Zips Break Three Meet Records During Day 1 of Akron Zips Classic

Friday, October 13

Akron, Ohio

TBA

University of Akron

Akron Zips Classic

Zips Break Three Meet Records During Day 1 of Akron Zips Classic

October 13 | Women's Swimming & Diving

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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron Swimming and Diving team began their season with the first day of the Akron Zips Classic. The Zips lead the women's team competition with 413 points and had multiple swimmers and divers on the podiums, highlighted by three meet records – Rebecca Reid in the women's 200 yard IM, the 800 yard freestyle relay of Elle Couture, Weronika Gorecka, Reid, and Madelyn Gatrall, and Gatrall in the 100 yard backstroke during the 400 yard medley relay.

The competition began with women's one meter diving. Bela Noble earned a second place finish with a total award of 240.60 for her six dives. Freshman Paige Bush and junior Laurel Smith also earned points for the Zips in the event.

The swimming portion of the afternoon began with Akron taking first and second in the women's 400 yard medley relay, including Gatrall breaking the 100 yard backstroke meet record in the first leg of the first place relay. Couture took first in the women's 500 yard Freestyle with a time of 4:54.47 and Astrid Halvorsen was right behind her with a 4:54.95, giving the Zips another 1-2 finish.

Akron continued to dominate as they swam the four fastest times today in the women's 200 yard IM. Reid took the top spot with a new meet record of 2:00.15 beating the previous record that was set during the 2019 Zips Classic. Following her was Rachel Sabotin (2:01.88), Kendall Craig (2:04.59), and Giovanna Cappabianca (2:04.59).

In the 50 yard freestyle, Akron had nine swimmers in the top twelve spots in a field of thirty swimmers, including the top three performers – Abby Daniel (first – 23.01), Gatrall (second – 23.12), and Gorecka (third – 23.23).

The Zips closed out the first day of competition by taking three of the top four times in the women's 800 yard freestyle relay. Elle Couture, Weronika Gorecka, Rebecca Reid, and Madelyn Gatrall set a new meet record by forty-three hundredths of a second. Gorecka had been on the Akron relay that set the previous time in 2021.

Women's Team Standings (after day one)

Team	Points
University of Akron	413
Bowling Green State University	299
Xavier University	194
Youngstown State University	132
Denison University	118

The Akron Zips Classic will conclude tomorrow with a multitude of events. The swimmers hit the pool at 10 a.m. tomorrow for the morning session before finishing the day with the evening session beginning at 5 p.m.