MAC Championships: Akron Looking to Get Back to the Gold Standard

MAC Championships: Akron Looking to Get Back to the Gold Standard
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MAC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Competition Site: Student Recreation Center - Cooper Pool - 1411 Ridge St. - Bowling Green, OH 43403

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AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips swimming and diving looks to get back to the top of the podium and capture its eighth title in nine years at the 2021-22 Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by Bowling Green State on Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 23-26 at the Cooper Pool of BGSU.

Admission and Attendance Guidelines
Admission for the MAC Championships is $40 for adults all-session passes, $20 seniors and youth (3-17) all-session passes. A single session passes are $12 for adults and $7 for seniors and youth. Follow the link to purchase tickets online: The 2021-22 MAC Championships. You can also purchase passes at the door.

Regardless of vaccination status, all guests, staff, and vendors will be required to wear a face covering while in the Cooper Pool. Fans are not required to show proof of vaccination to enter the Cooper Pool, but face coverings – covering the nose and mouth – are required for all fans as they watch the meet from their seats and enter, exit, and move around. Children 2 and younger will not be required to wear a face covering. If spectators are unable to wear face coverings, they are encouraged not to attend meets in-person for the sake of their health and the health of others.

The Meet
The 2021-22 MAC Championships are scheduled to begin with the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 24-26, prelims are slated for 10:30 a.m. Finals on Thursday (Feb. 24) and Friday (Feb.26) will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m., while finals on Saturday are scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.

Diving, 1-meter prelims are scheduled for Thursday (Feb. 24) at 3 p.m. with the finals starting at approximately 7:45 p.m. that evening. 3-meter diving prelims are slated for a 3 p.m. start time on Friday (Feb. 25) with the consolation finals commencing at 7:50 p.m. and the finals will be held on Saturday (Feb. 26) around 8:30 p.m.

Akron Zips
The Zips, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Brian Peresie, Akron looks to claim its eighth MAC title and junior Sarah Watson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) will be in the hunt for a third-consecutive MAC Swimmer of the Year honor. The Zips enter the MAC Championships with a 4-1 dual record, defeating Miami (190-110), Eastern Michigan (161-138), Ohio (241-101) and Toledo (212-88) while falling to Ohio State (228-91). The Zips also posted three meet wins, claiming the Akron Zips Classic, Zippy Invitational and Magnus Cup Invitational while placing runner-up at the Tim Welsh Classic hosted by Notre Dame. The Zips have earned multiple NCAA D1B qualifying times and NCAA Diving Zone qualifying performances.In addition, Watson was named MAC Swimmer of the Week three times while senior Paulina Nogaj (Radom, Poland) earned the honor twice. Also winning a pair of MAC weekly diving awards was junior Paige Kalik (Irwin, Pa.).

2020-21 was the first time in seven years that the Zips women's swimming and diving program was outscored at the Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championship, earning runner-up as Buffalo claimed the title by a 773-766 score at Eastern Michigan's Jones Natatorium.

The Zips trailed by one-point 733-732 heading into the final event of the three-day MAC Championships event. In the 400-yard Freestyle Relay, the Bulls posted a 3:17.76 time, edging the Zips by 1.25 seconds and securing the 2021 MAC title.

At the conclusion of the MAC season finale, the league announced the postseason awards as Sarah Watson was named MAC Swimmer of the Year. In addition, Watson earned First-Team All-MAC honors along with Paula Garcia, junior Andrea Fischer, Olivia Gardner, Weronika Gorecka, Rachel Schiffli and Rachel Sabotin. Earning Second-Team All-MAC accolades were Brooke Lamoureux, Lauren Cooper and Madelyn Gatrall.

