Women’s MAC Champs Day 1 Recap: Akron Notches 200 Medley A Cut

2016 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27
• Cooper Pool, Bowling Green, OH (Eastern Time Zone)
• Prelims 11 AM / Finals 7 PM
• Defending Champion: Akron (2x) (results)
• Live Stream (Thursday-Saturday, ESPN3)
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Wednesday Results

200 Medley Relay Final

1. Akron: 1:37.28
2. Eastern Michigan: 1:38.58
3. Bowling Green State: 1:39.26

The women of Akron University won the first event of the night, defending their title and swimming the same time as last year and taking the meet record with 1:37.28. Freshman Madison Myers, senior Hannah Raspopovich, freshman Sadie Fazekas, and senior Ashley Niznik came together for the win, but it was Fazekas’s blazing fly leg (22.53) that ended up winning the event for the Zips. The other three swimmers each split a little slower than the second-place Eastern Michigan swimmers, but Fazekas made up the difference and more.

Akron’s swim was fast enough to slip underneath the NCAA ‘A’ standard: 1:37.46.

Michigan’s Alexis Mitchelfree, Delaney Duncan, Dora Vrcic, and Mary Kate Maclean claimed the second slot with 1:38.58, and Bowling Green’s Maya Skorupski, Daniela Carillo, Jordan Bullock, and Kayla Effinger claimed third in 1:39.26.

800 Free Relay Final

1. University at Buffalo: 7:13.83
2. Akron: 7:15.73
3. Eastern Michigan: 7:18.68

The University at Buffalo defended their title from last year in the 800 free relay, speeding up about a second from last year’s performance with 7:13.83. Sophomore Sarah Baxter led off the relay in 1:48.79, senior Jess Powers swam next in 1:47.02, freshman Kerry Giovanniello swam third in 1:51.12, and Megan Burns anchored a 1:46.90. Although they didn’t make the 7:09.96 ‘B’ cut, both Powers and Burns could have a very good shot at the individual 200 ‘B’ cut, a 1:47.99, later this week.

Akron’s Ragen Engel, Sadie Fazekas, Laura Savariau, and Madison Myers teamed up for second in 7:15.75, with anchor Myers notching the fastest split, a 1:48.32.

Eastern Michigan’s Rebecca Detro, Emilie Desnoyers, Sierra Wagner, and Grace Van Allen finished third in 7:18.68.

Detro clocked the fastest lead-off of the entire field, a 1:47.77 to hit the NCAA ‘B’ standard.

Team Rankings Through Event 2

1. University of Akron: 74
2. Eastern Michigan University: 66
3. University at Buffalo: 64
4. Bowling Green State University: 62
5. University of Toledo: 56
6. Miami University (Ohio): 56
7. Ohio University: 50
8. Ball State University: 44