij van der Mast, Victoria Franz, Maddy McDonough and Clarice Fisher all took home Second Team All-MAC distinctions. Toni Naccarella, Katie Pollock, Brittney Beetcher, Nicole Roitenberg, Jillian Lawton and Olivia Sapio all earned First Team All-MAC honors.
"This is huge for the present and the future," stated Head Coach Andy Bashor about what the 2020-21 season meant to the program. "This season represents more than just this team; it represents all the alumni that have competed for UB and have contributed back to the program. We all get to celebrate this year together. As for the future, it creates excitement and energy to continue to strive for more championships. I am grateful to experience the feeling of that moment, winning the championship, with my family, team, and coaching and support staff. All the work and effort was worth it for that moment of hoisting the MAC Championship trophy. We will always remember the COVID season and what we had to go through in order to even train and compete. Winning the MAC Championship made it worth it a little more. To the Class of 2021, thank you. Over your four years, you have created the foundation for our team culture that will continue to create success. We will miss your energy and enthusiasm. I am so grateful to be a part of your lives. You have impacted me and challenged me to be a better coach. Thank you!"
Click here for the MAC Championships photo gallery.
2020 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE MEDALISTS
MAC Champions
200 Freestyle Relay – Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella, Jenna Krull, Ellie Duley – 1:29.67
50 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella – 22.37
200 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella – 1:37.82
200 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella – 1:47.97
100 Breaststroke – Katie Pollock – 1:00.66
800 Freestyle Relay – Brittney Beetcher, Marij van der Mast, Maddy Rogan, Toni Naccarella – 7:16.17
100 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella – 48.70
400 Freestyle Relay – Jillian Lawton, Ellie Duley, Jenna Krull, Toni Naccarella – 3:17.76
MAC Silver Medalists
500 Freestyle – Brittney Beetcher – 4:48.34
50 Freestyle – Jillian Lawton – 22.91
1-Meter Dive – Victoria Franz – 293.05
400 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Clarice Fisher, Jillian Lawton – 3:36.58
400 IM – Olivia Sapio – 4:16.05
3-Meter Dive – Victoria Franz – 313.85
100 Freestyle – Jillian Lawton – 49.18
MAC Bronze Medalists
400 IM – Brittney Beetcher – 4:17.77
200 Freestyle – Marij van der Mast – 1:48.23
100 Backstroke – Nicole Roitenberg – 53.84
3-Meter Dive – Patricia Arceri – 304.20
200 Backstroke – Maddy McDonough – 1:57.40
200 Butterfly – Nicole Roitenberg – 1:58.73
NCAA Championships
50 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella, 47th Place out of 62 – 22.70-seconds
100 Freestyle – Toni Naccarella, 43rd Place out of 60 – 49.22-seconds
School Records
100 Backstroke – Nicole Roitenberg – 53.27
200 Backstroke – Maddy McDonough – 1:56.04
200 Butterfly – Nicole Roitenberg – 1:58.33
100 Breaststroke – Katie Pollock – 1:00.55
200 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella – 1:37.82
400 Medley Relay – Nicole Roitenberg, Katie Pollock, Clarice Fisher, Jillian Lawton – 3:36.58
200 Freestyle Relay – Jillian Lawton, Toni Naccarella, Jenna Krull, Ellie Duley – 1:29.67
Players Mentioned
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UB Swimming & Diving v Miami OH Senior Day
Tuesday, January 27
UB Invite Session 3
Monday, November 17
UB Invite Session 2
Monday, November 17
UB Invite Session 1
Monday, November 17
