Zippy Invitational: Akron Leads First Day, Watson Sets Meet Record

Friday, December 3

Akron, Ohio

All Day

University of Akron

Zippy Invitational

Zippy Invitational: Akron Leads First Day, Watson Sets Meet Record

December 03 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Zippy Invitational: Akron Leads First Day, Watson Sets Meet Record

Day 1 Results PDF | Results Page

Zips Digital Network Links:
Saturday - https://gozips.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Live=241
Sunday - https://gozips.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Live=242

AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips scored 651 points on the first day of the 2021 Zippy Invitational to lead the 10-team field paced by a record-breaking performance by senior Sarah Watson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) at Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium on Friday.

Watson posted the Zips first win as she flew to a 1:57.67 new meet record time in the 200-yard individual medley. Watson replaced her old mark of 1:58.39 set in 2018. In addition, Watson clocked a NCAA D1B qualifying time, while freshman Abigail Daniel (Bristow, Va.) touched second in the 200 IM with a 2:00.36 time.

The Zips' second win of the meet came in the last event of the evening as Akron swept the top two positions of the 400-yard medley relay. Sophomore Madelyn Gatrall (53.45 • Windsor, Ontario, Canada), senior Andrea Fischer (1:01.01 • Oak Grove, Minn.), senior Paulina Nogaj (51.78 • Radom, Poland) and Watson (48.63) won the race with a 3:34.87 time, and junior Weronika Gorecka (54.64 • Wroclaw, Poland), senior Paula Garcia (1:00.31 • Madrid, Spain), Daniel (53.55) and senior Sofia Henell (49.23 • Linkoping, Sweden) finished runner-up with a 3:37.73 time.

Earning silver was the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Watson (22.79), junior Rachel Schiffli (22.70 • Indianapolis, Ind.), Nogaj (22.24) and Henell (22.33). Akron finished the race second (1:30.06) and third (1:31.92) behind the defending MAC Champions Buffalo relay team (1:29.82). The Zips relay squad of Gatrall (23.14), senior Lauren Cooper (22.90 • Dublin, Ohio), junior Olivia DeRodes (23.03 • Fremont, Ohio) and Daniel (22.85) claimed the third position.

Nogaj and junior Gail Workman (Cincinnati, Ohio) added individual bronze performances. Nogaj earned an NCAA D1B qualifying time of 22.66 for the third-place finish in the 50 Free, while Workman posted a 4:52.28 time in the 500 Free to finish third overall.

In the women's 1-meter diving finals, junior Paige Kalik (Irwin, Pa.) registered a 266.05 score for a NCAA D1B qualifying performance and second overall while adding 28 points to the Zips team totals. Kalik posted a 46.80 score on three separate dives en route to the silver medal position.

Pennsylvania currently sits second overall with 408 total points as Lia Thomas set a meet and pool record in the 500 Free with a 4:34.06 time, replacing the 4:42.47 pool mark set by Ella Moynihan (Miami, OH) in 2019. She also replaced the 4:47.27 meet record set in 2019 by Cincinnati's Rocky Laabs.

Penn is leading the men's competition with 682 points, while Cornell is currently runner-up with 514 points. The men's competition saw four meet and pool records fall as Penn's William Kamps set the 500 Free record with a 4:21.97 time, Matthew Fallon take down the 200 IM record with a 1:44.03 time and the 400-yard medley relay team flew to a 3:10.43 new standard. Oakland's Bart Christian set the fourth and final marks with a 19.60 time in the 50-yard freestyle.

The 2021 Zippy Invitational continues on Saturday, Dec. 4 with prelims starting at 9 a.m. followed by 1:30 p.m. diving and 6 p.m. finals. Fans can follow with live scoring on Meet Mobile and watch the finals live on Zips Digital Network.

Day 2
Session 1 - Prelims – 9:00 a.m.
Event 15 - 400 Individual Medley-Women
Event 16 - 400 Individual Medley-Men
Event 17 - 100 Butterfly-Women
Event 18 - 100 Butterfly-Men
Event 19 - 200 Freestyle-Women
Event 20 - 200 Freestyle-Men
Event 21 - 100 Breaststroke-Women
Event 22 - 100 Breaststroke-Men
Event 23 - 100 Backstroke-Women
Event 24 - 100 Backstroke-Men
Event 27 - 800 Freestyle Relay-Women (Top 8 swim in finals)
Event 28 - 800 Freestyle Relay-Men (Top 8 swim in finals)

Session 1 - Diving – Prelims followed by Finals – 1:30 p.m.
Event 25 - 3 Meter Springboard-Women
Event 26 - 1 Meter Springboard-Men

Session 2 – Finals – 6:00 p.m.
Event 13 - 200 Medley Relay-Women
Event 14 - 200 Medley Relay-Men
Event 15 - 400 Individual Medley-Women
Event 16 - 400 Individual Medley-Men
Event 17 - 100 Butterfly-Women
Event 18 - 100 Butterfly-Men
Event 19 - 200 Freestyle-Women
Event 20 - 200 Freestyle-Men
Event 21 - 100 Breaststroke-Women
Event 22 - 100 Breaststroke-Men
Event 23 - 100 Backstroke-Women
Event 24 - 100 Backstroke-Men
Event 25 - 3 Meter Springboard-Women
Event 26 - 1 Meter Springboard-Men
Event 27 - 800 Freestyle Relay-Women (Top 8 only)
Event 28 - 800 Freestyle Relay-Men (Top 8 only)