The Falcons continue their race to the Mid-American Conference Championships and will travel to Muncie, Ind. to face Ball State University Saturday. This will be the first meet away from home this season but Coach Keri Buff is confident that the girls will swim and dive just as well as they always do.

Ball State University’s swimming and diving team suffered their first loss in the MAC against the Miami RedHawks over the weekend. Their record now being 2-1 does rank higher than the Falcons’ record of 0-4 but in the past, Ball State and BGSU has equaled out fairly evenly.

The results of past meets jumble back and forth; Ball State winning one year and then BGSU winning the next. The place where the wins really count, though, is at the MAC Championships. In 2003, Ball State beat out BGSU by placing fifth while the Falcons placed sixth. Then, two years later, Ball State placed fourth, one rank higher than BGSU. The competition between these two teams makes for a close meet.

“Ball State is a great rivalry. We match up really well against them. Last year, they beat us at MAC’s, now it’s our turn,” Buff said.

Since this will be the first time the Falcons will have flown their coop, so to speak, the change of scenery and comfort of their own swimming pool does not seem to be a problem the swimmers and divers will have to deal with.

“We really don’#39;t focus on where we swim. We prepare the same. We expect to win every meet we go into. I expect them to be just as good as they always are,” Buff added. “I think we’re tough, no matter what the situation is, we go into it 100 percent.”

According to Buff and their records in the past few years, Ball State is normally very tough throughout the season. Where as teams like BGSU and OU, who prepare in the same manner, are slower throughout the season and then go all-out when it is time for the MAC’s. The girls of BGSU’s swimming and diving team go into every meet with confidence and preparation but these dual meets are just obstacles to beat on their way to the end of the season.

“Ball State is traditionally strong the whole year,” Buff said. “Every time you get up to race, be prepared.”

The first event of this MAC meet will start at 6 p.m. at Lewellen Aquatic Center in Muncie, Ind.

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