Akron Zips Clinch Their Third Straight Title at the 2024 MAC Women’s Championships
The 2024 MAC Women’s Championships at the Ohio Aquatic Center in Athens, OH, concluded with the Akron Zips winning their third straight team title, a testament to their dominance in the conference. This year’s event featured fierce competition, record-breaking swims, and a little controversy.
Final Scores
- Akron: 812.5
- Miami, Ohio: 652.5
- Ohio: 583
- Buffalo: 442
- Ball State: 330
- Eastern Michigan: 273
- Toledo: 230
- Bowling Green: 149
Day One
Akron and Miami, Ohio, tied on the first day with 74 points each, thanks to their dominance in the 200 medley and 800 free relays. Akron narrowly secured the victory in the 200 medley relay by a mere .10, thanks to the efforts of Maddy Gatrall, Sara Bozso, Abby Daniel, and Rebecca Reid. Miami, Ohio, not to be outdone, shined in the 800 free relay, with Nicole Maier leading the charge. Maier achieved a personal best and set a new MAC record with a time of 1:43.90, driving her team to set a new conference record.
Bowling Green’s relay was disqualified for an early takeoff in the 800 free relay, but discrepancies were posted in the results regarding similar infractions by Akron and Buffalo. Revisions of the results that adjusted these times stirred further discussions, suggesting that step-over starts influenced the recorded reaction times. Amid these controversies, the swimmers’ performances, particularly Maier’s record-setting swim, stood out as the highlights of the championship’s first day.
Day Two
On Day Two, Akron took a commanding lead with 289.5 points, leaving Miami, Ohio, in second place with 241.5 points. Miami, Ohio’s Nicole Maier’s near-record performance in the 500 free highlighted the day. She clocked in at 4:40.30, shy of her MAC record but good enough to break the pool record. Miami, Ohio’s Greta Kolbeck also impressed, securing second in the 500 free with a career-best of 4:45.35.
Akron showcased its depth and talent, with Rebecca Reid setting a new pool record in the 200 IM at 1:58.18, Abby Daniel breaking the pool record in the 50 free with a time of 22.27, and their 400 medley relay team of Maddy Gatrall, Sara Bozso, Abby Daniel, and Weronika Gorecka demolishing the competition with a pool record time of 3:32.79. Nicole Maier continued her exceptional performance, anchoring Miami, Ohio’s 400 medley relay team from fourth to second with a 47.13 freestyle leg. At the same time, Buffalo’s Mari Kwak dominated the 1-meter diving with a score of 313.00.
Day Three
During Day Three action, Akron solidified its lead with 548.5 points, significantly ahead of Miami, Ohio, at 440.5 points, setting the stage for a third consecutive title. Highlights included Abby Daniel of Akron breaking the MAC championship record in the 100 fly with a 51.60 and Maddy Gatrall winning the 100 back, also setting a pool record in prelims with a time of 52.10. Akron’s 200 free relay team established dominance by setting a new pool record with a time of 1:29.31. Nicole Maier of Miami, Ohio, showcased her talent by winning the 400 IM in 4:09.38, a close miss to her championship record. Ohio made their presence known with Zita Szoke winning the 200 free in 1:46.01 and Casi Dibetta securing the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.32.
Day Four
In a thrilling conclusion, standout performances from Nicole Maier and Abby Daniel led to new MAC records, with Maier dominating the 100 free in 47.77, slightly besting her record, and beating Ohio’s Zita Szoke, the Freshman Swimmer of the Year, who finished in 48.71. Daniel notched a record in the 200 fly with a time of 1:55.50, beating her previous best and contributing to Akron’s 400 free relay victory alongside Maddy Gatrall (49.29), Rebecca Reid (49.50), and Weronika Gorecka (48.55), which also set a new pool record with their collective effort of 3:15.36.
Despite Akron’s relay win, Maier clocked the event’s fastest split in 47.34. Additionally, Weronika Gorecka won the 200 back in 1:55.10, adding to Akron’s success. Ball State’s Callie Tuma won a dramatic 1650 free in 16:44.16, narrowly defeating Akron’s Astrid Halvorsen, who came in second with a time of 16:44.27. Ohio’s Casi Dibetta secured a win in the 200 breast, demonstrating her strategy to pull ahead with a time of 2:11.59.