Bowling Green State University Athletics
Program-Best Start Fuels Falcons’ Championship Push
February 25, 2026 | Women's Swimming & Diving
AKRON, Ohio — The culmination of a historic season begins Wednesday night for the Bowling Green State University swim and dive team as it opens competition at the 2026 MAC Championships.
The Falcons, 13-3 overall and 3-1 in conference duals, enter the four-day meet at Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium following one of the most successful regular seasons in program history. Bowling Green will look to convert season-best times and diving depth into a climb up the team standings.
Competition begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. Preliminary sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. each day, followed by finals nightly through Saturday.
Bowling Green opened the season with a program-best 10-0 start and maintained that consistency throughout the winter. The Falcons closed the regular season with a dominant sweep of rival University of Toledo in the Battle of I-75, winning every event in the opening session and recording nine personal records across sprint and mid-distance races.
Individually, Emily McNicol leads the backstroke group with times that rank among the conference's top entries, while Samia Becdach has provided scoring punch in the sprint freestyle events and on relays. Morgan Sokol has emerged as a contributor in the distance freestyle races, and Maddie Bond has added versatility in the individual medley and breaststroke.
Lauren Jablonski strengthens the breaststroke events with consistent performances that bolster the Falcons' depth, while Grace Bodrock and Karina Solera remain key factors in the butterfly, each posting CSCAA B-cut performances this season.
On the boards, Natalia Mayorga anchors a diving unit that has supplied critical points throughout the winter, giving Bowling Green scoring potential beyond the pool.
The Falcons return to the conference meet after a sixth-place finish last season, their best showing since 2022, and believe they are positioned to challenge that mark. Traditional contenders such as University of Akron, Ohio and Miami present stiff competition, but Bowling Green's regular-season trajectory suggests a team capable of consistent scoring.
Players Mentioned
