Zips Cruise to Victory Over Marshall and California University (Pa.)

January 16 | Women's Swimming & Diving

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The UA swimming and diving team used 23 top-three finishes and 14 victories today to cruise to victory over Marshall University and California University of Pennsylvania. The Zips edged the Thundering Herd, 197-100 and the CUP Vulcans, 222-67 in the Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium this afternoon.

In all seven Zips claimed victories this afternoon with Akron's relay team accounting for the final win. Seniors Cathryn Collins, Julia Gregos, Kendall Karchner and Stephanie Zielinski each won two races apiece while freshmen Kelsea Cross and Katie Miles each picked up one. Sophomore diver Leeanna Hoover paced all divers, capturing first place from both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards.

Hoover finished first with a score of 260.03 from the 1-meter board and 282.53 from the 3-meter board to secure the wins. Jayne Malloy trailed in second (227.63) in the 1-meter stanza while fellow junior Jacquie Paumier scored 220.50 for third place off the 3-meter board.

Collins paced the field in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.25) ahead of teammate Rebecca Zimmer (1:56.92) who finished second. Senior Melissa Gary (1:59.25) registered a fourth place finish in the event also earning points for the Zips. The 200-yard individual medley saw Collins take first place (2:11.19) while the senior registered a second place finish in the 100-yard butterfly race (58.89).

Gregos earned her first victory on the day with a win in the 1000-yard freestyle in a time of 10:28.56. The race saw fellow senior Madelyn Robinson finish third (10:57.54). Gregos also won the 500-yard freestyle race (5:07.43) while sophomore Meghan Bowling (5:20.12) and senior Kylie Bombrys (5:21.34) finished the race fourth and fifth respectively.

The 100-yard backstroke was all Akron as four out of the top-five finishers were Zips. Karchner won the race (57.87) ahead of Meg Finnerty who finished third (1:00.48) while freshmen Molly Raspopovich (1:01.17) and Rebecca Emerich (1:01.98) rounded out the field in fourth and fifth place. Karchner also went on to win the 200-yard backstroke (2:04.66) with ease while Zimmer recorded a third place finish (2:11.13) ahead of Finnerty who finished fourth (2:14.56).

Zielinski won the 50-yard freestyle (23.99) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:26.37). Miles was active in the race, capturing third place in the 50-free (24.60) while winning the 100-yard freestyle outright (53.63) ahead of Jessica Ickes who finished fourth (54.95). Cross claimed first place in the 200-yard butterfly (2:09.52) for another Akron win while Bombrys finished second (2:11.65) this afternoon.

Akron's "A" relay team opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:48.28, a good three seconds ahead of host Marshall (1:51.72). Karchner, Zielinski, Cross and Miles who each won races of their own this afternoon, collaborated for the UA win.

Akron returns to conference action next week, hosting Buffalo on Friday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. in Ocasek Natatorium. The meet kicks off a three-week slate of Mid-American Conference action leading up to the 2010 MAC Championships hosted by Miami University at the end of February.