The Akron swimming and diving team went in to Athens, Ohio and came out on top 167-133 against the Bobcats Friday evening.
Akron improves to 3-0 in Mid-American Conference meets and Ohio drops to 0-3 and 0-2 in the MAC.
"We knew we would be in for a battle tonight as Ohio has a strong program, full of tough competitors. I think we did a good job moving from one event to the next and not letting a good or bad performance affect the next one," said head coach Brian Peresie. "As we get farther and farther into the season, we keep pushing harder and harder with our training. I think we are doing everything we need to be doing to set us up to be at our best in February and March."
The Zips 400 medley relay team of junior Luka Szynal (Lublin, Poland), sophomore Paloma Marrero Munoz (Merida, Spain), senior Erin Seiler (Phoenixville, Pa.) and freshman Ragen Engel (Springfield, Ohio) opened up the afternoon with a first place finish in a time of 3:48.58. The teams' time was the eighth fastest time in the program.
Akron finished in the top two spots in the 100 backstroke. Sznyal swam the 100 back in a time of 56.59 for first place and freshman Sadie Fazekas (Windsor, Ontario) followed up closely in 57.73.
In the 100 and 200 breaststroke, Marrero Munoz took first place in each event 1:05.06 in the 100 and 2:20.14 in the 200. Sophomore Kristen Vargas (Baltimore, Md.) also placed second in both the 100 (1:07.79) and the 200 (2:24.89).
Seiler placed first in both of the butterfly events. She was the lone Zip in the 200 butterfly to crack to the top three with a first place finish (2:05.28) and the in the 100 fly swam a 55.36.
Engel had a strong day with a first place finish in the 100 freestyle (51.75). Her time was also the eighth fastest in program history. She also finished second in the 50 free (23.85), along with her first place medley finish.
On the boards, the duo of senior Alice Hottensmith (Brunswick, Ohio) and junior Paige Kelkenberg (Lockport, N.Y.) were the top two divers for the Zips. Hottensmith finished first in the one-meter (267.60) and second in the three-meter (312.75). Kelkenberg totaled a score of 245.67 in the one-meter for second place and 288.57 in the three-meter for third place.
Akron ended the meet the same way they began, with a first place finish in the 200 freestyle relay. The relay team of Engel, senior Hannah Raspopovich (Crown Point, Ind), Fazekas and sophomore Susan Franz (Canton, Ohio) touched first in a time of 1:35.11.
The Zips touched first nine times on the night, placed second 10 times, and finished in third place in eight events.
Akron returns to the pool to take part in the annual Magnus Cup invitational hosted by Cleveland State on Nov. 20-22.
