After day 1 of the Zippy invite, the Akron women and Oakland men lead the team scores. Akron’s Madison Myers put up one of the highlight performances of the night, breaking the school record with a 2:00.18 in the 200 IM.
Cleveland State:
AKRON, Ohio – The Cleveland State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams completed day one of the Zippy Invitational on Friday night at the University of Akron’s Ocasek Natatorium.
The finals of the 200 Free relay, 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, women’s 1M diving, men’s 3M diving and 400 Medley relay were all completed.
On the men’s side, Phillip Brittain finished with a tenth-place swim in the 500 Free (4:42.11). Aidan Burton (21.59) also placed in the 50 Free.
For the women, senior Samantha Sposet recorded an eigth-place dive in the 1M with a score of 196.60 in the finals and 221.00 in prelims.
The teams will be back in action tomorrow (Dec. 5) for day two of the Zippy Invitational with prelims beginning at 9:00 a.m. Tomorrow’s finals will not be streamed live.
Akron:
AKRON, Ohio – Day one of the annual Zippy Invitational is complete at the Ocasek Natatorium, with the Akron swimming and diving team in first place behind a 737 point performance from the Zips.
Akron is followed in the top three spots after day one by Bowling Green State University (520) and Oakland University (492).
The Invitational opened up with the 200 freestyle relay and a first and second place finish for the Zips A and B relay squads. Team A, consisting of senior Hannah Raspopovich (Crown Point, Ind.), sophomore Susan Franz (Canton, Ohio), freshmanSadie Fazekas (Sandwich High School), and freshman Madison Myers (Akron, Ohio) set a meet record and set the third-fastest time in program history with a time of 1:31.54 for the top finish. Team B which includes, freshman Victoria Shaffer (Upper St. Clair, Pa.), senior Ashley Niznik (McDonald, Pa.), junior Laura Savariau (Saint-Hilaire-La-Palud, France), and sophomore Paloma Marrero Munoz (Merida, Spain) were on the tails of team A and finished in 1:33.04.
Raspopovich swam the first leg of the 200 freestyle relay for team A, her spilt time of 22.71 puts her at the top of the program records for the fastest 50 free time.
Before the finals even began, Myers tied a program record in the 200 IM (2:01.56) in the preliminary events. Later in the evening, Myers broke her own record with a swift time of 2:00.18 to take over the fastest time in program history. That time also broke the meet record (2:01.92) set back in 2012.
All five of the Akron divers saw success in the preliminary rounds taking the top five spots. In the finals, the Zips claimed the top three scores in the one-meter dive. Senior Alice Hottensmith (Brunswick, Ohio) received a tally of 297.15 for first place, junior Paige Kelkenberg (Lockport, N.Y.) totaled a score of 284.40 to place second, and junior Rachel Aepelbacher (Novi, Mich.) scored the third-highest score of 276.50.
Freshman Kim Jones (Plainwell, Mich.) prelim score off 266.25 qualifies her for the NCAA Zone meet. To qualify for the one-meter dive, a diver had to earn a minimum score of 265.
Akron concluded day one placing first and third in the 400 medley relay. Junior Luka Szynal (Lublin, Poland), Raspopovich, senior Erin Seiler (Phoenixville, Pa.) and freshman Ragen Engel (Springfield, Ohio) clocked in at a time of 3:40.92 to break a meet record and the third-fastest time in program history.
Akron returns to the pool tomorrow for day two of the Zippy Invitational. Prelims begin at 9 a.m., diving will start at approximately 1 p.m., and the finals are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Tickets for each individual prelim session are $6, while tickets to the final sessions are $8 each. Spectators may also purchase a $35 pass, good for entry to each session throughout the weekend. Tickets must be paid for in cash and will be available 90 minutes prior to the start of each session.
Admission for Akron students is FREE with a valid Zip Card.
Women’s Scores
1. Akron, University of 737
2. Bowling Green State Univ. 520
3. Oakland University 492
4. Bloomsburg University 284
5. Clarion University 268
6. Niagara University 154
7. West Virginia University-Tech 71
8. Cleveland State University 49
Men’s Scores
1. Oakland University 712
2. Bloomsburg University 541
3. Niagara University 327
4. St. Bonaventure University 312
5. Clarion University 287
6. West Virginia University-Tech 179
7. Cleveland State University 72
Oakland:
AKRON, Ohio—The Oakland men’s swimming and diving team sits in first place and owns two new meet and pool records in the 200-yard freestyle and 400 medley relays after day one of the Zippy Invitational Friday night at Ocasek Natatorium. The women’s swimming and diving team is currently in third place behind Akron and Bowling Green.
