Zippy Invite
Bulls End Weekend At Akron’s Zippy Invite in Third Place
12/8/2024 7:52:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
AKRON, OH – The University at Buffalo swimming and diving team closed out the Zippy Invite on Sunday, finishing third of the six teams in attendance with 1,544 points. Despite dropping to second on day four, the Bulls enjoyed a record-breaking weekend, with six new performances entering the all-time program ranks and numerous personal records up and down the Bulls' roster.
IN THE POOL
After breaking her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke on Saturday night, Mia Naccarella carried her momentum over into Sunday. Naccarella finished second in the 200-yard backstroke finals with a season-best time of 1:56.99, less than a second shy of her personal record of 1:56.21 which ranks third in program history. Vivian Roy took sixth in the finals round with a time of 2:02.55 and Abigail Malmstrom trailed to take eighth with a time of 2:05.12, putting three Bulls inside the top eight swimmers.
Isabella Forsman finished third in the 200-yard butterfly finals with a personal record time of 2:01.56. The freshman's time fell just short of reaching the program record books, with the 10th-ranked time being Bulls' junior Kaley Ream (2:00.85). Nicole Aguilar took sixth with a time of 2:03.68 to put two Bulls inside the top six swimmers. Maddy Schnelzer took 14th, with a time of 2:09.44 in the consolation finals. The freshman's time was a new personal best.
Jillian Strine set a new personal record time of 51.25 in the 100-yard freestyle to finish eighth in the finals round. Amanda Jurgelon and Sawyer Bosley competed in the consolation finals rounds. Jurgelon finished 13th with a time of 51.59 and Bosley took 17th with a time of 51.15, putting three Bulls inside the top 20 swimmers.
Grace Rider finished 10th in the finals round of the 200-yard breaststroke with a personal record time of 2:17.93. Rider's time fell just short of reaching the program record book (2:17.26), set by Jennefer Brankovsky in 2016. Freshman Ava Pauly placed 12th in the finals round of the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:21.80. Pauly's time is a new personal best that was over three seconds faster than her previous best (2:24.85).
Elise McCaul (5th, 17:13.47) and Ava Cunningham (6th, 17:13.52) finished inside the top 10 in the 1650-yard freestyle. McCaul's time fell just short of her personal record (17:09.67). Karen Austin took 11th with a time of 17:43.66 to give the Bulls three spots in the top 11 swimmers.
The Bulls closed out the final day of competition by finishing fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:22.57. The relay team of Naccarella, Forsman, Strine and Bosley set a season-best time.
THE DIVING WELL
The Zippy Invite was closed out on Sunday with a platform diving exhibition. The Bulls did not compete in the event.
Throughout the first three days of competition, the Bulls won all three events; team diving, one-meter diving and three-meter diving.
On Thursday, the Bulls took the team diving event with a first-place score of 296.80. Buffalo's team consisted of Marialis Kwak, Presley Dorsett and Kaylee Donovan. The Bulls also took second place, with a team of Daphne Fox, Mallory Hanna and Maggie Meyers finishing with a score of 253.10.
Kwak won both the one-meter (295.20) and three-meter finals (304.95), extending her win streak in the diving well to eight straight individual wins since the beginning of the season. Kwak's finals score in the three-meter was a season-best.
In the one-meter competition on Friday, Hanna's preliminary round score of 280.60 was a new personal record that ranked ninth all-time in program history.
FINAL STANDINGS
| 1. Akron | 2039 |
| 2. Oakland | 1564 |
| 3. Buffalo | 1544 |
| 4. Cornell | 1498 |
| 5. Keiser | 946 |
| 6. PennWest Clarion | 528 |
UP NEXT
The Bulls will next compete in January, following the winter break and the program's annual training trip. The UB Diving Invite will take place in the Alumni Arena Natatorium from January 10th through January 12th. The Buffalo swimmers will head to Duquesne on January 11th to compete head-to-head on their own in a one-day competition.
A full schedule for UB Swimming and Diving can be found here. The Bulls will host MAC Championships from February 26th through March 1st in the Alumni Arena Natatorium.
For all the latest on UB Swimming & Diving, check out the official website of the Buffalo Bulls, and follow the program on Instagram (@UBSwimDiveTeam), X (@UBSwimDiveTeam) and Facebook ("Buffalo Bulls Swimming and Diving").
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