Zips Classic: Akron Shines in Season Opener

Saturday, October 16

Akron, Ohio

TBA

University of Akron

Akron Zips Classic

October 16 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Zips Classic: Akron Shines in Season Opener
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Results: Session 1 (PDF) | Session 2 (PDF) | Session 3 (PDF) | Full Results (PDF)

AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips swimming and diving team continued to break meet records and set NCAA D1B times in final session as the Zips won 7-0f-8 of the women's events at Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium on Saturday evening.

The 200-yard medley relay team of sophomore Madelyn Gatrall (Windsor, Canada), senior Sarah Watson (Winnipeg, Manitoba), senior Andrea Fischer (Oak Grove, Minn.) and senior Sophia Henell (Linkoping, Sweden) opened the final session by breaking their own meet record with a 1:38.78 time. Akron swept the top three positions in the event.

The four swimmers followed with outstanding individual performances. Watson registered her sixth meet record as she nearly notched a career-best time in the 100-yard freestyle. She posted a 49.10 NCAA D1B time to win the event as four Akron swimmers followed.

In the 200-yard breaststroke, Fischer hit a NCAA D1B mark and broke a meet record with a 2:13.80 time and again, the Zips finished in the first five spots. Gatrall recorded the second win of the session in the 200-yard backstroke with a 1:58.43 time as the Zips claimed the Top 5 positions.

In addition, senior Paulina Nogaj (Radom, Poland) went 1:59.27 in the 200-yard butterfly for the win, while the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Nogaj, Watson, Henell and junior Victoria Kaufman (Westminster, Md.) were victorious with a 3:19.85 time.

Prior to the final session, the divers competed in the 3-meter event as junior Paige Kalik (Irwin, Pa.) qualified for her second NCAA Diving Zones event. She headlined the competition with 288.45 points.

Akron won the women's side of the Zips Classic with 1,542.5 points followed by Denison (849 pts.), Xavier (535.5 pts.) and Youngstown State (503 pts.).

On the men's side, Denison won the event with 1,245 total points followed by YSU (982 pts.) and Xavier (805 pts.).

Akron will be back in action at Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium for a dual meet against conference foe Miami on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m.