Lancers Mix Things Up in Home Dual

Friday, October 26

Riverside, Calif.

2:30 PM

California Baptist University

Pomona-Pitzer

Photo by: Reagan Lee

Lancers Mix Things Up in Home Dual

10/26/2018 9:17:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RESULTS

DIVE RESULTS

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – California Baptist University's whole team made its home debut for a dual with Pomona-Pitzer on Friday afternoon.

With another dual Saturday, the Lancers mixed things up with their events and were pleased with the result in a 174-117 win over the Sagehens at the Lancer Aquatics Center. The Lancers head to CSU Bakersfield for another dual with a Western Athletic Conference opponent tomorrow at noon.

"I like where we're at. I feel like we are looking really fit in the water more than anything. This is a dual meet where everyone swam four events," Coach Rick Rowland said. "We saw consistency across the board, we had endurance throughout the meet."

One of the best stories of the day was Mackenzie Mergel trying her hand at breaststroke for the first time in a long time and winning both events of that strokes.

Mergel, who is primarily a distance freestyler, won the 100-yard breast in one minute, 5.40 seconds and claimed victory in the 200 breast in 2:22.55.

"I can't even remember the last time she swam breaststroke for us," Rowland said. "It was a good stroke for her as an age grouper and a high schooler. Sometimes it's nice to change it up and we did that with a lot of our athletes today."

Diving wise, CBU had the top-four finishers on both boards. The big highlight was Emily Dunkerson scoring a 276.68 at 1-meter, while true freshman Kiree Lowe took second place there for the best finish of her young career.

"Emily continues to impress the crowd with an amazing early season score," Dive Coach Jeff Couto said. "To qualify for the NCAA Zone meet, she only needed a score of 265. I can't say enough good things about this young lady. She is a hard worker, extremely disciplined and is always a team player.

"Our aim is to be the best diving team in the WAC and the athletes continue to work towards that lofty goal."

The Lancers' Andrea Laliena, Robin Smallwood, Emily Longfellow and Grace Oeser won the 200-medley relay in 1:48.34.

CBU showed tremendous depth in several events. The Lancers swept the top-three spots in 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke. Rebecca Oviedo, Emily Longfellow and Oeser went first through third in the 200 free with times of 1:54.80, 1:56.52 and 1:58.85, respectively. Kylie Morrison (2:08.98), Jordyn Nelson (2:13.06) and Oeser (2:15.13) finished first through third in the 200 back.

The Lancers also had the winner and runner-up in the 1000 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 butterfly and 500 free.

Mallory Brubaker and Morgan Giordano were the top-two finishers in the 1000 free, with respective times of 10:45.77 and 10:47.56. Laliena (58.89) and Nelson (59.70) went one-two in the 100 back. Buse Topcu (2:11.28) and Morrison (2:11.41) did so in the 200 fly, while Alina Jungklaus (5:10.01) and Brubaker (5:19.77) were first and second in the 500 free.

Longfellow and Morrison both swam a 2:21.02 and 59.26 in the 200 IM and 100 fly that would have been good for wins, if not for them being exhibition swims. The Lancers also used the 200-free relay as an exhibition, with Mergel, Oviedo, Mckenzie Kelly and Hannah Parson's time of 1:39.64 also being the top time of the day.