This Week in WAC Swimming and Diving - Oct. 27
This Week in WAC Swimming and Diving - Oct. 27
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MEN'S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: OCT. 20 - 26
Grand Canyon's Jack Armstrong and California Baptist's Evan Honer has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Swimmer and Diver of the Week, respectively, for Oct. 20 through 25.
Armstrong, a sophomore from Manvel, Texas, clocked the fastest 50 freestyle time (19.47) in the nation according to SwimCloud when swimming the first leg of Grand Canyon's winning 200 freestyle relay in the second day of their dual meet against Seattle U, Saturday. He also picked up a total of four individual wins in the two-day back-to-back dual meets. 50 freestyle (19.84) and the 100 butterfly (47.79) on Friday, and 100 freestyle (43.30) where he clocked a fourth ranked national time according to SwimCloud and the 200 freestyle (1:38.90) on Saturday.
Honer, a junior from Surprise, Ariz., swept all four event on the Lancers' two dual meets this past week. He opened the week with a win in the 1-meter (355.28) and 3-meter (357.83) on their dual meet against San Diego and Seattle U, Thursday. Then to end the week Honer won and improved his 1-meter score (358.15) and did the same in the 3-meter (364.20) against UNLV, Saturday.
WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: OCT. 20 -26
Northern Colorado's Madelyn Moore and California Baptist's Kiree Lowe has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer and Diver of the Week for Oct. 20 through Oct. 25.
Moore, a senior from Sandys, Bermuda, picked up two indivdual and two relay wins on their dual meet win over Idaho, Saturday. She swam the freestyle led of the Bears winning 200 medley relay team. She then won the 50 freestyle (23.35) tying her season time best which is good for 80th in the national college ranking according to SwimCloud. Moore's second individual win came in the 100 freestyle (51.65) where she won the event with a three-second lead. To end the week, Moore swam the anchor leg of the 400 freestyle relay (3:34.95) with a time split (50.54) that is one second faster than half a second faster than her season best.
Lowe, a senior from Clovis, Calif., became the first WAC women's diver to score over 300 in the 3-meter dive this season, she is also the first women Lancer in history to ever break that mark when she won the 3-meter (310.73) on a tri-meet against San Diego and Seattle, Thursday. Lowe won a total of three out of the four events she competed in this past week. Her best 1-meter score came on the Lancers' dual meet against Pomona Pitzer (289.15).
OTHER ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Other men's swimmer nominee: Air Force's Wen Zhang picked two individual wins in the 500 freestyle (4:34.87) and 200 freestyle (1:37.16). He also picked up two relay wins in the 400 freestyle relay (2:58.91) and 200 freestyle relay (1:21.10) on their quad-meet against LSU, Wyoming and Denver, Saturday ... California Baptist's Remi Fabiani displayed a strong collegiate debut winning the 200 freestyle (1:42.90) and 50 freestyle (20.44) in the Lancer's tri-meet against San Diego and Seattle U, Thursday. Then finishing the week with two more wins in the 50 freestyle (20.48) and 100 freestyle (45.05) on their second tri-meet against Pomona Pitzer and UNLV, Saturday ... Seattle U's Michael Luna led the Redhawks in their three back to back meets, clocking a notable second-place finish in the 500 freestyle (4:46.59) on their second day dual meet against Grand Canyon, Saturday ... UNLV's Panos Bolanos swept the backstroke events on their win over California Baptist, Saturday. He started the week with a win in the 100 backtroke ( 48.76) and then won the 200 backtroke (1:49.40) ... Wyoming's Ryan Netzel led the Cowboys with a win in the 1000 freestyle (9:54.74) and taking second in the 500 freestyle (4:41.43) in their quad meet against Air Force. Denver and LSU, Saturday.
Other men's diver nominee: Wyoming's Juan Gonzales had a strong week with a notable third-place finish in the platform (271.75) on their quad-meet against Air Force. Denver and LSU, Saturday.
Other women's swimmer nominee: Dixie State's Paulina Sansores broke the school's record in the 1650 freestyle with an altitude adjusted time of 17:32.85 when she finsihed second overall in the Trailblazer's dual meet against BYU, Saturday ... Grand Canyon's Brianna Rittenbach picked up a win in the 200 freestyle (1:56.28) and three runner-up finishes in the 200 freestyle (1:57.06), 100 back stroke (57.09) and 500 freestyle (5:15.48) throughout the two-day back to back tri-meet against San Diego State, Loyola Marymount, and Seattl U, Friday and Saturday ... Seattle U's Sammy Mosier led the Redhawks in points this past week, her most notable swim was when she came second in the 200 freestyle (1:56.29) in the first tri-meet against San Diego State, Loyola Marymount and Grand Canyon, Friday and Saturday.
