Kwak Wins Second Gold As Bulls Finish MAC Championships In Fourth

Saturday, March 2

Athens, OH

All Day

MAC Championships

Kwak Wins Second Gold As Bulls Finish MAC Championships In Fourth

3/2/2024 9:55:00 PM | Swimming and Diving

ATHENS, OHIO – The University at Buffalo Swimming & Diving team closed out MAC Championships on Saturday, ending the week with a fourth place finish in a field of eight teams and 442 points. Marialis Kwak doubled back to win her second gold medal in diving this week, as Presley Dorsett and Mia Naccarella also brought home medals in their respective events. The Bulls tallied six medals throughout four days, with two gold, one silver and two bronze.

Building off of her momentum from her gold medal finish in one-meter diving on Thursday night, Kwak finished first in the three-meter diving finals at MAC Championships with a score of 312.65. The junior becomes the third diver in program history to win two diving gold medals at the same MAC Championship, joining Victoria Franz (2022) and Meili Carpenter (2010).

Dorsett placed third in the three-meter finals with a score of 279.55, bringing home the first MAC Championship medal of her career. Kaylee Donovan (6th, 269.60) and Sophie Meuwissen (8th, 236.85) also finished inside the top ten, putting four Bulls inside the top eight finishers.

In the preliminary round of three-meter diving on Saturday the Bulls had five divers place inside the top ten. Kwak took first place with a score 318.30. Dorsett also took a podium spot in the prelims with a third-place finish and a score of 294.50. Meuwissen (6th, 266.90), Donovan (7th, 265.65) and Maggie Meyers (9th, 261.95) rounded out Buffalo's divers. The consolation finals of three-meter diving took place on Friday night, where Meyers finished fifth with a score of 243.35.

Naccarella brought home a bronze medal with a third-place finish and a time of 1:56.70 in the 200 yard backstroke finals. Abigail Malmstrom took fifth in the finals with a time of 1:58.02, the second time Buffalo had two top five finishers in the same event. Vivian Roy finished first in the consolation finals and ninth overall in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:59.30.

In the preliminary round Naccarella placed third with a time of 1:56.21, a new personal record for the senior, ranking third all-time in program history. Malmstrom posted a time of 1:57.15 in the qualifying round, finishing fifth. Roy just missed the finals cut with a ninth-place finish in the prelims and a new personal best time of 1:58.50. Roy's personal best performance ranks fifth all-time in program history. Nicole Burton placed 17^th, missing the consolation finals cut by .10 seconds with a time of 2:02.52.

Clarice Fisher finished the 200 yard butterfly finals with a season best time 1:59.11, taking fourth for the Bulls. Kaley Ream placed second in the consolation finals and 10th in the event overall with a season best time of 2:02.40. Fisher placed second in the preliminary round with a time of 1:59.20, just .40 seconds away from breaking her personal record. Ream finished the prelims with a season best time of 2:03.45 and a ninth place finish to qualify for the consolation finals. Nicole Aguilar just missed the cut, placing 17^th with a time of 2:05.11.

Kasey Keaney placed fourth in the consolation finals of the 200 breaststroke, 12th in the event overall with a time of 2:18.32. Keaney's consolation finals time is a season best. In the preliminary round of the 200 breaststroke the senior finished 15^th with a time of 2:19.09. Grace Rider missed the consolation finals cut, placing 20^th with a time of 2:22.38.

Marij van der Mast placed ninth in the 1650 freestyle finals at with a time of 17:03.70. Elise McCaul finished 12th with a time of 17:09.67. McCaul's time is a new personal best.

The Bulls ended the day with a four place finish in the 400 yard freestyle and a time of 3:21.80. The team of Naccarella, Malmstrom, van der Mast and Alicia Wood had a season best relay time for Buffalo.

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Akron	812.50
2. Miami of Ohio	652.50
3. Ohio	583
4. Buffalo	442
5. Ball State	330
6. Eastern Michigan	273
7. Toledo	230
8. Bowling Green	149

All information from the MAC Championships including results, live streams and event lists can be accessed here.

For more coverage, check out the official website of the Buffalo Bulls, and follow the program on Instagram (@UBSwimDiveTeam), X (@UBSwimDiveTeam) and Facebook ("Buffalo Bulls Swimming and Diving").