Meet Results
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The Alaska women's swim team opened the 2011-12 season with wins in six events, but four-time defending NAIA champion California Baptist picked up a 111-94 victory on Friday evening at the Patty Center. It was the smallest margin of victory for CBU against Alaska all-time.
"This was the closest we've ever come to beating Cal Baptist," head coach
Scott Lemley said. "Two or our swimmers are still awaiting NCAA approval to compete. We're assured this will come sometime before too long but they were not able to be certified for today's meet. Otherwise the score might have been even closer. Their second and third best swimmers were slightly better than ours so we ended up losing the meet by a slim margin."
Sophomore
Bente Heller (Hamburg, Germany/Albrecht Thzer Gymnasium) won two individual events including a record-breaking victory, while freshmen
Margot Adams (Anchorage, Alaska/Frontier Charter) and
Danielle Lyons (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan/St. Mary's) each took one individual race and a relay to lead the Nanooks.
Heller captured first place in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly against the Lancers. She bested CBU's top swimmer Mary Hanson, taking the 50 free in 24.49 seconds, coming just shy of the pool record, set in 2009 by last year's national champion Melissa Gates. Less than 15 minutes later, she got right back in the pool and broke her own pool record in the 100 fly after clocking a time of 57.70 and hitting the wall half a pool length before any other competitor.
Lyons grabbed first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:12.66, while Adams won the 100 free in 54.17. In the 200 free relay, Lyons, junior
Meghan O'Leary (Seward, Alaska/Seward), freshman
Olivia Bowen (Soldonta, Alaska/Chugiak) and Adams claimed the race with a time of 1:42.08.
Freshman
Gabi Summers (Cheyenne, Wyo./Central) was the other Nanook to place first in a race Friday after rallying to take the 200 free in 1:58.47.
For Cal Baptist, it opened the meet with a win in the 400 medley relay. The team of Mary Hanson, Gina Rhue, Adriana Quezada and Hannah Braun posted a time of 4:03.02, just over half a second ahead of Alaska's top foursome. Hansen's 100 backstroke time in that event was the fastest time ever recorded in pool history.
The Lancers continued their early success with a one-two finish in the 1,000 free. Kyndal Terwillinger was first in 10:53.38, followed by teammate Anna Megli in 10:57.00.
After the Nanooks had wins in five straight races, CBU got back to the win column when Hanson clocked a time of 57.62 in the 100 backstroke. Terwillinger notched her second win of the day in the 500 free in 5:16.51 and Molly Larson took the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:09.34.
Alaska and Cal Baptist will take it to the pool once again tomorrow for a second meet in as many days. The event is set for a noon start and admission is free for all spectators.