Other women's diver nominee: Northern Colorado's Angeline Settle keeps improving her dives as she recorded a new personal best score in the 3-meter dive (207.53) in the Bears dual meet against Idaho, Saturday.
AIR FORCE
AFA hosted the University of Denver, Louisiana State, and, fellow WAC member, Wyoming in their quad-meet, Saturday.
The Falcons won two out of the three matchups. They won against Wyoming (188-165) and Denver (187-166), while falling against LSU (225-128), putting them second in matchups record just under LSU.
WAC swimmer of the week nominee, Wen Zhang, showed consistency in excellence winning two individual events in the 500 freestyle (4:38.87) and 300 freestyle (44.35) while touching second in the 100 freestyle one second behind Olympic gold medallist Brooks Curry.
Another notable performance came in the100 butterfly as Grant Afman (49.97) and Andrew Limpert (50.18) finished first and second, respectively. Corey Shepard finish second in the 50 freestyle behind Curry (20.74).
The Falcons found success in the freestyle relay events as quartet Zhang, Limpert, Jacob Bulseco and Shepard took the top-spot in the 200 freestyle relay (1:21.10) and the 400 freestyle relay (2:58.91).
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
CBU opened their week as hosts when the men's team won over Seattle U (225-69) while the women's had a tri-meet coming out on top of Seattle U (221-73) and San Diego (220-80), Thursday.
Diver of the week, Kiree Lowe, became the highlight of the meet as she won the 3-meter dive (310.73) as the Lancer to score over 300 point in the program's history. The men's competed amongst themselves as neither SU or USD has a men's diving team.
On men's swim, swimmer of the week nominee, Remi Fabiani, opened is college career picking up wins in the 50 freestyle (20.44) and 200 freestyle (1:43.90). Robert Moseley picked up another two wins in the 200 backstroke (1:55.01) and 400 IM (4:10.66). Four other Lancers picked up individual wins.
On the women's side, Patricia Van Law came blazing in her debut as Lancer, picking up wins in three events, the 100 backstroke (58.88), 200 backstroke (2:06.54) and 400 IM (4:32.88).
The Lancers closed the week hosting another tri-meet against Pomona Pitzer and UNLV, Saturday.
The men's team won against PPC (186-111) and lost against UNLV (130-159). Same goes of the women's team, a win against PPC(161-139) and fell short against UNLV (159-130).
On the women's side, Faith Brazil impressed with runner-up finishes on the 100 (1:05.41) and 200 breastroke (2:21.78). Van Law also racked two second-place finishes in the 200 backstroke (2:05.95) and 200 IM (2:08.85).
In diving, Lowe snagged the top spot in the 3-meter (289.15) and came second in the 1-meter (268.90).
On the men's side, Jacob Leahy showed consistency as got back-to-back second-place finishes in the 100 backtroke (49.87) and the 100 freestyle (45.42).
Honer dominated diving as he won both the 3-meter (364.20) and 1-meter (358.15).
GRAND CANYON
The Lopes went on the road for a two-day back-to-back quad-meet against Loyola Maymount, San Diego State and fellow WAC member Seattle U at Los Angeles, Calif., Friday through Saturday.
On the first day, the women defeated Seattle U (155-49) and Loyola Marymount (154-50) but fell to San Diego State 118-76. The men only competed against Seattle U and won (157-48).
The women's side opened the first day with the 200 medley relay quartet of Briana Rittenbach, Raphaela Nakashima, Emily Muteti and Claire Banic finishing second (44.87). The trend continues as Aleksandra Wegrynowska finished second in the 1650 freestyle (17:52.50).
Raphaela Nakashima earned the Lopes their first win in the 100 breastroke (1:04.46) then they topped it off with another win when quartet Maria Brunlehner, Banic, Wegrzynowska and Mutet finished first in the 400 freestyle relay (3:33.37).
The men was led by WAC swimmer of the week, Armstrong, as he picked up two individual wins in the 50 freestyle (19:84) and 100 butterfly (47.79). They dominated most of the meet, some of the notable wins are Mikhail Lyubavskiy 200 freestyle (1:42.62) and 500 freestyle (4:37.63), Amir Haviv also had an impressive win in the 100 breastroke (57.12).
