Akron Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio -- On the strength of 11 first-place finishes in 14 events and a pool record from sophomore Sadie Fazekas (Windsor, Ontario) in the 100 butterfly, the Akron swimming and diving team notched a 175-87 win over Toledo on Saturday afternoon at the UT Rec Center.
The Zips also posted a pair of 1-2-3 finishes in the 100 backstroke and the 100 freestyle.
Fazekas captured the 100 butterfly in 55.09 and broke the previous pool record of 55.18, which had been set by Michigan's Anne Weibacher in 2003. The win was one of two on the day for the sophomore with the other coming in the 50 freestyle (23.36). Sophomore Ragen Engel (Springfield, Ohio) finished just behind Fazekas in the 50 free with a time of 23:62.
"I'm proud of our team today. I am very pleased with our attitudes and efforts. We had a rough week in the water and they believed and responded very well," head coach Brian Peresie said.
Senior Luka Szynal (Lublin, Poland), senior Laura Savariau (Saint-Hiliare-la-Palud, France) and freshman Ellie Nebraska (Columbus, Ohio) swept the 100 back for the Zips. Szynal led the trio with a time of 56.13.
In the 100 freestyle, Engel, freshman Morgan Waggoner (Fremont, Ohio) and junior Susan Franz (Canton, Ohio) swept the top three spots for the Zips to pick up 16 points.
Both Zips relay teams picked up wins on the afternoon and Akron took the top two spots in the 200 medley and the 200 freestyle. The squad of Szynal, junior Kristen Vargas (Baltimore, Md.), Fazekas and sophomore Madison Myers (Akron, Ohio) won the 200 medley in 1:42.74.
In the 200 freestyle, Waggoner, Engel, Fazekas and Franz brought home first place with a 1:34.25 swim, which also set a pool record.
Freshman Mackenzie Vargas (Roseville, Calif.) won the 1000 freestyle by nearly three seconds with a time of 10:38.79.
Akron took the top two spots in the 200 butterfly thanks to a pair of freshmen in Jessica Bonezzi (Wooster, Ohio) and Jackie Pash (Carmel, Ind.). Bonezzi touched the wall in 2:03.86 while Pash finished in 2:06.82.
Senior Kara Kaulius (McDonald, Pa.) and Bonezzi went 1-2 in the 500 freestyle with Kaulius capturing the event in 5:04.77.
Nebraska and Savriau also each registered victories on the day. Nebraska won the 200 IM in 2:07.76 and Savriau brought home the 200 backstroke in 2:01.78.
The Zips return to the pool on Friday, Jan. 20 with a head-to-head dual meet versus Miami (Ohio) at the Corwin Nixon Aqautic Center in Oxford set for 3 p.m.
