Clarion Swimmers Swim Fast at Zippy Invitational

(Akron, Ohio): Aaron Bell and Bethany Bankovich led the Clarion University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at the three-day Zippy Invitational that finished Saturday night.

A meet of mostly D-I teams, Clarion’s men finished fourth of eight teams and the women were third of eleven teams overall.

Ball State won the men’s event with 1,673, St. Bonaventure second with 1,543, Cleveland State third with 1,287 and Clarion fourth at 1,137.5 points.

Ball State won the women’s event with 1,406.5 points while Akron was second (1,354) and Clarion third (1,221). Illinois State was fourth with 1,062 points and Duquesne rounded out the top five with 890 points.

Bell was second in the 100 (50.32) and 200 backstroke (1:50.46), set new school records in both events and qualified for the NCAA Division II nationals. Also qualifying for the NCAA’s for the men were Chris Jones who won the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.82, and the 200 free relay team of Jones, Bell, Mike McConnell and Adley Kilgore.

Jones was also fourth in the 100 free, Mike Chesterfield fourth in the 1650 while the 200 medley relay narrowly missed the NCAA cut with a time of 1:34.30 by Bell, McConnell, Jones and Kevin McCracken.

Bankovich won the 100 butterfly (57.21), and was 2^nd in the 200 I.M. (2:07.77) and 200 fly (2:05.81) which qualified her for nationals in all three events. Also making nationals cuts were Megan Trimbur (1^st- 200 free, 1:52.76 & 100 free- 5^th), Jessica Brutz (4^th- 50 free), Liz Crigler (5^th- 200 fly), the 200 free relay (1:36.25) team of Bethany Turse, Brutz, Trimbur and Krizty Clarke, the 400 free relay (3:33.09) (Bankovich, Brutz, Turse, Trimbur) and the 400 medley relay (3:56.46) of Lauren Kalata, Jessica DiLoreto, Bankovich and Trimbur).

Diver Jessica Waldman was second in the three meter diving, while Jaime Wolfe was second in the one meter event. Both are already qualified for nationals.

The Golden Eagles are of for finals and the holiday break. The next scheduled dual meet is Jan. 23-24 when Clarion hosts West Chester at Tippin Natatorium.