ZipsVoice

Trapped game....

I swear he was on the roster a couple weeks ago....must have been a recent decision....actually while I was reviewing the roster for my pre-season picks here for MVPs, I thought I saw his name.

Hesham Eldesouky finished 14th in the triple jump and Lucy Bryan was 10th in the pole vault to complete the indoor NCAAs. Once again, show me a non-P5 school with a better record representation at the 2019 Indoors and I'll by you an adult beverage. Men finish 35th overall. Still no yes/no decision officially on the outdoor meets at Lee Jackson....Proud of the 5 Zips that went, and the coaching staff. Go Zips!

Opted to go to the B-ball game rather than sit home and watch ESPN3 coverage of the T & F Championships, but the Zips had a decent showing on the national stage last night. Mackenzie Andrews missed qualifying for the finals of the mile but ran a decent 4:45. Jordan Latimer finished 7th in the long jump after qualifying for the finals, and Matt Ludwig was 4th for the second year in a row in the pole vault. Today it will be Lucy Bryan trying her hand in the pole vault and Hesham Eldesouky in the triple jump. ESPN3 again.

Why???? This was posed as a fun exercise right from the start! We're "Fans", dammit! Short for Fanatics. Why can't we be over-the-top? We all know what's ahead of the Zips, so we might as well have a little fun before reality sets in and we have to read all the negative posts once the season begins. Lighten up!

I think by "sellout" they meant the seats where you could actually see the game were sold out. Geez that was horrible. Might as well as stayed at Bricco's in Acorn Alley to watch...

You can count on dre too come out of the woodwork, or troll hole, at such an opportune time, can't you?

WHAAAAATTTT???

I thought the same thing...when he signed it was like “hey, Corner ‘s a corner!” I looked it up to correct zzx, and LZip’s right, listed as an LB!

Nationally ranked, 6 straight MAC Championships, and now the most ever Zips going to UT-Austin to compete in the NCAA Championships. Seven. Sadie Fazekas, Sarah Watson, Paulina Nogaj, individually and Ragen Engel, Sofia Hennell, Paula Garcia and Ellie Nebraska in relays. It just gets better and better....sure hope the Ocacek pool doesn't spring a leak and all meets for 2019-20 get cancelled

Two words....Appalachian State

We may have St. V in the JAR next week...hosting OHSAA DI Regional semi-final between Barberton District and Elyria District Champs, on Thursday and then the Regional final between the winner of that game vs. the Toledo semi winner....

Who in the heck were those guys? And where the heck have they been? And will we ever see them again? I sure hope so, because I had more fun tonight than since we slapped the Flushes a few weeks back. In fact, a little too much fun, I think I'll pay for it tomorrow morning...but it's like Coach was prophetic on the 3 ball shooting. I too will miss Jimond, and I have enjoyed having him here, class act IMO.

Okay, this week Akron sends 6 individuals to the NCAA DI Indoor T & F Championships. top 16 in the nation in each event get to compete. No other non-P5 school can even come close to those numbers. But word on Buchtel Avenue is the outdoor meets for 2019 are being cancelled due to the condition of Lee Jackson's track. No confirmation of that, but it seems to be out there. And that the U of A can't afford to or doesn't want to fix. Hopefully this is temporary, as a lot of expenditures for a new football coach, budget increases for men's soccer and Cub Cadet Field and new programs in baseball and women's lacrosse are hitting the coffers at the same time. I get it. I have no issues with that spending or those programs. And if the track is that bad, then the time to address it was last Fall not this Spring, as the resurfacing isn't just a one-week job. I'm guessing anywhere from $80K to $250K will be needed, depending on how bad it is. Have they thought of these items? the team can continue to train on the surface I assume, but for how long and what injuries may be caused by poor conditions? recruiting might suffer if recruits see an indoor-only program from a home meet side of things. if they fix it this summer, then why not go after the City Series meets and get some revenue off the use of the facility like we do at the Natatorium? Pay for itself quickly, I'd think. Host a few high-level High School Invitationals as well, as pick up concession revenue too. The meets they are cancelling aren't exactly barn-burners. Low-quality teams and lack of numbers make for lightly attended and supported meets. So if you do it, make sure you offer the fans something in return. Kent State did away with their outdoor meet program a few years back for the same reasons, and their programs have gone downhill ever since. Are sponsorships or naming rights allowable, and if so....????? You have three nationally-ranked NCAA DI teams at Akron....how would you treat the other two if their facilities suddenly were unsuitable? Bring back outdoor track meets in 2020, and more (quality) ones at that!

Retracted

I go: L vs. ILL W vs. UAB L vs. CMU W vs. Troy L vs. UMASS W vs. Kent W vs. Buff L vs. NIU W vs. BG W vs. EMU L vs. Miami L vs. Ohio 6 and 6 Off MVP - Deltron Sands Def MVP - John Lako Champion - Toledo

I kept trying to tell you guys and gals to cross over to Ocacek to watch WSD win the MAC, but noooo.....

