Akron Opens 2023 Zippy Invite with a Pair of 1-2 Relay Finishes, UCSB Breaks Meet Record

2023 ZIPPY INVITE

• November 30 – December 3, 2023
• Ocasek Natatorium, Akron, OH
• SCY (25 yards)
• Live Results Available on MeetMobile

TEAMS

• Akron
• UC Santa Barbara
• Cornell
• Keiser
• Oakland
• Penn West University Clarion
• Eastern Illinois

RESULTS

• Day 1 Finals
• Day 1 AM LCM Time Trials

Akron is hosting their annual Zippy Invite this weekend at the Ocasek Natatorium. While Akron is a women’s only swimming & diving program, the meet features both men’s and women’s events.

The first day of the meet featured the normal relay events: the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay. There was also an LCM time trial that took place on Thursday morning, for which you can find the results linked above.

The hosting Zips swept the women’s relays on the night, kicking things off with a decisive victory in the 200 medley relay. Maddy Gatrall (24.74), Madeline Dyer (27.55), Abby Daniel (22.94), and Rebecca Reid (22.54) combined to make it happen, winning the race in 1:37.77. They were notably just of the meet record of 1:37.62, which Akron itself holds from the 2017 meet. Daniel’s fly split was particularly notable.

Not only did Akron win the event, their ‘B’ team came in 2nd with a sub-1:40 performance of their own. Weronika Gorecka (24.77), Sara Bozso (27.97), Rachel Sabotin (24.37), and Aislinn Holder (22.87) teamed up to clock a 1:39.98, taking 2nd overall. While none of the ‘B’ team’s splits were faster than their ‘A’ relay counterparts, the swims on that ‘B’ relay show Akron has excellent depth in back, breast, and free.

Akron then went on to win the women’s 800 free relay in 7:12.22, once again narrowly missing their own meet record, which is a 7:12.20 from 2018. Rebecca Reid (1:47.90), Maddy Gatrall (1:48.72), Abby Daniel (1:48.55), and Weronika Gorecka (1:47.05) made up that winning relay. Once again, Akron flexed their muscles, taking 2nd in this race as well. The ‘B’ team was made up of Astrid Halvorsen (1:50.29), Rachel Sabotin (1:49.90), Elle Couture (1:50.46), and Kaja Reinhardt (1:50.34), who combined to stop the clock in 7:20.99.

In the men’s events, UC Santa Barbara cracked the meet record in the 800 free relay. Kyle Brill (1:38.02), Matt Driscoll (1:36.55), Owen Berry (1:36.38), and Austin Sparrow (1:34.20) swam a 6:25.15, shattering the meet record of 6:28.24, which U Penn had set last year. Cornell was also under the meet record, earning a 2nd place finish with a 6:27.04. Oakland came in 3rd with a 6:28.71, but saw a very good split out of junior Jonas Cantrell, who split 1:35.52 on the 2nd leg of the Golden Grizzlies’ relay.

UCSB also won the men’s 200 medley relay in a time of 1:26.43. It was a nailbiter between them and Oakland, who touched 2nd in 1:26.50. Matt Driscoll got UCSB out to the lead with a 21.93 back split, then Henry Adamson (23.99), Zachary Tamusaitis (20.73), and Austin Sparrow (19.78) rounded out the rest of the team. For Oakland, Harry Nicholson was 22.20 on back, then Christian Bart put them in the lead thanks to a sizzling 23.61 breast split. Sofus Balladone went 21.12 on fly, and Charlie Brown anchored in 19.57, which was faster than Sparrow was on UCSB’s anchor, but it wasn’t quite enough.