2015 Championship Results
1 - Eastern Michigan - 777.5
2 - Missouri State - 757.5
3 - Buffalo - 517
4 - Southern Illinois - 515
5 - Miami (Ohio) - 507
6 - Evansville - 146
7 - Ball State - 127
Under head coach Bob Thomas, the team has been preparing for the tournament since the beginning of November.
“The hard work is done. Going into the meet, the opportunity has been given to us to go there, we need to enjoy the moment and really do what we’ve been working on all year,” Thomas said.
Putting the tough loss against Miami in their last dual meet of the season behind them, the Cardinals are ready to put everything they’ve been working on all year into the postseason.
“It’s been a long season, and they’ve worked very hard," Thomas said. "We’ve entered our tapering phase. If history repeats itself, we’ll have a good end-of-the-season, championship meet."
Last season, Ball State finished seventh in the conference championships, but did finish with 10 top 16 performances, as well as four top eight spots.
While the Cardinals' season ultimately comes down to the MAC championship, Thomas has put together a different goal that he’d like his team to accomplish.
“The biggest goal we have as a team is for everyone to finish with their personal bests. They’ve worked hard all year and the season really comes down to this one meet,” Thomas said. “They’ve put a lot into it and paid a major price. It all comes down to four days.”
Thomas, who has coached Ball State’s men’s swimming and diving for 37 years now, has enjoyed seeing his team grow and is looking forward to seeing what his roster can do Wednesday.
There will be only one senior on the roster during the meet for the Cardinals, which is Cole Smith, who will participating in his last MAC Championship as a Cardinal.
Thomas believes his team's success comes from its mentality in and out of the pool.
“I’m fortunate with what they’ve put in the past six months, and it comes down to all they do in these next four days," Thomas said. "I think they’ve gained a lot on their own, as well, to the point where they can pretty much accomplish anything they put their minds to. If they continue to work outside the pool like they’ve done in the pool, there’s not an employer in the world that wouldn’t want to have them.”
The team will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., Wednesday to start the four-day MAC Championship. The tournament will run all day from March 2-5.
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