Proud of Aplenty

Thursday, November 19

Grand Junction, Colo.

All Day

California Baptist University

Colorado Mesa Invite

Photo by: Maribel Ramirez

11/21/2015 10:31:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Provisional times have started rolling in each time out for California Baptist University, but the Lancers got an ever-so-rare automatic-qualifying mark for the NCAA Division II Championships from Alena Rumiantceva in a dominating team finish at the Colorado Mesa Invite on Saturday.

With 1,198 points, CBU remained undefeated in events where team scores are kept this season, posting a more than 500-point cushion between itself and second place. Rumiantceva provided the highlight of the entire invite Saturday in the 200-yard breaststroke when she grabbed her A-cut with a first-place time of two minutes, 14.39 seconds after just missing it in the 100 breast on Friday.

"Alena just missed her pool record of 2:14.02 that she set at the RMAC championships last year," Coach Rick Rowland said. "Everybody is leaving here with a glow and feeling pretty good about themselves. These are signs of good things to come."

Four more B cuts and five more victories were nabbed by the Lancers Saturday. Christie Halverson and Yosita Hapsari each had an individual and relay win in the 400-freestyle relay. They teamed with Robin Smallwood and Hailey Golden in the day's only relay, winning it in a provisional time of 3:30.46. Halverson won the 1650 free with a consideration time of 17:29.79, which Hapsari also did in the 100 free (51.02).

"Christie came through, she's really done some spectacular swimming here this week," Rowland said.

The 200 butterfly was the most dominant event for CBU on the day, with Courtney Chacon winning it with a provisional mark of 2:05.94, Kristina Tchernyschev (2:07.38) taking third and Sara Yoshii fourth (2:07.48). The 200 backstroke wasn't too bad, either, with Andrea Laliena winning it in 2:05.90 and Kylie Mihld taking second (2:06.06).

"Laliena was a nice surprise for us, winning the 200 back," Rowland said, "it wasn't a B cut yet but she's getting closer."

Melody Coleman gave the Lancers two top-three finishers in the 200 breast, taking third in 2:24.33. Bre Schlenger ended her week with a second-place finish on the one-meter diving board, with 231.10 points.

RESULTS