2022 MAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championships Schedule
February 23-26 | Bowling Green, Ohio | Hosted by Bowling Green State University

Wednesday, February 23:
5:30 p.m. Doors Open to General Public
6:30 p.m. Championship Heat - 200 Medley Relay
30-minute break – Starts as soon as 200MR Ends
7:15 p.m. - Championship Heat - 800 Freestyle Relay

Thursday, February 24: Preliminaries Session
9:30 a.m. Doors Open to the General Public
10:20 a.m. Competition Pool Cleared
10:30 a.m. 500 yard Freestyle
10 minute break
200 yard Individual Medley
10 minute break
50 yard Freestyle
10 minute break
*Time Trials*

3:00 p.m. 1-Meter Prelims
4:15 p.m. or immediately following Prelims- Consolation Diving Final 1-Meter

Thursday, February 24: Finals (*Approximate starting times)
5:30 p.m. Doors Open to the General Public
6:30 p.m. Consolation Final Heat – 500 yard Free
6:42 p.m.* Championship Heat – 500 yard Free
6:53 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 200 yard IM
7:02 p.m.* Championship Heat – 200 yard IM
7:10 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 50 yard Free
7:17 p.m.* Championship Heat – 50 yard Free
7:45 p.m.* 1-Meter Diving Finals
8:25 p.m.* Championship Heat – 200 Freestyle Relay
8:35 p.m.* *Time Trials*

Friday, February 25: Preliminaries Session
9:30 a.m. Doors Open to the General Public
10:20 a.m. Competition Pool Cleared
10:30 a.m. 100 yard Butterfly
10 minute break
400 yard Individual Medley
10 minute break
200 yard Freestyle
10 minute break
100 yard Breaststroke
10 minute break
100 yard Backstroke
10 minute break
*Time Trials*

3:00 p.m. 3m Diving Prelims
4:30 p.m. Competition Pool Opens for Warm-Ups

Friday, February 25: Finals (*Approximate starting times)
5:30 p.m. Doors Open to the General Public
6:30 p.m. Consolation Final Heat – 100 yard Butterfly
6:38 p.m. Championship Heat – 100 yard Butterfly
6:45 p.m. Consolation Final Heat – 400 yard Individual Medley
6:56 p.m.* Championship Heat – 400 yard Individual Medley
7:06 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 200 yard Freestyle
7:15 p.m.* Championship Heat – 200 yard Freestyle
7:23 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 100 Breaststroke
7:31 p.m.* Championship Heat – 100 Breaststroke
7:38 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 100 yard Backstroke
7:46 p.m.* Championship Heat–100 yard Backstroke
8:15 p.m.* 3m Consolation Finals Begin
8:47 p.m.* Championship Heat – 400 Medley Relay
**Time Trials***

Saturday, February 26: Preliminaries Session
9:30 a.m. Doors Open to the General Public
10:20 a.m. Competition Pool Cleared
10:30 a.m.
200 yard Backstroke
10 minute break
100 yard Freestyle
10 minute break
200 yard Breaststroke
10 minute break
200 yard Butterfly
10 minute break
*Time trials*

Saturday, February 26: Finals (*Approximate starting times)
4:00 p.m. Doors Open to the General Public
4:10 p.m. 1st Heat of the 1650 Free Time Finals (The last heat will end at 5:30 p.m.)
6:40 p.m. Championship Heat – 1650 yard Freestyle
7:03 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 200 yard Backstroke
7:11 p.m.* Championship Heat – 200 yard Backstroke
7:21 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 100 yard Freestyle
7:28 p.m.* Championship Heat – 100 yard Freestyle
7:38 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 200 yard Breaststroke
7:46 p.m.* Championship Heat – 200 yard Breaststroke
7:57 p.m.* Consolation Final Heat – 200 yard Butterfly
8:05 p.m.* Championship Heat – 200 yard Butterfly
8:30 p.m.* 3-Meter Diving Finals
9:05 p.m.* Championship Heat – 400 Freestyle Relay
**Time Trials**

9:25 p.m.* Championship Awards –
All-MAC 2nd Team & All-MAC 1st Team
MAC Freshman of the Year – Diver/Swimmer
MAC Most Outstanding – Diver/Swimmer
MAC Diving Coach of the Year
MAC Swimming Coach of the Year
Presentation of Team Champion

MAC Championships: Akron Looking to Get Back to the Gold Standard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lauren Cooper

Andrea Fischer

Paula Garcia

Olivia Gardner

Madelyn Gatrall

Weronika Gorecka

Paige Kalik

Brooke Lamoureux

Paulina Nogaj

Rachel Sabotin

Rachel Schiffli

Sarah Watson

The University of Akron Athletics