Day two ended with a similar result as the Lopes beat Seattle U (149-46) and Loyola Marymount (157-46) while falling short against San Diego State (120-79), Saturday.
The men's team picked up another win against WAC rival Seattle U (162-43).
The women's team had three main actresses as Rittenbach won the 200 freestyle (1:56.28) and 500 freestyle (5:12.64). Muteti earned the win in the 50 freestyle (23.55Senior Robyn Edwards earned her first win of the season in the 200 backstroke (2:02.74).
The highlight of the men's side was Armstrong's 50 freestyle win (19.47) where he recorded this season's fastest national time according to SwimCloud.
The rest of the Lopes picked up a total of 11 wins,. Lyubavskiy contributed three out of the 11 by winning the 1,000 free (9:46.67), 200 butterfly (1:56.85), and 500 freestyle (4:36.85).
IDAHO
The Vandals opened the week on the road where they fall against Colorado State (89-211), Friday.
Kaling Phung and Morgan Votava displayed notable swims in the 100 backtroke when they finished first (59.21) and second (1:00.67), respectively. Diver Heather Hopkins too second in the 3-meter dive (285.23).
They stayed another day in Colorado and faced-off with fellow WAC member, Northern Colorado, Satuday.
Duo freshmen Laura Rodriguez-Fernandez and Caitlin Smith impressed as they picked up second-place finishes in the 200 breastroke (2:28.51) and 100 butterfly (1:01.09), repectively.
NORTHERN COLORADO
The Bears hosted fellow WAC member Idaho and picking up a win (207-91) improving their season record to 2-0, Saturday.
WAC swimmer of the week, Moore, was leading actress of the meet as she swept the sprint events, winning the 50 freestyle (23.36) and 100 freestyle (51.65). Katelyn Bergin also picked up three wins on her own in the 100 back (57.21), 100 fly (57.07) and 200 IM (2:10.36).
To end another strong week, quartet Doris Pusztay, AJ Popp, Anna Austin and Moore secured the 400 freestyle (3:34.95).
SEATTLE U
The Redhawks had a busy week as they travelled to California for three days of back-to-back meets.
They opened the week in Riverside where the men's had a dual meet against California Baptist, while the women's had one extra opponent in a tri-meet agsint California Baptist and San Diego, Thruday.
The men fell against CBU (225-69) but recorded some notable swims, one of which is Michael Lune's second-place 1000 freestyle (9:52.17) swim. Jack Neton also picked up a second-place finish in the 200 breastroke (2:09.33).
The women fell short against San Diego (124-170) and CBU (80-220) but also with impressive swims especially from Sammy Mosier who won the 50 freestyle (24.54) and 100 butterfly (57.94).
They then travelled to Los Angeles where the men's team had a two dual meets against Grand Canyon and the men's had a quad-meet against Grand Canyon, San Diego State, and Loyola Marymount, Friday through Saturday.
The women's team picked up a win (111.5-92.5) on the first day and tied (99-99) the second against Loyola Marymount. Danika Himes showed a notable performance as she took two individual wins against LMU in the 200 IM (2:12.12) and 100 breastroke (1:07,98).
UNLV
The Rebels travelled to California Baptist and picked up a win (159-130), Saturday.
The defending champions picked up a win from the meet opener as quartet Panos Bolanos, Sam Willstrop, George Ratiu and Reece Hemmens won the 200 medley relay (1:29.66).
They proceeded to take back-to-back wins Cam Catro in the 1000 freestyle (9:27.01), Dominik Bujak in the 200 freestyle (1:40.00), Bolanos in the 100 backstroke (48.76), Adnan Beji in the 100 breastroke (55.27) and Andrew Navarro in the 200 butterfly (1:50.78).
They picked up three more individual wins before capping it off with a 400 freestyle relay win (2:59.9).
WYOMING
The Cowboys travelled to USAFA for a quad-meet against Air Force, Denver, and Louisiana State, Satruday.
Even though they failed to pick up a win, the Cowboys recorded some notable swims.
Grant Sloan finished fourth in the stacked 50 freestyle race (20.99) before Netzel recorded a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle (4:41.43). Netzel then earned the Cowboys a win in the 1000 freestyle (9:54.74) coming into the end of the meet.