Lancers Squads Split for Highlight Day in Invitational Action
11/17/2023 9:45:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
ST. GEORGE AND LOS ANGELES – Four victories and a total of 10 podium finishes highlighted a busy day for California Baptist University, as the swim and dive teams split up to compete at the Utah Tech Trailblazer Invitational and USC Trojan Diving Invitational on Friday.
A look at the team standings two thirds of the way through the Trailblazer Invitational has CBU's men in second place with 573 points, trailing just UC San Diego (675) and holding a slight edge over Cal Poly (541). The Lancer women are in fifth place out of eight teams with 190 points.
CBU will wrap up the third and final day of the Trailblazer Invitational on Saturday, with prelims set for a 10 a.m. start and finals beginning at 5 p.m. The Lancers will be at the Trojan Diving Invitational Saturday and Sunday.
DIVING
CBU went head-to-head against some of the best competition in the country at the USC Trojan Diving Invitational, with Stanford, Arizona, USC, UNLV and Air Force all in attendance.
The men started the event on the 3-meter board and saw three divers finish top-13, led by Mario Del Valle Jr. taking fifth place overall with a score of 742.10– ahead of competitors from Arizona, Stanford and USC. Nathan Warson (11th, 570.25) and Jacob Penman (13th, 528) qualified for the finals, as well.
On the women's side, a trio of Lancers finished in the top-18 on 1-meter, with Natalia Bedolla leading the way at eight place with a cumulative score of 513.20, putting her in front of divers from USC, Arizona, Stanford and UCLA. Audrey Thordarson-Wehner (15th, 463.25) and Hannah Solt (18th, 415.70) qualified for the finals, as well.
SWIMMING
All four victories came from CBU's men at the Trailblazer Invitational, with three individual and a relay win in the final race of the day, the 800-yard freestyle relay, thanks to Tyler Mansheim, Mark Kovacsics, Justin Welch and Boris Milev touching first in six minutes, 36.08 seconds.
Three of CBU's four 800-relay swimmers won individual races, as well. Mansheim won the 100 butterfly in 47.48, while Kovacsics took the 400 individual medley (3:55.89) and Milev was victorious in the 200 free (1:37.19).
The Lancers had two of the three top-finishes in the 100 fly, as Brendan Man took third (48.26), and 100 backstroke, where Andrew The (47.90) and Simeon Rinkenberger (48.64) took second and third. Ian Mullen also went runner-up in the 100 breaststroke (55.63).
Once again, Kai Flanagan provided the top highlight for CBU's women when she took second in the 200 free in 1:49.63.
California Baptist's 200-medley relay squad of Rinkenberger, Mullen, Man and Milev took second place in 1:28.12, as well.
TOP RESULTS
MEN
Chase Allison - 400 IM – 5th – 4:03.12
Austin De La O - 400 IM – 6th – 4:06.08
WOMEN
Naya Koc - 200 Free – 7th – 1:54.22
Emily Drossel - 100 Butterfly – 8th – 55.93
200 Medley Relay – 8th – 1:44.72
Olivia Walton, Faith Brazil, Emily Drossel, Mia Maspers
800 Freestyle Relay – 8th – 7:39.28
Naya Koc, Ambrin Pienaar, Sarah Aman, Kai Flanagan
WINS
Tyler Mansheim, 100 Butterfly, 47.48
Mark Kovacsics, 400 IM, 3:55.89
Boris Milev, 200 Free, 1:37.19
800-free relay – 6:36.08
Tyler Mansheim, Mark Kovacsics, Justin Welch, Boris Milev
PODIUMS
MEN
Brendan Man, 100 butterfly, third 48.26
Ian Mullen, 100 Breast, second 55.63
Andrew Teh, 100 back, second, 47.90
Simeon Rinkenberger, 100 back, third, 48.64
200 Medley Relay 1:28.12
Simeon Rinkenberger, Ian Mullen, Brendan Man, Boris Milev
WOMEN
Kai Flanagan, 200 free, 1:49.63
Players Mentioned
