Akron Swimming and Diving Secures Coveted Third Straight MAC Championship

February 27 | Women's Swimming & Diving

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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Akron swimming and diving team captured its third-consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship behind a dominating performance with the Zips never trailing during the four-day event totaling 773.50 points on Saturday evening at Bowling Green's Cooper Pool.

"It was an exciting meet from start to finish. There are a lot of great teams and coaches in this conference and everyone showed up ready to compete. It is an honor competing in the MAC and with this group of young women. They worked so hard this year and have fought hard all the way to the finish," said third-year head coach Brian Peresie. "We are excited to see how the selections process plays out for the NCAA Championships in a few days. For now we will celebrate this victory and enjoy all of the great accomplishments we had this past week."

Akron's team score is the most team points earned at a MAC Championships with a field of eight teams. The Zips beat the previous record of 733 held by Miami (Ohio) from 1983.

The Zips broke numerous program records at the MAC's and set 11 new program-best times. Multiple Zips times in their respective events earned NCAA B cut times and the Akron 200 medley relay team of freshman Madison Myers (Akron, Ohio), senior Hannah Raspopovich (Crown Point, Ind.), freshman Sadie Fazekas (Windsor, Ontario) and senior Ashley Niznik (McDonald, Pa.) swam in a time of 1:37.46 under the NCAA A cut time while breaking a MAC record.

The Akron swimming and diving team garnered 11 postseason awards. Sophomore Paloma Marrero Munoz (Merida, Spain), Myers, Niznik, Raspopovich, senior Erin Seiler (Phoenixville, Pa.), and junior Luka Szynal (Lublin, Poland) garnered All-MAC first team accolades. Senior Alice Hottensmith and Fazekas were named to the All-MAC second team.

Myers was selected as the prestigious Most Outstanding Swimmer award as well as the Freshman Swimmer of the Year. Freshman diver Karly Crail (Edgewood, Ky.) was honored as the Freshman Diver of the year.

Head coach Brian Peresie was named the 2016 MAC Coach of the Year for the third-consecutive year. The Zips diving coach Chris Medvedeff was also named the 2016 MAC Diving Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.

At the end of the four-day event, the Zips claimed three relay MAC titles in the 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay while Myers, Seiler and Szynal combined to win five individual MAC championships.

In the final day of the championships the Zips did not hold back. Szynal swept the backstroke events following her first place finish in the 100 backstroke with a first place finish in the 200 backstroke. The junior set a new MAC, meet and program record with her time of 1:53.12 smashing the previous record (1:53.86) which Szynal had set in December.

Niznik picked up the third place finish in the 200 backstroke as she was on the tail of Szynal. The senior swam a time of 1:57.88 beating her previous time in the event by .49 of a second. The Zips took three out of the top four spots courtesy of Myers touching in at fourth place with a time of 1:57.94 and surpassing her previous time of 1:59.76.

In the 100 freestyle, freshman Ragen Engel (Springfield, Ohio) glided through the water with ease en route to smashing her previous program-best time of 49.77 by touching in at 49.50 for second place.

Sophomore Marrero scored the Zips 17 points with her second place finish in the 200 breaststroke competition with a time of 2:13.43.

Seiler single handedly swept the butterfly events with her first-place finish in the 200 fly on Saturday night after registering the top time in the 100 fly on Friday. The senior clocked in at 1:57.86 breaking her own previous program-best time of 1:59.11.

The final event of the 2016 MAC Championships belonged to the Zips to cap off a spectacular weekend. The squad of Engel, Niznik, Fazekas, and Myers touched in one final time in a time of 3:19.54 crushing the previous program record of 3:21.28.

The diving efforts of Hottensmith, junior Rachel Aepelbacher (Novi, Mich.) and Crail eanred three of the top eight spots in the three-meter dive. Hottensmith scored a season-best 303.75 points that earned her seoncd place on the podium. The junior Aepelbacher tallied a score of 263.75 for a sixth palce finish, followed by Crail in seventh place after being awarded 227.20 points.

Eastern Michigan finished the 2016 MAC Championships as the runner-ups with 592 points followed by host Bowling Green with 478 points.

MAC Postseason Specialty Awards
Swimming Coach of the Year: Brian Peresie, Akron
Diving Coach of the Year: Chris Medvedeff, Akron
Freshman Diver of the Year: Karly Crail, Akron
Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Madison Myers, Akron
Most Outstanding Diver: Pei Lin, Miami
Most Outstanding Swimmer: Madison Myers, Akron
Most Outstanding Senior Swimmer: Hannah Raspopovich, Akron

All-MAC First Team
Madison Myers, Akron
Erin Seiler, Akron
Ludwika Szynal, Akron
Paloma Marrero, Akron
Hannah Raspopovich, Akron
Ashley Niznik, Akron
Franziska Wohlert, Bowling Green
Daniela Carrillo, Bowling Green
Jessica Powers, Buffalo
Megan Burns, Buffalo
Rebecca Detro, Eastern Michigan
Delaney Duncan, Eastern Michigan
Clarice Daniel, Eastern Michigan
Pei Lin, Miami
Stephanie Lemire, Miami
Corrin Van Lanen, Ohio

All-MAC Second Team
Alice Hottensmith, Akron
Sadie Fazekas, Akron
Emily Verbrugge, Bowling Green
Jordan Bullock, Bowling Green
Victoria Griffin, Bowling Green
Natalie Criswell, Bowling Green
Hannah Miller, Buffalo
Sarah Baxter, Buffalo
Addy Ferguson, Ohio
Grace Van Allen, Eastern Michigan
Mary Kate Maclean, Eastern Michigan
Carly Jackson, Eastern Michigan
Holly Schuster, Miami
Lauren Comer, Toledo
Sammy Richart, Toledo
Laura Dawson, Ohio

MAC Women's Swimming & Diving Final Team Results
1. Akron – 773.50 points
2. Eastern Michigan -- 592 points
3. Bowling Green -- 478 points
4. Buffalo -- 454.50 points
5. Miami – 410.50 points
6. Ohio – 346.50
7. Toledo – 263 points
8. Ball State – 131 points