Toledo, Ohio - The Toledo women's swimming and diving team will travel to the University of Akron this weekend to compete in the annual Zippy Invitational. The meet runs Nov. 30-Dec. 2 inside the Ocasek Natatorium and marks the midpoint of UT's season. Full admission and schedule of events information can be viewed in the attached document, courtesy of Akron Athletics.
 
Teams competing at the Zippy Invite include Akron, Bloomsburg, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Clarion, Marshall, Niagara, Oakland, St. Bonaventure and Toledo.
 
"This meet is important for us because it will indicate where we are as a team," head coach Jonas Persson said. "It will show that our training is working and show what we need to work on the next three months before the Mid-American Conference championships. I think the team will have a lot fun swimming fast and being together at a championship-like meet. I hope that each team member tries their hardest to apply everything we've done in practice. I don't expect perfection. Rather, I want an honest effort to be the best we can be for three days."
 
Toledo's swimmers have had some time off since their most recent meet, last competing on Nov. 3 against Youngstown State in the final dual meet of the fall.
 
UT won, 188-105, earning 15 event victories and registering 26 top-three finishes on the day. The meet was highlighted by freshman diver Joelle Gallais hitting the NCAA zone "C" qualifying mark in the 1- and 3-meter diving events. Sophomore sprinter Lisa Eriksson had a strong meet too, posting a 24.64 in the 50 free. Her time was two seconds away from hitting the NCAA B-cut mark. She also won the 100 free, touching the wall at 53.38.
 
The Rockets enter the weekend with a strong possibility of qualifying for the finals in the diving pool after narrowly missing out last year.
 
Gallais enters the Zippy Invite following a strong outing at the Ohio State Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 16. Gallais took sixth overall and scored 233.75 points, beating out a competitive field that included athletes from Ohio State, Stanford, Notre Dame and Kentucky.
 
"I hope to see Joelle go into the meet with confidence and perform her dives the way she knows how to," diving coach Gabby Agostino said. "We have been working a lot on her connections and her underwater work."
 
Gallais will be accompanied by fellow classmate Sydney Jackson. Jackson is nursing an injury but Agostino is looking forward to this meet as a chance to see how Jackson's recovery is going.
 
"This will be Sydney's first meet competing a full 1-meter list, as she has been progressing from a back injury," Agostino added. "We have been focusing on being patient on the board and spotting on her dives going into this meet."
 
Last year at the Zippy Invite
Toledo was very productive at last year's meet. The Rockets finished fifth in the women's rankings after earning 1,027.5 points. Akron won the weekend after claiming 2,059.5 points, followed by Buffalo (1,534.5) and BGSU (1,203).
 
Ninety-six percent (75 of 78) of Toledo's times or dives qualified as season-bests, and UT scored in all nine of its relay swims. Six individual Rockets notched a total of 17 career records at the meet as well.