CBU Finishes Second at UNLV Invitational

Tuesday, December 17

Las Vegas

All Day

California Baptist University

UNLV Invitational (Swim Only)

Photo by: Robert Jordan

CBU Finishes Second at UNLV Invitational

12/17/2019 9:02:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

LAS VEGAS – A strong final day secured a runner-up finish for California Baptist University at the UNLV Invitational on Tuesday, while Rebeca Oviedo added to her phenomenal week.

The Lancers accumulated 1,047 points to run away with second place, behind only the host UNLV Rebels (1,380). Pacific (652), Fresno Pacific (332) and Linfield College rounded out the top-five teams.

Oviedo cemented herself as the highest-point scorer at the meet, with two more top-eight individual swims. The sophomore's highlight of the week came when she won the 1650-yard freestyle in 16 minutes, 49.61 seconds. She went on to take eighth in the 100 free (53.21) to give her 96 points on the week.

Those 96 points were 19 more than any other swimmer, with Pacific's Angela Gagliardo's 77 ranking second. Isabella Rhodes ranked third with 66 points at UNLV, as she added three top-five swims on the final day of the meet.

Rhodes took second in the 100 individual medley and 400-free relay and fifth in the 100 free (51.20). She nearly updated her 100 IM CBU record (57.13), with a time of 57.56 on Tuesday. She teamed up with Rita Smirnova, Hannah Houlton and Mackenzie Degn to take second in 3:22.35, which was a new season best for CBU and just .15 of a second off the program record (3:22.20).

By far, CBU's deepest event of the day, if not week, was the 100 IM. Ten Lancers logged top-16 finishes in the event, with the top-10 record book being just about rewritten, with three new top-10 times produced in the process.

Lauren McKenna took fifth in the finals (1:00.01) and logged the fourth-best time for CBU in the prelims (59.38). Degn took sixth (1:00.04) and had the sixth-fastest time for the Lancers in the prelims (59.76). Taylor Dowden (1:00.69) and Smirnova (59.40) took eighth and ninth place, respectively.

Alina Jungklaus took 10^th place with a top-10 time (1:00.11). Hannah Houlton (11^th, 1:00.47); Kylie Morrison (13^th, 1:01.33); Alexa Melara (14^th, 1:01.60); Hannah Parson (15^th, 1:01.78) and Vianka Hoyer (1:02.56) all qualified for the 100 IM consolation final, as well.

🚨 TOP-🔟 🚨

CBU just about rewrote the top-🔟 list in the 100 IM in Las Vegas, with 3⃣ new entries: Lauren McKenna (59.38); Mackenzie Degn (5976) and Alina Jungklaus (1:00.11). #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/hrwOnKhCDk
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) December 18, 2019

Four Lancers finished top-10 in the 1650 free. Buse Topcu tied for second place behind Oviedo in 16:53.66. Morgan Giordano (seventh, 17:52.60); Elizabeth Brouwer (eighth, 17:55.81) and Mallory Brubaker (10^th, 18:14.89) packed together in the top-10, as well.

Nicole Cienega took third place in the 200 butterfly and recorded the sixth-best time in CBU history at 2:02.52. Morrison (sixth, 2:07.77) and Topcu (eighth, 2:12.03) both qualified for the championship final, while Brouwer (ninth, 2:06.26), Hoyer (12^th, 2:12.07) and Jungklaus (16^th, 2:16.85) made the consolation.

🚨 TOP-🔟 🚨

Nicole Cienega logged the sixth-fastest time in CBU history in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.52) at the UNLV Invite. #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/lNdR2KjNDi
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) December 18, 2019

Alexandra Walling updated her season best and top-10 time in the 200 backstroke, as she took fourth place in 2:04.76, which ranks ninth in program history. Madeline Wiese (11^th, 2:13.51), Jordyn Nelson (12^th, 2:15.01) and Cienega (13^th, 2:15.67) added more points for CBU in the event.

🚨 TOP-🔟 🚨

Lexie Walling entered the CBU top-10 with a time of 2:04.76 in the 200-yard backstroke at UNLV. #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/ML1EGBBGKO
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) December 18, 2019

Melara posted a new personal record in the 200 breast, with a 2:19.49 in the prelims that ranks third in Lancer history. She took fifth place in the finals (2:19.82), while Dowden (ninth, 2:25.83) and Mergel (10^th, 2:26.93) also made the top-10. CBU had three more top-13 finishers in the 100 free: Smirnova (11^th, 52.42); McKenna (12^th, 52.77) and Kelly (13^th, 52.83).

🚨 TOP-🔟 🚨

Alexa Melara set a new personal record in the 200-yard breastroke, improving her top-10 time in CBU history to 2:19.49. #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/dGWo2nDJA3
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) December 18, 2019

Day Three Results

Complete Results