CBU Ready for Second WAC Championships

Wednesday, February 26

Houston

All Day

California Baptist University

WAC Championships

Photo by: Robert Jordan

CBU Ready for Second WAC Championships

2/24/2020 11:20:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

HOUSTON – California Baptist University goes into the 2020 Western Athletic Conference Championships looking to build on its successful debut in the conference a season ago. The Lancer men finished runner-up in the WAC a season ago, while the women finished fourth.

The WAC Championships will be hosted at the CRWC Natatorium on the campus of the University of Houston for the second year in a row Wednesday through Saturday. Prelims will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day, with finals taking place at 4 p.m. Pacific.

Over five seasons in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, CBU was always a front runner. The Lancers never finished outside the top two on the men's or women's side. The women won all five RMAC titles from 2014-18, while the men won in 2018 and 2016.

MEET INFORMATION
Dates/Times: Wednesday, Feb. 26 – Saturday, Feb. 29; prelims at 8:30 a.m., finals at 4 p.m. Pacific each day
Location: University of Houston's CRWC Natatorium (Houston, Texas)
Watch: Facebook Live (prelims each day), WAC Digital Network (finals each day)
Live Results: WAC.org

Can't wait for the @WACsports Championships.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/YDpnejFTUe
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) February 20, 2020

Last year, the Lancers combined for 10 championship swims (seven men, three women) and a total of 23 all-conference or top-three finishes (15 men, eight women). CBU will be the top seed in three relays this week on the 200-medley (1:27.72) and 400-free relay (2:55.77) on the men's side and the women's 400-free relay (3:22.35).

This time around, CBU's men will have to do it without contributions from its top-three scorers on the men's side from 2019: Jerome Heidrich, Brandon Schuster and Scott Tolman. Heidrich graduated after a dominant career and senior season, while juniors Schuster and Tolman are redshirting this season with it being an Olympic year.

The men do return four all-conference finishers from last season. Jacob Leahy had individual all-conference swims in the 100-yard freestyle (second, 43.56) and 100 backstroke (third, 46.99) in 2019, and also swam on the victorious 400-free relay team (2:54.93) with fellow returners Josh Walters and Robert Moseley.

Walters and Moseley figure to be big-time contributors again this year. Moseley took second in the 200 back (1:45.33) in 2019, while Walters was a key swimmer on three All-WAC relays. Colton Babcock is another all-conference returner after he swam on the third-place, 800-free relay team (6:29.27).

🏆 1️⃣➖2️⃣➖3️⃣➖4️⃣➖5️⃣ 🏆

Evan Honer secures his fifth @WACsports Diver of the Week award this season. It ties him for the most Men's Diver of the Week accolades in the WAC this season. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/MMLE2pQArt
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) February 11, 2020

True freshman Evan Honer figures to continue to be a force to be reckoned on the diving end. The five-time WAC Diver of the WAC has 13 wins in 25 opportunities this season, including three in invites. He also has 10 top-eight finishes out of 14 invite events this year.

On the women's side, the Lancers return most of their top contributors from last year. Rebeca Oviedo is the reigning WAC Freshman of the Year after she won two events last year – the 200 (1:48.28) and 500 frees (4:49.27), and had two other all-conference finishes in the 1650 free (second, 16:47.31) and 400-free relay (third, 3:22.20).

Senior Emily Longfellow is the defending WAC champion in the 100 back (54.66), while Isabella Rhodes secured three third-place swims last season: 200 IM (2:02.11), 100 free (49.56) and 400-free relay. Sophomore sprinters Rita Smirnova and McKenzie Kelly both swam on the 400-free relay, as well.

🔒 in#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/4Sw9kPwhY1
— CBU Swimming & Diving (@CBUswim) February 11, 2020

Several new-look Lancers are enjoying big seasons, and will look to keep it rolling into the conference meet. The women are still in a youth movement, with true freshmen Hannah Houlton, Mackenzie Degn, Faith Brazil and Martha Aguilar expected to play big roles this week.

Degn has clocked three top-four times in the WAC this season in the 100 (50.74), 200 (1:49.48) and 500 frees (4:51.03). Aguilar has three top-10 times, as well, in the 1000 free (10:16.34), 1650 free (17:16.19)and 400 IM (4:29.78). Brazil has top-seven times in the 100 (1:03.58) and 200 breast (2:16.38), while Houlton has top-10 marks in the 50 (23.45) and 100 frees (50.57).

For the men, Sean Foster, Quinn Birtles and Joe Molinari are poised to make the championship finals in multiple events, as each own multiple top-10 times in the WAC this season, according to CollegeSwimming.com. Foster owns two top-four times in the 100 (54.87) and 200 breaststrokes (1:59.32) and Birtles has them in the 200 butterfly (1:47.04) and 1650 free (15:46.24), while Molinari has done so in the 400 IM (3:55.98) and 200 back (1:48.11).

Matthew Niculae (200 free, 1:38.72) and David Miller (200 fly, 1:48.82) also own a top-10 mark this year.

Junior transfer Nicole Cienega has been solid all season and has two top-six eight times in the 100 (55.77) and 200 fly (2:01.64). Senior Mackenzie Mergel will look to end her career strong, and has two top-eight times in the 200 (1:52.74) and 500 free (4:57.82). Kylie Morrison and Emma Lindquist both own top-10 marks in the 200 fly (2:04.61) and 200 breast (2:19.30), respectively.