CLEVELAND, Ohio – The University of Akron women's swimming and diving team captured the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championship title on Saturday evening. The three-day meet was hosted by Cleveland State at Robert F. Busbey Natatorium.
This was Akron's first time competing at the NIC. The NIC is for Division I swimmers and divers that have recorded 'B' Cut/Zone standards but were not selected to compete at the NCAA Championships. Just as basketball has the National Invitational Tournament, the NIC is compared to be the same for collegiate swimming and diving.
Akron clinched the title with a total of 637.5 points. Rice finished in a close second place with 617 points, while last year's NIC champions, Florida International University, took third with 465 points. Indiana won the men's competition with 763 points.
Sixth-year head coach Brian Peresiewas named CSCAA NIC Women's Coach of the Year. Peresie was recently named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth consecutive year.
Sophomore Brooke Lamoureux (Belleville, Ontario) finished the 1650 freestyle with the fifth fastest time, clocking in at 16:38.86. Junior Jessica Bonezzi (Wooster, Ohio) swam a personal best time of 16:40.63, to finish in seventh place, while senior Emma King (Centerville, Ohio) (16:58.65) finished 15th.
In the 200 backstroke, freshman Avery Movold (Prince George, British Columbia) tied for fifth with a time of 1:57.32. Freshman Olivia Gardner (Bromsgrove, England) added an eighth-place finish in the event with a time of 1:58.14.
Junior captain Morgan Waggoner (Fremont, Ohio) claimed the title in the 100 freestyle, touching the wall first in a time of 49.39.
In the 200 breaststroke, freshman Andrea Fischer (St. Paul, Minn.) finished first in the B-Final, 11th overall with a time of 2:15.49. Junior Jackie Pash (Carmel, Ind.) swam a best time in the event, finishing 13th in a time of 2:16.54. Sophomore Ally Wharton (New Albany, Ohio) finished 18th with a time of 2:19.15.
Reigning 200 butterfly MAC Champion, junior Mackenzie Vargas (Roseville, Calif.), finished second in the event at the NIC with a time of 1:57.91. Bonezzi touched the wall fourth in a time of 1:59.36.
Akron solidified its NIC title as it picked up a second-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The team of Movold, Waggoner, Cooper and Pash touched the wall in a time of 3:20.93.
Up next, seven Zips will travel to Austin, Texas to compete in the 2019 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, March 20-23. Senior Sadie Fazekas (Windsor, Ontario), freshman Sarah Watson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and sophomore Paulina Nogaj (Radom, Poland) all earned bids to compete in their respective individual events. Senior Ragen Engel (Springfield, Ohio), sophomore Paula Garcia (Madrid, Spain), freshman Sofia Henell (Linkoping, Sweden) and juniorEllie Nebraska(Delaware, Ohio) are all eligible to compete in relays. Akron is just one of 22 teams in the nation that have four or more relays competing at the NCAA Championships. CSCAA NIC Women's Coach of the year, Brian Peresie and his support staff