Leading the surge was the men’s 200 free relay with the team of Jeremiah Morren, Aleksander Danielewski, Paul Huch and Devon Nowicki who broke the previous meet and pool record by 0.25 seconds with a time of 1:20.42. Later, The team of Danielewski, Nowicki, Huch and Tuomas Kiviluoma shattered the meet and pool record in the 400 free relay by over three seconds going 3:15.11.
On the women’s side, Patricia Aschan moved into second all-time in school history in the 200 IM, swimming a personal best, 2:00.69 and earning a NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time. Kiviluoma also notched a NCAA ‘B’ qualifying time in the 200 IM going 1:48.48.
The Golden Grizzlies dominated the 500 free on the men’s side, as Oakland represented the top five finishers in the event, with Nowicki earning the top time. The Oakland men also placed first and second in the 400 medley relay and 3-meter diving.
Day two action will begin Saturday, Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. ET with prelims, followed by finals at 6 p.m.
Event wins
Men’s 200 free relay (1:20.42, meet and pool record) – Morren, Danielewski, Huch and Nowicki
Men’s 500 free (4:30.18) – Nowicki
Men’s 3-meter diving (338.05) – Stirling Fordham
Men’s 400 medley relay (3:15.11, meet and pool record) – Danielewski, Nowicki, Huch and Kiviluoma
Bowling Green State:
AKRON, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University swimming and diving program sits in second place after day one of competition at the Zippy Invitational, hosted by the University of Akron. Three Falcons –Victoria Griffin, Daniela Carrillo and Franzika Wohlert – are competing at the USA Swimming LCM Nationals this weekend in Federwal, Wash. and are not with the rest of the team in Akron. With the door open for several other swimming opportunities, BGSU picked up 520 points on Friday to sit in second behind the Akron Zips.
Alex Poitinger picked up the Falcons’ lone win of the day at the invitational, despite the Orange and Brown turning in several strong swims. Poitinger was victorious in the 500 freestyle, swimming a top time of 4:55.97. That time turned in was the best by a BGSU swimmer in the event this season and just off her personal career record. Two other Falcons – Tara Capouch and Hannah Newman – finished in the top four. All three swims marked the top three swims of the season in the 500 free.
Three Falcons also qualified for the A final in the 200 IM Friday night. Kristin Filby turned in the second-best time by a BGSU swimmer, finishing fifth with a time of 2:03.67. She was followed by teammates Emily Verbrugge (2:03.78) and Jordan Bullock (2:06.19).
Perhaps the top event for the Falcons during Friday night’s finals came in the 400 Medley Relay, as BGSU swam what would have been a meet record with a second-place time of 3:41.06. It was the top swim of the season for the Falcons in the event, swam by Maya Skorupski, Filby, Bullock and Newman.
Two Falcons swam in the A finals of the 50 freestyle, as Kayla Effinger turned in a top time of 23.63. For Effinger, it pushed her to a fifth-place finish and the swim was the third-best of the season. Skorupski also swam in the finals of the event, finishing eighth.
BGSU is back in action on Saturday in Akron. Preliminaries begin at 9:00 am with the finals taking place at 6:00 pm.
Bloomsburg:
AKRON, OH—It was an amazing night in the pool for the Bloomsburg University men’s swim team on day one of the Zippy Invitational at Akron University with several school records falling and several top times in NCAA Division II this season being posted. As a team the Huskies are in second place at the predominantly Division I meet trailing Oakland (MI) University 712-541.
The Friday finals began with the 200-free relay team of Eric Usbeck (Lake Ariel/Wallenpaupack Area), A.J. Brady (Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy), Sam Feiser (Pottstown/OJ Roberts) and Kyle Dix(Schwenksville/Perkiomen Valley) smashing the school record of 1:22.17 by posting a mark of 1:20.67. The time also set a PSAC record and and is the top time time this year in all of NCAA Division II.
