Zips Earn Runner-Up at MAC Championships, Watson Named Swimmer of the Year

Saturday, April 17

Ypsilanti, Mich

University of Akron

MAC CHAMPIONHIPS

Zips Earn Runner-Up at MAC Championships, Watson Named Swimmer of the Year

April 18 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Zips Earn Runner-Up at MAC Championships, Watson Named Swimmer of the Year
Follow Akron Swimming and Diving on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

FINAL RESULTS PDF | Day 1 Results PDF | Day 2 Results PDF | MAC Championship Central | Eastern Michigan (Host) Championship Page

YPSILANTI, Mich. – For the first time in seven years, the Akron Zips women's swimming and diving program was outscored at the Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championship, earning runner-up as Buffalo claimed the title by a 773-766 score on Saturday evening at Eastern Michigan's Jones Natatorium.

The Zips trailed by one-point 733-732 heading into the final event of the three-day MAC Championships event. In the 400-yard Freestyle Relay, the Bulls posted a 3:17.76 time, edging the Zips by 1.25 seconds and securing the 2021 MAC title.

At the conclusion of the MAC season finale, the league announced the postseason awards as junior Sarah Watson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) was named MAC Swimmer of the Year. In addition, Watson earned First-Team All-MAC honors along with senior Paula Garcia (Madrid, Spain), junior Andrea Fischer (Oak Grove, Minn.), junior Olivia Gardner (Bromsgrove, England), sophomore Weronika Gorecka (Wroclaw, Poland), sophomore Rachel Schiffli (Indianapolis, Ind.) and freshman Rachel Sabotin (Columbus, Ind.). Earning Second-Team All-MAC accolades were senior Brooke Lamoureux (Victoria, Canada), junior Lauren Cooper (Dublin, Ohio) and freshman Madelyn Gatrall (Windsor, Canada).

During the final day of competition, the Zips swept the top three spots of the 200-yard Breaststroke as Fischer won the event with a 2:10.86, while Garcia was runner-up (2:12.89) and freshman Giovanna Cappabianca (Hudson, Ohio) placed third with a 2:14.92 – Sophomore Sara Bozso (Budapest, Hungary) was sixth overall (2:16.27) and freshman Madeline Dyer (Akron, Ohio) was ninth (2:15.66).

Watson followed with a win in the 200-yard Butterfly, garnering her third individual title with a 1:55.98 time. Sabotin also scored in the 200 FLY A-Final with a 1:59.16 time.

Schiffli and Cooper finished sixth and seventh in the 100-yard Freestyle A-Finals with 50.79 and 50.80 times, respectively, while sophomores Victoria Kaufman (Westminster, Md.) and Olivia DeRodes (Fremont, Ohio) clocked 50.42 and 51.17 for 10^th and 12^th place finishes in the B-Finals.

Lamoureux opened the final day of competition with a third place performance (16:41.40) in the 1650-yard Freestyle event, and sophomore Weronika Gorecka (Wroclaw, Poland) was runner-up in the second finals event of the evening, the 200-yard Backstroke (1:55.57). Gatrall (1:58.74) and junior Olivia Gardner (Bromsgrove, England - 2:00.48) added points to the Zips' total point count.

In 3-Metere Diving, sophomore Paige Kalik (Irwin, Pa.) was Akron's top finisher and finals competitor. Kalik scored 15 points for a fourth-place 286.85-point effort.

Rounding out the meet, and ultimately the determining the winning team of the MAC Championship was the 400 Free Relay that UB posted the win. Akron's team of Watson, Cooper, Schiffli and Kaufman stopped the timer at 3:19.01 for runner-up honors.

Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 617
1. University at Buffalo 773
2. Akron, University of 766
3. Miami University (Ohio) 436.5
4. Ohio University 390
5. Ball State University 320
6. Eastern Michigan University 305
7. University of Toledo 262
8. Bowling Green State University 252.5

2020-21 Women's Swimming and Diving Mid-American Conference Honors

MAC Outstanding Senior: Brittney Beetcher, Buffalo

MAC Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Nicole Maier, Miami

MAC Freshman Diver of the Year: Louise Bradley, Buffalo

MAC Diver of the Year: Bethany Berger, Eastern Michigan

MAC Swimmer of the Year: Sarah Watson, Akron

MAC Diving Coach of the Year: Russ Dekker, Buffalo and Buck Smith, Eastern Michigan

MAC Swimming Coach of the Year: Andy Bashor, Buffalo

First Team All-MAC

Sarah Watson, Akron
Andrea Fischer, Akron
Paula Garcia, Akron
Rachel Sabotin, Akron
Olivia Gardner
Weronika Gorecka, Akron
Rachel Schiffli, Akron
Daisy Platts, Bowling Green
Toni Naccarella, Buffalo
Katie Pollock, Buffalo
Marcella Ribeiro, Ball State
Brittney Beetcher, Buffalo
Nicole Roitenberg, Buffalo
Jillian Lawton, Buffalo
Olivia Sapio, Buffalo
Bethany Berger, Eastern Michigan
Nicole Maier, Miami
Honor Brodie-Foy, Miami

Second Team All-MAC

Lauren Cooper, Akron
Brooke Lamoureux, Akron
Madelyn Gatrall, Akron
Marij van der Mast, Buffalo
Tori Franz, Buffalo
Maddy McDonough, Buffalo
Clarice Fisher, Buffalo
Ali Staver, Eastern Michigan
Camila Lins de Melo, Miami
Kayleigh Cannon, Miami
Emma Fortman, Ohio
Gabrielle Brust, Ohio
Katie Garrity, Ohio
Jovana Duric, Toledo
Kennedy Lovell, Toledo