Complete Friday Prelim Results / Finals Schedule

AKRON, Ohio - The Bloomsburg University women's swimming team opened racing at the Zippy Invitational, hosted by the University of Akron, on Friday morning and will have two individuals and four relay teams compete in Friday evening's finals.

Junior Karly Hursey (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) and freshman Rebecca Cubbler (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) highlighted the Huskies' action in the pool as they both advanced to the "B" final of the 500-yard freestyle. Hursey will be the top seed in the event as she posted a time of 5:01.37 during the morning prelims - less than three-tenths of a second from qualifying for the "A" final. Hursey's time was an NCAA 'B' qualifying time and is the fastest time in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) this season. It is also the sixth-fastest time in program history.

Cubbler, meanwhile, also posted an NCAA 'B' qualifying time of 5:04.54 and will compete against Hursey, and six others, in the "B" finals on Friday evening. Her time is the third-fastest in the conference this year and is ninth-fastest in school history.

Senior Brooke Gilson (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) and junior Lauren Minford (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley) also swam well in the 500-yard freestyle by posting PSAC-qualifying times. Gilson just missed advancing to the "C" final and will be one of two alternates after her time of 5:08.32. Minford posted a mark of 5:18.83 to also qualify for the conference meet.

In the 200-yard individual medley, the Huskies had eight swimmers qualify for the PSAC tournament but failed to get anyone through to Friday's finals in a Division I-heavy field. Sophomore Sydney Mercer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Millville) and senior Courtney Middleton (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) both swam the prelims in 2:11.20, tying them for the fourth-fastest time in the PSAC this season. Redshirt senior Kaci McIlmoyle (Landenberg, Pa./Avon Grove) was right behind with a mark of 2:11.54 - sixth-fastest in the conference to date.

Finally, in the 50-yard freestyle, nine swimmers posted PSAC-qualifying marks but failed to advance to Friday evening's finals. Junior Kate Cossitor (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) was the fastest Huskies' swimmer in the event, touching the wall in a personal-best time of 24.47 - third-fastest in the PSAC this season. Redshirt sophomore Mary Kate Boylan (Edgemont, Pa./Penncrest) was right behind, finishing with a time of 24.52 in the prelims. Cubbler (24.56) and freshman Kaitlyn Floyd (Mertztown, Pa./Kutztown Area) (24.59) were also in the mix.

The Huskies will also have two teams competing in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay events on Friday evening.

Friday's finals are scheduled to get underway at 6:00 p.m. Fans can watch the finals live by clicking here.