In the 200-IM senior Jake Harner (Philadelphia/Father Judge) set a new meet mark and broke his own school record and and posted the fastest time in the country in Division II by swimming 1:48.00. His time beat the mark he had set in the morning prelims of 1:48.79. For Harner it was his second career 200-IM win at the Zippy Invitational.
The records continued to fall later in the meet with Usbeck coming back to break the school mark in the 50-free with a time of 20.38 taking second place overall. His time broke Bryan Mailotti’s mark of 20.69 set in 2014. The time by Usbeck is also the third fastest mark in Division II this year and the top time in the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference).
Joining Usbeck in the 50-free final was Sam Feiser (Pottstown/OJ Roberts) who took fourth overall in 20.48 seconds, the second best mark in school history and number two this season in the PSAC and sixth fastest in Division II this year and Dix, who was fourth in 20.58. Brady finished seventh overall in 20.81 giving the Huskies four swimmers in the “A” finals.
In the night’s closing event, the 400-medley relay, the team of A.J. Brady(Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy), Harner, Feiser and Josh Grzech(Mountain Top/Crestwood) lowered the school record to 3:19.34 breaking the mark of 3:22.55 set last season finishing third overall. The time is good enough for the number two in the PSAC this year and number five in all of NCAA Division II.
In other action Alex MuCullough was sixth in the 500-free in 4:40.92, sixth best in the PSAC this season. McCullough swam a 4:38.69 in the morning prelims, fifth best in the PSAC this year. In the “B” final Logan Winchester (Reading/Exeter Twp.) was the winner in 4:41.40.
Along with Harner winning the 200-IM, Alex Otero (Allentown/Parkland) was fifth overall in 1:54.60, number eight in the PSAC this year, while Paul Rocchi(Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) was eighth overall in 1:56.49. In the “B” final of the 200-IM Nick Angeny (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) was third in the race and 11th overall in 1:56.70, while Collin Junk (Pennsburg/Upper Perkiomen) took 16thoverall in 2:00.12 with Frank Eichhorn (Reading/Exeter Township) 19th in 1:57.93,Tyler Gross (Pottstown/Pottsgrove) 22nd in 1:58.56, Chris McPeak(Philadelphia/La Salle College) 23rd in 2:00.09 and Frank Dello Buono (West Chester/West Chester Rustin) 24th in 2:01.99.
Action resumes on Saturday morning at 9 am in Akron.
Clarion:
AKRON, Ohio – The Clarion women’s swimming team completed a successful first day at the Zippy Invitational hosted by Akron, making their way to fifth place in the rankings after a strong showing on Friday. The team will be back in action tomorrow, Dec. 5.
In the relays, the team of Emily Ondrizek, Kelsey Burke, Katherine Querciagrossa and Alexis Lopeztook seventh in a crowded field in the 200 Freestyle Relay, posting a time of 1:36.59. That was the second-best finish among non-Division I teams in the relay. The “B” team of Dominique Gerlach,Kelsie Conrad, Summer Dacheux and Eliza O’Neal also had a strong showing, finishing with a time of 1:40.79 and netting 34 points in the event.
The 400 Medley Relay team of Dacheux, Lopez, Ondrizek and Becca Yonek also did some damage, with the group slicing 10 seconds off their preliminary time to take eighth in the event ahead of representatives from Bloomsburg, Niagara and WVU Tech. The Golden Eagle quartet recorded a time of 3:56.07 to net 44 points in the event.
The duo of Lopez and Ondrizek had strong showings individually, as well, finishing just fractions of a second apart from one another in the finals of the 50 Freestyle to bring home a bevy of points for the Golden Eagles. Lopez finished her sprint in 23.94 seconds and Ondrizek was nipping at her heels the entire time, finishing in 23.99 for 11th and 12th place finishes, respectively.
Yonek qualified for the finals in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 5:17.02 and bested that mark by nearly three seconds in the final, finishing in a time of 5:14.70 to score in the event. Noelle Melanirecorded a seventh-place finish in the 1m Dive event, recording a score of 230.70 that ranked competitively with the Division I schools in the event and bested Cleveland State’s Samantha Sposet as well.
Swimming news courtesy of Cleveland State, Akron, Oakland, Bowling Green State, Bloomsburg, and Clarion Swimming & Diving.