AKRON, Ohio – The University at Buffalo swimming and diving program competed at day four of the Zippy Invite, closing out the seven team competition in third place.
“I am excited with how we finished the meet,” said Head Coach Andy Bashor. “Congratulations to Pinar for winning the 200 breaststroke with a school record time. It’s always a good feeling to win the last relay too. We are looking forward to the next several weeks of training and building on our way to MAC Championships.”
Pinar Donmez headlined the day for the Bulls, winning the 200-yard breaststroke with a school record time of 2:13.98. The freshman rose the ranks to beat her previous personal best time of 2:14.69, which ranked second in program history. Donmez’s event win marked the second podium finish for the freshman this week. Donmez also earned first place in the preliminary round of the event (2:15.04).
Grace Rider (5th, 2:18.33), Ava Pauly (6th, 2:18.80) and Madi Tewksbury (8th, 2:21.60) also competed in the A-Finals of the 200-yard breaststroke, putting four Buffalo swimmers inside the top eight. Riders’ time was a season best.
Freshman Hattie Wasmuth placed fifth in the finals of the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.37. Wasmuth’s time was a new personal best that rose to eighth in program history. The freshman opened the day for the Bulls with a third-place finish in the preliminary round (2:01.05). Alexandra Ericson competed in the B-Finals of the event for the Bulls, placing 16th overall in the field of 36 swimmers (2:07.60). Ericson qualified for the B-Finals with a season best time of 2:06.70 to place 13th.
Nicole Aguilar earned another podium finish for the Bulls, taking third in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.11. The time was the fastest on the team’s roster this season. Aguilar’s third place finish marked the senior’s second podium placement of the week. Amanda Jurgelon also competed in the A-Finals of the event, earning eighth overall with a time of 51.55. Alex Bulat took first place in the B-Finals of the event, finishing with a season best time of 50.96. Elise McCaul (13th, 51.66) and Jillian Strine (14th, 51.71) also competed for the Bulls.
The Bulls earned five of the top 11 spots in the preliminary round of the 100-yard freestyle. Aguilar placed fourth (50.58), Jurgelon finished eighth (51.50), Strine earned ninth (51.52), McCaul placed 10th (51.61) and Bulat rounded out the Bulls’ finals qualifiers in 11th (51.62).
Bella Forsman finished third in the finals of the 200-yard butterfly with a personal best time of 2:01.07. The sophomore’s time was less than half of a second shy of reaching the program’s all-time top 10 (2:00.85). Forsman’s podium finish marked her second of the weekend, also posting a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley on day three.
Kamilla Nemes competed in the A-Finals alongside Forsman, placing fifth with a time of 2:02.50. Lillian Bailey (12th, 2:09.22) and Maddy Schnelzer (13th, 2:09.35) also competed for the Bulls in the B-Final, putting four Bulls inside the top 13 swimmers to place.
Ava Cunningham earned a top five finish in the 1650-yard freestyle, posting a time of 17:25.16. Karen Austin also competed for the Bulls, finishing ninth with a time of 17:38.89.
The Bulls closed out the meet by winning the 400-yard freestyle relay. Jurgelon, Aguilar, Forsman and Bulat finished the event with a season best time of 3:22.10.
FINAL STANDINGS
| Akron | 1779 |
| Cornell | 1702 |
| Buffalo | 1694 |
| Bowling Green | 1134.5 |
| Keiser | 785 |
| Youngstown State | 771.5 |
| PennWest Clarion | 544 |
All results from the Zippy Invite can be accessed here.
There were no diving events on the final day of the meet.
UP NEXT
The Bulls will next travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from December 28th through January 3rd for the team’s annual training trip. The team will then return home to host the UB Diving Invite from January 9th through January 11th, and a head-to-head competition versus Duquesne on January 10th. A complete schedule for Buffalo Swimming and Diving can be accessed here.
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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Courtesy of University at Buffalo.
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