The Akron Zips claimed the Mid-American Conference (MAC) women’s swimming championship on Saturday in Oxford, Ohio, earning a repeat championship.
The Zips scored 778.5 points to hold off Buffalo (641), Miami (535), Ohio University (529.5), Ball State (339), Eastern Michigan (302), Toledo (215) and Bowling Green (121).
On Saturday, Akron’s Weronika Goreka (1:53.33) and Madelyn Gatrall (1:54.75) went 1-2 in the 200 backstroke. Andrea Fisher won the 200 breaststroke in 2:10.99, going 1-2 with Giovanna Cappabianca (2:11.25).
Abigail Daniel won the 200 butterfly (1:56.46) and teamed with Gorecka, Gatrall and Rachel Schiffli to win the 400 free relay (3:17.11).
Daniel soared to a 51.65 time in the 100-yard butterfly, replacing the 51.73 MAC and program record set by Sarah Watson in 2019. Daniel also set the new pool record which was previously held by Sadie Fazekas (52.71) in 2017. Daniel won gold, while Schiffli earned runner-up with a 53.17 time.
Dainel wasn’t the only Zips to set a MAC standard, as Akron finished first and second in the 100 backstroke with Gatrall capturing the gold medal and setting a new league mark. Gatrall’s 52.03 time replaced a pair of Zips swimmers marks, overwriting Fazekas MAC record of 52.10 and Alexis Mitcheltree 52.70 pool standard. Gorecka earned the silver medal in the 100 Back with a 52.54.
All four performance were NCAA B-Cut times, while Daniel, Gatrall, Gorecka joined Fischer for another pool record, this time in the 400-yard medley relay with a 3:33.04 time.
Gorecka secured a gold medal and a pool record with a 200 freestyle winning time of 1:45.39.
The 200 Free Relay team flew to a new pool record of 1:29.83 as Daniel led-off the race with a second-fastest 22.43 time. Gorecka and Rebecca Reid posted 22.54 and 22.50 times, respectively, while Schiffli swam the fasted leg to secure the gold, clocking a 22.36 time.
Prior to the Zips lone gold medal, Daniel broke an Akron school record in the 200-yard individual medley with a 1:56.26 time, replacing the 1:56.42 time set by Waston in 2021. Daniel finished second overall, while Gatrall also captured a silver medal with a 22.51 performance in the 50-yard freestyle.
Opening night featured two championship events and the Zips won both. Akron opened the league finale with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, flying to a 1:36.96 time as Gatrall led-off with a 24.27 backstroke time followed by a 27.48 breaststroke by Fischer, 22.85 butterfly leg from Daniel, while Schiffli brought it home with a 22.36 time for Akron’s first win.
The Zips followed with a pool record setting performance in the 800-yard freestyle relay (7:09.00) as Gatrall was the lead with a 1:47.01 time, Reid posted a 1:47.96, Gorecka added a 1:45.00 and junior Astrid Halvorsen touched the wall with a 1:49.03 time.
Buffalo’s Toni Naccarella won the 100 freestyle (48.28) and 50 free (22.15). Toni Franz won 1-meter diving (315.06 points) and Mari Kwak won 3-meter (342.10).
Miami’s Nicole Maier won the 400 IM (4:09.22), 200 IM (1:56.04) and Greta Kolbek won the 500 free (4:47.44).
Ohio’s Ami Hornyak won the 100 breaststroke (59.89).