Zippy Invitational: Zips Establish Commanding Lead on Day 2, Watson Breaks Record

Saturday, December 4

Akron, Ohio

All Day

University of Akron

Zippy Invitational

Zippy Invitational: Zips Establish Commanding Lead on Day 2, Watson Breaks Record

December 05 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Zippy Invitational: Zips Establish Commanding Lead on Day 2, Watson Breaks Record
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Day 2 Results PDF | Day 1 Results PDF

AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips built a 368-point advantage after the second day of competition of the 2021 Zippy Invitational to lead the 10-team field with 1,450 total points as the Zips posted six wins while setting a new meet and pool record on Saturday.

Senior Sarah Watson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) flew to a 52.20 time in the 100-yard butterfly to set a new meet and pool record, replacing the 52.32 time her teammate senior Paulina Nogaj (Radom, Poland) set in 2017. The Zips swept the top three positions on the race as Nogaj finished second (52.50) and freshman Abigail Daniel (Bristow, Va.) touched third (53.16).

Akron claimed the top two spots in the 200-yard medley relay and 100-yard backstroke events. In the 200 MR Akron's Z-team of sophomore Madelyn Gatrall (25.04 • Windsor, Ontario, Canada), senior Paula Garcia (27.76 • Madrid, Spain), Watson (22.36) and Nogaj (22.36) earned gold, while the I-team of senior Lauren Cooper (25.25 • Dublin, Ohio), senior Andrea Fischer (27.55 • Oak Grove, Minn.), Daniel (24.02) and senior Sofia Henell (22.13 • Linkoping, Sweden) took silver. Garcia and Fischer finished one and two in the 100 Breast as both swimmers set NCAA D1 B marks. Garcia won with a 1:00.61 and Fischer posted a 1:01.88 time.

Gatrell and junior Paige Kalik (Irwin, Pa.) registered the Zips final two individual wins. Gatrall posted a 53.09 NCAA D1 B time in the 100-yard backstroke, while Kalik won the 3-meter diving event with a 302.85 score, also a NCAA D1 B performance.

Akron ended day two by winning the 800-yard freestyle relay by nearly six seconds as Watson (1:46.92), Nogaj (1:47.87), Daniel (1:50.28 and junior Weronika Gorecka (1:47.86 • Wroclaw, Poland) posted a 7:12.93 time – Pennsylvania, the runner-up squad, issued a 7:18.90 time.

Penn currently sits second overall with 1,082 total points as Lia Thomas set a meet and pool record in the 200 Free with a 1:41.93 time.

Penn is leading the men's competition with 1,625.5 points, while Cornell is currently runner-up with 1,219 points. The men's competition saw four more meet and pool records fall as Penn's Matthew Fallon earned his second record in as many days with a meet/pool 3:46.43 win in the 400 IM. Oakland's Marko Khotynetskyi set a dual standard in the 100 Back (47.08), Bloomsburg's Andy Thomas set the meet and pool record in the 200 Free (1:36.43) and Keiser's Alberto Garcia flew to a meet record in the 100 Fly (47.59).

The 2021 Zippy Invitational continues on Sunday, Dec. 5 with prelims starting at 9 a.m. followed by 4 p.m. finals. Fans can follow with live scoring on Meet Mobile and watch the finals live on Zips Digital Network.

Day 3
Session 1 - Prelims – 9:00 a.m.
Event 31 - 200 Backstroke-Women
Event 32 - 200 Backstroke-Men
Event 33 - 100 Freestyle-Women
Event 34 - 100 Freestyle-Men
Event 35 - 200 Breaststroke-Women
Event 36 - 200 Breaststroke-Men
Event 37 - 200 Butterfly-Women
Event 38 - 200 Butterfly-Men

Session 1 – 1650 Freestyle Early Heats – 3:00 p.m.
The 1650 will compete slowest to fastest, alternating heats starting with women then men, with the last heat of preliminaries ending at the beginning of warm ups for the final session at 3:00 PM.

Session 2 – Finals – 4:00 p.m.
Event 29 - 1650 Freestyle-Women (seeded by 1000 free)
Event 30 - 1650 Freestyle-Men (seeded by 1000 free)
Event 31 - 200 Backstroke-Women
Event 32 - 200 Backstroke-Men
Event 33 - 100 Freestyle-Women
Event 34 - 100 Freestyle-Men
Event 35 - 200 Breaststroke-Women
Event 36 - 200 Breaststroke-Men
Event 37 - 200 Butterfly-Women
Event 38 - 200 Butterfly-Men
Event 39 - 400 Free Relay-Women
Event 40 - 400 Free Relay-Men