The Akron swimming and diving team falls just short of a comeback against Eastern Michigan in the final event of the afternoon as the Eagles take the head-to-head dual 136-147 on senior night at the Ocasek Natatorium.
Senior night began with a second and third place finish for two of the Zips seniors. The team of junior Luka Szynal (Lublin, Poland), senior Hannah Raspopovich (Crown Point, Ind.), freshman Sadie Fazekas (Windsor, Ontairo) and freshman Madison Myers (Akron, Ohio), clocked in at 1:42.67 while junior Laura Savariau (Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud, France), sophomore Paloma Marrero Munoz (Merida, Spain), senior Erin Seiler (Phoenixville, Pa.), and sophomore Susan Franz (Canton, Ohio) were two seconds behind at 1:44.32.
Szynal and junior Laura Weiss (Indianapolis, Ind.) combined to lead the Zips in the 100 backstroke with a second and third place finish. Szynal swam four laps in 55.42 while Weiss finished in a time of 56.87.
Freshman Ragen Engel (Springfield, Ohio) recorded Akron's first top finish of the afternoon in the 50 free, touching in a time of 23.67. Raspopovich was right on the freshman's tail, finishing .02 seconds after Engel for second place (23.69).
Engel again earned the Zips nine points with a first place showing as she was the lone Zip in the 100 free top three turning in a time of 50.87.
Akron dominated the 100 fly sweeping the top three spots and gained 16 points to help the Zips gain ground on Eastern Michigan. Fazekas glided through the water for first (55.33), Seiler followed for second (55.52) and Engel rounded it out for third (55.55).
Senior Alice Hottensmith (Brunswick, Ohio) flourished on senior night with two first place finishes. She scored a combined total of 284.92 in the one-meter dive and tallied a 325.65 in the three-meter dive. Junior Paige Kelkenberg (Lockport, N.Y.) flew through the air with ease to earn a third place finish with a score of 280.95 in the one-meter dive and a second place finish in the three-meter dive (291.30).
The Zips ended the night taking two of the top three spots in the 400 freestyle relay. The team of Engel, Fazekas, senior Ashley Niznik (McDonald, Pa.) and freshman Victoria Shaffer (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) timed in a 3:27.93. Savariau, Raspopovich, Franz and freshman Emma King (Centerville, Ohio) finished with a combined time of 3:31.90 for third place.
Akron will head on the road next weekend for two meets. The Zips go head-to-head with Xavier on Friday, January 29. One day later, January 30, Akron squares off against Miami (Ohio). These are the final two meets of the Zips regular season action.
