Swimming & Diving Set for MAC Championships

Swimming &amp; Diving Set for MAC Championships Image

February 12 | Women's Swimming & Diving

AKRON, Ohio

- First-year head coach Nittaya Klim will lead the University of Akron swimming and diving team into the MAC Championship meet starting on Wednesday morning on the campus of Eastern Michigan University.

Klim guided the Zips to a 7-5 dual meet record - including a 3-4 mark in league action. UA also won the SummaCare Invitational (Dec. 1-3) as they bested nine other teams - including MAC foes Ohio and Buffalo.

Senior Danielle Beland (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Peters) leads a relatively inexperienced group into the four-day event. The 2006 All-MAC selection will also look to stay undefeated this season in butterfly events. Last season at the MAC meet she became the first double-champion in school history by winning the 100 butterfly (55.57) and 200 butterfly (2:01.04).

The Zips have also benefited from tremendous support from their 11 freshmen this season and will need that to carry over throughout the weekend. Cathryn Collins (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head HS) highlights the rookie class for Akron as she has recorded team-best times in the 100 free (53.31), 200 free (1:53.30) and 500 free (5:03.75). Collins is also one of three Akron swimmers to win MAC Swimmer of the Week honors this season.

Fellow newcomers Katelyn Lofland (Boise, Idaho/Home Schooled) and Kendall Karchner also have top-team times this season. Lofland set the school record in the 1,650 free with a mark of 17:12. 41 and also clocked in a time of 10:23.56 in the 1,000 free. Karchner, a native of Maumee, Ohio (Maumee HS), tallied the second-best times in school history in both the 100 back (57.70) and 200 back (2:04.88). Stephanie Zielinski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan HS) also has a UA best in the 50 free, clocking in at 24.30 earlier this season.

On the boards, sophomore Katie Carter (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid HS) will look to defend her crown in 3-meter diving as she set a school record with 335.15 points (six dives) during last year's championship. This season Carter posted seven victories in nine tries on the 3-meter board and also added four wins in the 1-meter event as well.

Akron will look to improve on its seventh-place showing (351 points) from a year ago starting on Wednesday morning. Fans can follow the action with live results on EMU's official athletic website.