The Illinois State swimming and diving team are third (457) out of ten teams after the first day of finals at the Zippy Invitational. Akron is in first (597), Marshall is in second (518), Clarion is in fourth (302), and Bloomsburg is in fifth (291).
Illinois State broke school records in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:33.77) and the 50-yard freestyle (23.15) Friday night. The relay team of Marissa Yontz, Samantha Schuckles, Alexis Nash and Katherine Nelson finished second. Yontz broke the school record and won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.15.
In the 500-yard freestyle, Yvette Kruk (5:00.01), Laura Paskoff (5:02.36) and Kristin Verkler (5:03.73) all had personal-best times. In the preliminaries, Cecilia Holmes swam a season-best with a time of 5:03.83.
Rachel Root finished twelfth (2:09.50) and Rachel Holm placed seventeenth (2:10.34) in the 200-yard IM, both being personal bests. Also in the 200-yard IM, Courtney Taylor (2:05.78), Katie Breger (2:11.58) and Alyssa Swanson (2:13.57) all finished with season bests.
Schuckles set a new personal-best time in the 50-yard freestyle preliminaries (23.78). In the 50-yard freestyle finals, Nelson (24.04) and Kristin Horney (24.62) both swam season-best times.
Sarah Thomas led off the 200-yard freestyle relay (24.49), which was her new personal-best time. Root also set a personal best swimming backstroke in the 400-yard medley relay (56.96).
Head coach Steve Paska was extremely happy with the way ISU performed Friday.
"This was a fantastic start to the 2014 Zippy Invite with many season best and personal best swims," Paska said. "I am very proud of how the Redbirds competed. I'm looking forward to how the team rises to the challenge as they compete in the prelims tomorrow morning."
Senior diver Wenting Zhang won the 1-meter diving event with a score of 291.20.
Head diving coach Phil Hoffmann was pleased with how his divers performed and is ready for day two of competition.
"I was happy for the divers to support the team effort while scoring valuable points for the team," Hoffmann said. "Wendy's performance was a good lead in for tomorrow. We definitely have things to work on but tomorrow should be a good day for the divers."
The Redbirds begin day two of the Zippy Invite with the preliminaries tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.
Event Breakdown
200-yard freestyle relay – The Akron relay of Ashley Niznik, Susan Franz, Taylor Hart and Hannah Raspopovich finished first (1:33.06) … The ISU relay of Yontz, Schuckles, Nash and Nelson placed second (1:33.77) … Marshall's relay including Danica Ross, Gloriya Mavrova, Lauren Cowher and Lauren Hurd finished third (1:34.68).
500-yard freestyle – Marshall University's Kaley Gregory finished first (4:55.68) … Madison Pulfer of Marshall placed second (4:55.70) … Ashley Drazkowski of Akron finished third (4:55.82).
200-yard IM – Niznik won the event (2:04.58) … Emma Lockyer of Marshall finished second (2:04.60) … Kelsey Ferrante of Akron finished third (2:04.83).
50-yard freestyle – Yontz won the event (23.17) … Ross placed second (23.17) … Hanna Raspopovich of Akron finished third (23.29).
1-meter diving – Zhang won the event with a score of (291.20) … Sarah Zerfoss of Clarion finished second (242.95) … Alice Hottensmith of Akron placed third (242.60).
400-yard medley relay – Akron relay including Ludwika Szynal, Amanda Lawson, Erin Seiler and Raspopovich won the event (3:44.27) … Niznik, Kristen Vargas, Franz and Hart of Akron placed second (3:47.83) … Alex Wheatley, Nikki Young, Rachel Brooker and Meghan Gallagher of Bloomsburg finished third (3:47.89) … ISU relay consisting of Schuckles, Taylor, Nash and Yontz placed fourth (3:48.32).
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