RIVERSIDE – Dominant performances in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events highlighted California Baptist University's second-to-last home dual of the season against Wyoming.
The Lancer swimmers battled and currently trail the Cowgirls by just three points on a score of 132.5 – 129.5. The final winner will not be decided until both dive teams face off at the UCLA Bruin Diving Invitational this weekend. Competition will take place Friday through Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m. CBU will next dual at Grand Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 25 and host its Senior Day in a dual against UC San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 1 at noon.Â
CBU is looking to improve on its 2-2-1 dual record against Western Athletic Conference foe Wyoming. It has a good chance to do so after big days from
Rita Smirnova and
Nicole Cienega on Thursday at the Lancer Aquatics Center.
Â
Smirnova won the 50 and 100-yard freestyles for the third-straight dual for CBU, with times of 24.44 and 52.99 seconds. Cienega secured victories in the 100 and 200 butterflies with times of 56.45 and 2:06.79, respectively. Â
The Lancers got three more wins in the 500 free, 400 individual medley and 200 breaststroke. True freshman
Mackenzie Degn won the 500 free (5:11.12), while
Rebeca Oviedo took the 400 IM (4:35.22) and
Faith Brazil touched first in the 200 breast (2:21.05).
Â
CBU ended the day by taking second and third in the 400-freestyle relay. Degn,
Hannah Houlton,
Isabella Rhodes and Smirnova finished runner-up (3:31.83) and
Jordyn Nelson,
Jenna Washburn,
Hannah Parson and
McKenzie Kelly (3:39.95) secured third.
Oviedo added two more top-four swims for CBU in the 500 free (5:17.07, second) and 200 free (1:55.86, fourth). Degn and Brazil also finished runner-up in the 200 free (1:54.85) and 100 breast (1:05.28), respectively.
Houlton and
Emily Longfellow both had two top-three individual swims. Houlton took second in the 50 free (24.60) and tied for third in the 100 back (1:02.30). Longfellow came in second in the 100 back (1:01.63) and third in the 200 back (2:18.52).
Rhodes recorded three top-four swims in the 100 free (53.06, second); 50 free (24.71, fourth) and 100 fly (59.01).
Mackenzie Mergel (10:39.63) and
Martha Aguilar (10:47.84) took second and fourth in the 1000 free, with Aguilar taking fourth in the 400 IM (4:37.73) and 500 free (5:18.83).
Kylie Morrison added another second-place swim for CBU in the 200 fly (2:10.39).
Results
Â
