Akron, Ohio - The Toledo women's swimming and diving team finished sixth at the Zippy Invitational in Akron, Ohio this weekend, earning 710.5 points over three days. The Rockets recorded 86 season-best times and 14 career-best times, and finished in the top-10 nine times. Freshman Ashley Jeffreys highlighted the meet by swimming the 100 backstroke in 55.85, which ranks as the seventh best time ever in that event in UT history.
 
"I think we learned a lot as a team," head coach Jonas Persson said. "Everyone had some good races and some not so good races. We are a young team with some unfortunate injuries, so we focused on each individual performance. We can now mold our training for the next few months leading up to the MAC championship. Overall I'm happy, and the team is in good spirits."
 
Toledo's first two top-10 finishes came in the 100 yard backstroke. Junior Maureen O'Sullivan took fifth after tapping in at 55.77, followed by Jeffreys' 55.85 10th-place finish.
 
Next were the diving events where freshman Joelle Gallais took sixth in both the 1- and 3-meter dives. In the 1-meter, Gallais earned a score of 219.10. In the 3-meter, she registered a flat 225.
 
The 800 free relay squad of freshman Samantha Ekleberry, freshman Jovana Duric, sophomore Kristen Straszacker and freshman Lauren Wegener wrapped up in a season-best 7:44.23, taking 10th.
 
Next was the 1,650 freestyle where Duric tapped in at a season-best 17:10.40, taking sixth.
 
Jeffreys fought back in the 200 back and finished in eighth, ending with a final time of 2:03.19.
 
The 400 free relay squad of freshman Lisa Eriksson, Jeffreys, junior Anna Dunphy and freshman Sophie Taylor wrapped up in a season-best 3:29.09 to secure ninth place.
 
Last was the 200 free relay team of Eriksson, Jeffreys, senior Bailey Cahill and Taylor. The group tied for seventh with Marshall's "B" team after finishing in 1:35.19.
 
Up next:
The Rockets take some time off for the holidays before returning to the pool. UT travels to Buffalo on Jan. 11 for a dual meet to kick off 2019.
 
 
Zippy Invitational Summary:
86 Season Best Swims
14 Lifetime Best Times
46 Scoring Swims
Ashley Jeffreys: 7th in UT history in the 100 backstroke (55.85)
 
Day one (Friday):
21 season-bests (SB) / 23 total Individuals (3PB), 9 Scoring Swims
 
500 FREE
Gracie Storm 5:12.37 SB
Sydnee Dressel 5:06.26 SB/5:00.51 PB (17th)
Samantha Ekleberry 5:02.62 SB/ 5:04..08 (16th)
Jovana Duric 5:00.34 SB/4:59.40 PB (10th)
 
200 IM
Cami Cahill 2:17.40 SB
Ally Sperring 2:12.97 SB
Anna Dunphy 2:12.57 SB
Emma Sampson 2:11.86 SB
Lauren Wegener 2:10.25 SB
Sydnee Dressel 2:09.94 SB
Sophie Taylor 2:09.65 SB
Maureen O'Sullivan 2:09.63 SB
Kristen Straszacker 2:08.66 SB
Lisa Eriksson 2:08.22 SB
 
50 FREE
Duda Sales 24.62 SB
Bailey Cahill 24.57 SB
Ashley Jeffreys 24.54 SB
Sophie Taylor 24.53 SB
Lisa Eriksson 23.48 SB/ 23.53 (11th)
 
200 FREE RELAY
A -2.62 (1:35.19) SB (Sophie Taylor 23.46 anchor) (7th)
B (1:38.56) SB (24.8 Kristen Straszacker, 24.63 STO) (18th)
C (1:39.48) SB (Emma Sampson 24.3) EXH
 
400 MEDLEY RELAY
A -6.71 (3:48.68) SB( Ashley Jeffreys 57.5, Kristen Straszacker 105, Duda Sales 54.8, Lisa Eriksson 50.5) (8th)
B (3:52.43) SB (Maureen O'Sullivan 54.78 PB) (14th)
C (3:59.26) SB (Gracie Storm 58.0, Lauren Wegener 58.4) EXH
 
1-M Diving
Joelle Gallais (6th)
Sydney Jackson (13th)
 
Day two (Saturday):
31SB/42 Total Individual (4PB), 19 Scoring Swims
*Ashley Jeffreys -Enters To-10 100bk (55.85-7th)*
 
