This Week in WAC Swimming and Diving - Feb. 10
This Week in WAC Swimming and Diving - Feb. 10
WAC MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Air Force's Cole Armagost has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men's Diver of the Week, for Feb. 1 through Feb. 7.
Armagost, a senior from Papillion, Neb., posted a pair of podium dives as he competed against divers from Utah, BYU, Colorado Mesa, California Baptist and Wyoming at the Air Force Diving Invitational. His best showing came on the platform as he took silver with a finals score of 329.10. Armagost earned a third-place finish in the 3-meter event after posting the second-highest score in the group during prelims. He was also one of only four divers at the event to qualify for all three finals as he finished seventh overall in the 1-meter with a score of 273.70.
OTHER ATHLETES OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
WAC WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Northern Colorado's Anna Austin and Northern Arizona's Victoria Knapp have been named the Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer and Diver of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 1 through Feb. 7.
Austin, a junior from Arvada, Colo., continued her winning ways in the distance events as she collected two wins to help the Bears take down Colorado State for the first time in program history. Austin took first in the 1,000 free with a season-best time of 10 minutes and 33.69 seconds. She then secured the top spot in the 500 free as she reached the wall in 5:08.05.
Knapp, a freshman from Mesa, Ariz., collected two top-three dives as the Lumberjacks competed against Idaho and San Diego State last week. She earned NCAA Zone qualifying scores on all three boards with her top finish coming in the 3-meter (1st, 319.10). At the 1-meter height, she posted a 285.65 in the finals to place her in third. She also turned in a fourth-place finish in the platform event, scoring 231.45.
Other men's diver nominees: California Baptist's Evan Honer turned in two top-five dives, including shattering the school record in the platform by more than 23 points to finish third in the event (322.65)… Wyoming's Juan Gonzalez earned three top-five finishes as he managed career-best dives in all three events, including scoring an NCAA Zone E qualifying score of 310.15 in the prelims of the 1-meter.
Other women's swimmer nominated: California Baptist's Buse Topcu tallied a pair of wins as she outswam the competition in the 200 free (1:53.80) and 500 free (5:17.27).
Other women's diver nominated: California Baptist's Kiree Lowe had a solid showing in the platform event as she finished fourth (197.55) at the Air Force Diving Invitational.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force dive team competed in the comfort of its own pool as they hosted the Air Force Diving Invitational. In the 1-meter event, the Falcons were led by senior Cole Armagost as he finished seventh (273.70) after qualifying in eighth in the prelims. Armagost took third overall in the 3-meter (323.95) and second in the platform (329.10) to come away as the top Air Force diver in all three events. Brett Jenkins had a solid showing on the 3-meter board as he took seventh with a finals score of 297.30.
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The Lancers swim and dive teams split up this week as the swim teams competed against Concordia in Riverside, Calif., while the men joined Air Force and Wyoming at the Air Force Diving Invitational.
The men's swim team took down Concordia 144-109 as Boris Milev and Robert Moseley paved the way to victory. Milev earned first-place finishes in the 100 free (47.70) and 200 free (1:39.91) while Moseley won the 50 breast (26.21) and 50 free (21.56).
The Lancer women also controlled their dual with Concordia, winning 145-105. Buse Topcu shined on Senior Day as she took first in the 200 free (53.80) and 500 free (5:17.27). Lydia Bartlett and Faith Brazil added four combined solo wins as well to help the Lancers pull away. Bartlett outswam the competition in the 1,000 free (10:32.30) and 100 free (52.82) while Brazil collected wins in the 50 back (31.20) and 100 breast (1:08.64).
The men's dive team opened up competition in Colorado with a fifth-place finish coming from Evan Honer in the 1-meter event (280.50). Honer came away from the 1-meter board with the top dive among the consolation group (298.70). Honer saved his best for last as he landed a third-place dive in the finals of the platform event on day three, setting the new CBU men's platform record with a score of 322.65.
On the women's side, the Lancers were led by Kiree Lowe as she turned in a sixth-place finish in the consolation portion of the 3-meter event (217.55). Lowe also recorded a score of 220.40 in the consolations of the 1-meter to earn her a fifth-place finish. Lowe also looked strong on the final day of competition, posting a fourth-place finish in the finals of the women's platform event (197.55).
IDAHO
The Vandal dive team was in action as they traveled to Flagstaff, Ariz., to take on WAC rival Northern Arizona. In the 3-meter, Emily Mack was the top performer as she scored 239.10 to finish in 11th. Coming off a diver of the week award, Allison Shimp was the top Vandal in the 1-meter as she posted a score of 220.75 to finish 10th overall.
NORTHERN ARIZONA
The Lumberjack women got to dive on their home boards one last time this season as they battled with Idaho and San Diego State. Victoria Knapp impressed in the 3-meter event as she took the top spot and posted an NCAA Zone qualifying score of 319.10. Knapp followed that up with a second podium finish, taking third in the 1-meter (285.65). Teammate Maegan Jensen recorded a 280.00 to finish second in the 3-meter and meet the exact score need to be an NCAA Zone qualifier. Alyssa Jones kept things going with a qualifying score in the 1-meter (281.75). On day two, Knapp led the way once again as she placed fourth by way of a 231.45-point finals score in the platform event.
NORTHERN COLORADO
The Northern Colorado swim team had one of its strongest performances of the year as they took down Colorado State 113-91 to capture the first dual win over the Rams in program history.
The Bears took first in nine of the 13 contested events as Anna Austin led the way. Austin posted a season-best time of 10:33.69 to reach the wall first in the 1,000 free while also earning the top spot in the 500 free (5:08.05). Freshman Chelaine Van De Westhuizen added an individual win in the 100 breast (1:06.63) while Saana Liikonen took gold in the 50 free (23.86). Paula Nunez Blazquez was also responsible for a UNC win as she came in first in the 400 IM (4:35.89). Meanwhile, Katelyn Bergin out-touched the CSU competitor by .27 seconds to take first in the 100 fly (57.28).
WYOMING
The Cowboys went south to take on divers from the likes of Air Force, Wyoming and Utah in the Air Force Diving Invitational. Freshman Juan Gonzalez was the top Wyoming finisher in the 1-meter event as he finished with a score of 295.45 in the finals. Elijah Chan also reached the 1-meter finals and went on to finish eighth (256.70). Gonzalez led the way for Wyoming in the 3-meter too, finishing with a career-best mark of 271.20 to take fourth. He also added a fourth-place finish in the platform event (271.20) to pace all Cowboys.