Saturday was just a formality, but a fun one, as the Zips won their sixth straight MAC Championships. Mackenzie Vargas defended her title in the 200 Fly successfully, with teammates Paulina Nogaj and Jessica Bonezzi sweeping the medals. EMU's Delaney Duncan showed why she was Swimmer of the Year with her record in the 200 Back, with Zip Paula Garcia taking silver. Sarah Watson won the 100 Free setting up her title as Freshman Swimmer of the Year, and Morgan Waggoner, Sadie Fazekas, Ragen Engel and Ellie Nebraska made it a 1-2-3-4-5 sweep for Akron. Avery Movold and Olivia Gardner made the Championship finals in the 200 Back. Akron was shut out of the 1,650 Free, but no big deal. And Karly Crail r3ocvered for a silver in the 3 meter dive, with Kami Goodrick placing 5th and was named Freshman Diver of the Year. Akron 0ut an exclamation point o n the meet with a 2 second besting of the Meet, MAc and Ocacek records in the 400 Free Relay, as Engel, Wtson, Fazekas and Henell clocked in at 3:14.42. Total score - 867 points to EMU's 583 in second. Mde up for the stinker in the JAR that afternoon.

If you weren’t there, you don’t have a clue how exciting last night was. Even a casual fan would have realized how special it was. 6 events and the last 5 were all record setting. Amazing how simple swimming and track are. The fastest wins. In the 400 Individual Medley Olivia Sapio won for Buffalo as Zip Jackie Pash made a furious attempt to catch here, but took silver. Then it started. 100 Butterly MEET AND MAC RECORD by Zip Frosh Sarah Watson, plus Paulina Nogaj takes silver and MorganWaggon 6th. BAM! 200 Freestyle and Frosh Camila Lin’s de Mello of Miami sets a MEET AND OCASEK record, Sofia Hennell wins Bronze and Avery Movold and Ellie Nebraska place in Championship final. WOO HOO! EMU’s Delaney Duncan breaks the MEET, MAC AND OCASEK record in the 100 Breaststroke. Zip Paula Garcia takes silver, Andrea Fisher 5th. Hold On to your swim caps! Zip Sadie Fazekas breaks the MEET AND MAC record in the 100 Backstroke! She’s been awesome IMHO. Then the Zip team set a new MEET, MAC AND OCASEK record in the 400 Medley Relay! 5 records falling in a row, and the ONAT was rocking! Oh yeah, and as I thought, the team title isn’t even in doubt, as Akron leads EMU by almost 200 points! With only Saturday in play. I know everyone will be concentrating on the two B-Ball games at the JAR tonight, but your Zip swimmers are about to win their 6th title in a row.

Two days in the books, and a commanding lead, brought to us by some stellar performance from our youngins and our vets. We had two Championship finalists in the 500 Free in Emma King and Mackenzie Vargas. Then it was Freshman Sarah Watson taking the Championship in the 200 Individual Medley, with Paulina Nogaj, Ellie Nebraska and Jackie Pash all making the Champ finals as well. In the 50 Free it was Beast-mode Senior Sadie Fazekas, who has been so focused this meet, taking the title with a sizzling 22.20 second time, and teammates Ragen Engel, Sofia Hennell and Morgan Waggoner sweeping the other top 4 slots. All meeting NCAA standard. Then a surprise as Freshman Kami Goodrick took silver in the 1 meter dive. Great story on this kid; she was a stellar high school gymnast who had to quit due to an injury but tried diving as a replacement, and after just one year of diving won the Ohio High School Championship. And she got us 17 points tonight. Karly Crail was a finalist as well. And to cap off the night it was our 200 yard Freestyle relay team won gold by 2 seconds over Buffalo, and the team of Engel, Fazekas, Hennell and Waggoner blister a 1:28.554 time, good for a new meet, MAC and Ocasek record, and an A standard for NCAA in the process. The Zips have 319 points to Easter Michigan's 221 points, and Buffalo is at 199 points. Some good stuff....

WOW! Two events, two firsts, two meet records, two MAC records, two Ocasek records. In the 200 Medley relay Sadie Fazekas, Paula Garcia, Sarah Watson and Raven Engel won by breaking their old record and hitting the “A” standard time for the NCAA. Then in the 800 Freestyle relay it was Avery Movold, Paulina Nogaj, Watson and Ellie Nebraska beating the MAC and meet record by over 3seconds and the Ocasek record by over 6 seconds! Miami started the strongest but Nogaj caught them in the second leg and Watson pulled away. 80 points - Thursday should be fun.

Kind of a lean year for the Zips, but still got 3 men and a woman into the top 16, just announced by the NCAA. Lucy Bryan is in for the women’s pole vault, Matt Ludwig in for the men’s pole vault, Jordan Latimer for the men’s long jump and Hesham Eldesouky for the men’s triple jump. No other MAC men qualified, and only Nadia Williams from Central Michigan in the women’s long jump and Aliyah Gustafson from Bowling Green in the shot put qualified on the women’s side. Good Luck Zips in two weeks! UPDATE - missed Mackenzie Andrews in the mile, so make that 2 women qualifiers and 5 Zips total!