4IM
Jovana Duric  4:48.10 SB
Samantha Ekleberry  4:41.05 SB
Ally Sperring  4:37.93 SB
Sydnee Dressel 4:35.71/4:29.11 SB (18th)
Lauren Wegener  4:32.53 SB/4:38.30 (24th)
Kristen Straszacker 4:30.71 SB/4:29.89 SB (14th)
 
100 FLY
SAM 58.29 PB
Lauren Wegener  58.17 SB/59.63 (24th)
Maureen O'Sullivan  58.12 SB/58.45 (23rd)
Sophie Taylor  57.61 SB/57.27 SB (18th)
Bailey Cahill  57.26 SB/ 57.45 (16th)
Duda Sales  56.80/56.48 (12th)
 
200 FREE
Jovana Duric  1:57.28 SB
Gracie Storm 1:56.85 SB (.7 off PB)
Ashley Jeffreys  1:56.17 SB
Anna Dunphy  1:56.12 SB
Samantha Ekleberry  1:55.65 SB/1:55.14 (23rd)
Lisa Eriksson  1:53.23 SB/1:52.91 SB (15th)
 
100 BREAST
Ally Sperring  1:08.83 SB/1:08.68 SB (22nd)
Cami Cahill 1:06.58 (.35 off PB)/1:06.40 PB (19th)
 
100 BACK
Emma Sampson 59.21 SB
Anna Dunphy  58.56 SB
Gracie Storm 58.10 SB/58.57 (22nd)
Kristen Straszacker 57.92/57.10 SB (18th)
Ashley Jeffreys  56.28 (.17 off PB) SB/55.85 PB (10th)
Maureen O'Sullivan  55.77 (A Final)/ 55.18 (5th)

800 FREE RELAY  (10th)
A (7:44.23) SB
Samantha Ekleberry  (1:54.87 PB)
Jovana Duric  1:56.2
Kristen Straszacker 1:56.4
Lauren Wegener  1:56.6
 
200 MEDLEY RELAY
A (1:44.49) Maureen O'Sullivan , Kristen Straszacker, Duda Sales , Lisa Eriksson -dq false start
B (1:47.15) Ashley Jeffreys , Cami Cahill, Bailey Cahill , Sophie Taylor  (12th)
C (1:49.82) Gracie Storm, Ally Sperring, Emma Sampson, Anna Dunphy -EXH
 
3-M Diving:
Joelle Gallais  (6th)
 
Day three (Sunday):
34 SB/ 37 Total Individual (7 PB), 18 Scoring Swims
 
200 BACK
Emma Sampson 2:07.94 SB (.7 off PB)
Anna Dunphy  2:06.58 SB/2:06.32 SB (22nd)
Sydnee Dressel 2:06.41 SB/2:03.32 SB (18th)
Maureen O'Sullivan  2:05.34 SB/2:01.80 SB (17th)
Gracie Storm 2:04.66 SB/2:02.97 SB (12th)
Kristen Straszacker 2:03.08 SB/2:02.80 PB (11th)
Ashley Jeffreys  2:00.06 SB/ 2:03.19 (8th)
 
100 FREE RELAY
Duda Sales  54.06 SB
Anna Dunphy  53.86 SB
Ashley Jeffreys  53.76 SB
Lisa Eriksson  51.38 PB/51.20 PB (11th)
 
200 BREAST
Lauren Wegener  2:28.80 SB-scratch finals
Cami Cahill 2:27.85 (PB)/ 2:26.24 PB (21st)
Ally Sperring  2:26.26 SB/ 2:23.85 PB (19th)
 
200 FLY
Kristen Straszacker 2:14.29 SB
Emma Sampson 2:13.09 PB
Bailey Cahill 2:12.88 SB/ 2;08.78 SB (19th)
Jovana Duric  2:12.80 SB/ 2:20.48 (24th)
Duda Sales  2:11.36/ 2:08.52 (18th)
Sophie Taylor  2:10.58 SB/ 2:06.06 SB (17th)
Lauren Wegener  2:09.02 SB/ 2;09.28 (19th)
 
1,650 FREE
Samantha Ekleberry  17:22.95 SB (11th)
Jovana Duric  17:10.40 SB (6th)
 
400 FREE RELAY
A -8.07 (3:29.09) (Anna Dunphy  52.38, Sophie Taylor  52.06) SB- 9th
B (3:36.44) (Samantha Ekleberry  53.86) SB- 19th