Women’s Swim & Dive: Buckeyes improve to 2-0 with another landslide victory

Connor Imes
Tue, 07 Nov 2023 01:07:26 +0000
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The Ohio State Women’s Swim & Dive team defeated Akron on Friday in the Buckeyes’ second dual meet of the season.
Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File

Another win is in the books for the Buckeyes, and a stylish one on Friday, as they were all wearing pink swim caps as part of the Pink Meet.

Improving to 2-0 to start the season, the Ohio State women’s swim and dive team defeated Akron by a score of 222.5-77.5 in the Buckeyes’ second dual meet of the season at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.

“I tell the kids a lot that a season should read like a good book, it’s got to have a beginning, a middle and an end, and it can’t be the same chapter 10 times,” head swim coach Bill Dorenkott said. “We’re where we should be right now and you’re always striving to get better. For us, we’re chasing or pursuing being elite and we’re getting closer, right?”

The Buckeyes led the whole way and had first-place finishes in 14 of 16 events.

Fifth-year Amy Fulmer finished first in both of her solo events, the 100 and 200 free, and helped win the 400 free relay in her lone team event as the All-American continued an impressive start to the season for the swim team.

“I haven’t swam the two free yet this season, so it’s nice to get one of those under my belt,” Fulmer said. “There’s obviously some things I need to fix, some things I need to clean up, but overall, it’s just nice to get the reps in and just continue to practice my races.”

Sophomore Lena Hentschel also finished first in both of her events, the 3-meter dive and the 1-meter dive, leading the diving team yet again.

“I was able to improve my scores even more compared to last week,” Hentschel said. “Everything went well, except one or two dives, but nothing too terrible. So, I’m pretty happy with the competition overall. And taking away two wins is always good.”

Winning by 45 and 75 points in her two events, the former Olympic bronze medalist continues to dominate the top of the leaderboard for the Buckeyes during the start of this season but has been tripped up on one dive in both of the meets so far this season.

“I missed the same dive, it’s really not my dive. I’m not going to lie to you, I really have to work on that,” Hentschel said.

Junior Gwen Woodbury and sophomore Jessica Eden also had impressive performances for the Buckeyes, with Woodbury finishing first in the 500 and 100 free and Eden with a first-place finish in the 200 fly and second-place finishes in the 200 back and 200 individual medley.

Dorenkott said the girls had a workout in the morning before the meet later in the day and were impressed by Eden’s performance throughout the day.

“Jess Eden PR’d with a 240-pound back squat, and then she won the 200 fly,” Dorenkott said. “Then she came back two events later, had a nice 200 backstroke. She had a heck of a day.”

One of the two events Akron won was the 100 back, courtesy of senior Maddy Gatrall and junior Abby Daniel, who finished first and second, respectively.

The other was the 100 fly, which was won mostly because of a first-place finish by Daniel and a fourth-place finish from sophomore Hannah Trainer.

Ohio State’s men’s swim and dive team did not compete in the meet, as Akron does not have a men’s team.

Both of the Ohio State swim and dive teams will be back in action Friday at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion against Denison University, with the meet scheduled to start at 5 p.m.