CBU Takes 10th in D-II

Wednesday, March 14

Greensboro, N.C.

7:30 AM

California Baptist University

NCAA Division II Championships

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

3/17/2018 8:05:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Buse Topcu's debut season continued to be one to remember for the California Baptist University true freshman with a runner-up swim on the final day of the NCAA Division II Championships on Saturday.

It helped the Lancers take 10^th place as a team, which was their goal coming into the week. They amassed 146 points overall, while Queens won the team title with 574.5. West Chester threatened but came up short of CBU in 11^th (141).

"The girls being top 10 was my prediction, I am really proud of them. We had some very potent individuals," Coach Rick Rowland said. "Finishing top 10 is not an easy thing to do, I am very proud of them. We give all the glory to God. The whole entire team and staff had a hand in this, all the assistant coaches did a great job to get us here."

After winning an individual national title the day before, Topcu notched her third D-II All-American award by taking second in the 1650-yard freestyle on Saturday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Topcu's runner-up time of 16 minutes, 30.27 seconds obliterated the previous CBU record of 16:34.92 she set earlier this season.

"It was amazing, I was so excited for all the races," said Topcu, a native of Ankara, Turkey, about her first experience at the NCAAs. "My parents watched me, that's why I was so excited. I tried to do my best the whole way and had my best times, some amazing times. It was good, everything is good."

The Lancers' 400-yard freestyle relay team of Emily Longfellow, Hannah Parson, Grace Oeser and Sofia Petrenko advanced to the consolation final when they took 14^th in three minutes, 25.18 seconds. They moved up three spots in the finals to take 11^th (3:25.35) when all was said and done.

Christie Halverson and Mackenzie Mergel took 17^th and 19^th, respectively in the 1650 freestyle prelims with times of 17:19.20 and 17:27.03 to place 25^th and 27^th overall. Petrenko and Emily Longfellow took 33^rd (51.38) and 38^th (51.58) in the 100 freestyle.