Don’t forget to put dre on the roster!

The MAC brings the Women's Swimming & Diving Championships to the Ocasek Natatorium this week, and the 5-time defending champs (and nationally ranked) Zips get to try for 6 in a row. Two teams have won 7 in a row previously. Despite some set-backs with injuries during the looooong season, I think the Zips will have little problem with taking their 6th title. Here's why: WEDNESDAY - only two events, both relays, and Akron has dominated the relays in the MACs in every Championship year. They are deep, and it shows in relays more than anywhere else. Their season best in the 200 Individual Medley relay is a full second faster than Eastern Michigan, and their best in the 800 Freestyle relay is 13 seconds faster than Miami's. Two wins on Day 1. THURSDAY - Sadie Fazekas and Broooke Lamoreaux will score in the 500 Free, but look for Ohio or Buffalo to win, and Miami is always deep at the distances. Sarah Watson and Ellie Nebraska could go 1-2 (or 2-1) in the 200 Individual Medley, with Buffalo's Olivia Sapio in the mix. Watson hit the NCAA qualifying standard already. The 50 Free should see as many as 5 Zips make the Championship final with Fazekas the favorite, but watch for Sophia Hennell to challenge. Both have met NCAA qualifying times. We're weak on the boards this season, but Katey Applin should make finals in the 1-meter, and then the 200 Free relay should be ours, as the quartet already met the NCAA standard. FRIDAY - The 400 IM should see Sapio with gold but Zipper Jackie Pash, if healthy, might sneak past her. Akron's Emma King and Ohio's Hannah Schlegel should duel it out for third. We own the 100 Butterfly with Fazekas, Watson and Paulina Nogaj 3 of the fastest 4 in the field. Same for the 200 Free, with Fazekas, Nogaj, Nebraska and Avery Movold wrapped around Miami's Camila Lins di Mello in the top 5. EMU (Delaney Duncan with an NCAA time) will more than likely go 1-2 in the 100 Breaststroke but could be challenged by our Paula Garcia. Fazekas and Daisy Platts of Bowling Green have already hit NCAA times in the 100 Backstroke, but it's wide open from there. Karly Crail could make finals in the 3-meter dive, and then the Zips should take the 400 Medley relay, as we're 4 seconds faster than EMU. SATURDAY - it should be already over when the pool opens Saturday, but you never know. The 1,650 meter Free is like the marathon of track and field, it's all by itself as an event, and it takes a different type athlete to compete in it, let alone win it. look for Ohio's Schlegel to win this one. The 200 Back should be the highlight of the day, as Platts, Movold and Nicole Roitenberg of Buffalo all have met NCAA standard times and within .4 seconds of each other. We could have 5 of the 8 finalists in the 100 Free with Watson and Fazekas at NCAA marks. Andrea Fischer could surprise for Akron in the 200 Breast. And Nogaj and Mackenzie Vargas should dominate in the 200 Back, and watch for Watson to make it a sweep. Preliminaries get underway each day at 10:30. Diving prelims follow. Finals are at 6:30 and there is a consolation final (qualifiers 9 through 16) and a championship final (1-8) in each event, and both score, so that's why depth plays such a huge part in the title. Find some more space on the Ocasek wall for the sixth banner.

Did I say "squeak out?" How squeaky is 2 and 1/2 points? Kamir Majid and Malik Hudson finish 3-4 in the Heptathlon to set the tone. Curtis Richardson, Nuh Andu and Ben Olewiler go 1-2-3 in the High Jump. Marc Miggliozi and Andre Bollam-Godbot each score in the mile. Then Patrick Kimball surprises with a win in the 60 hurdles. Freshman Sam Janson scored in the 400. Amir Willis takes 3rd in the 60 and Malcolm Briley got a point. Steven Ashcraft gets a point in the 800. Willis gets a point in the 200. Then things started getting more interesting. Hesham Eldesouky raised eyebrows with an upset win in the triple jump, just about the time Tevin Brown came close to pulling off a second stright finishing-kick win in the distances, settling for 2nd in the 3,000, whipe Nick Sticklen placed 5th for 2 points. Then the Vaulters took control, with Matt Ludwig breaking the facility and MAC Championship record with a jump of 19' 1/2", and Cole Wigal was 2nd, Matt Keim 4th. 22 points. It came down to the 4 x 400 relay. With a 6 1/2 point lead, the men secured a 3rd for 6 points, while Eastern Michigan won for 10 points. The Indoor Championship belongs to the Zips.... The women had some nice performances as well. Haley Hess had a 6th in the 800. But Mackenzie Andrews was the star for the team, winning both the mile and the 3,000 meter run. Dara Perry grabbed bronze in the hurdles. Maike Anstett tied for the High Jump title but ended up 2nd in a jump-off, then took 6th in the Triple Jump. Olivia Snyder scored in the shot put.