FAIRBANKS, Alaska - After taking nearly one month off for winter break, the Alaska women's swim team opens the 2012 year with its lone road dual meet of the season against Mesa State.
Tuesday's meet will take place at Northern Arizona University's Douglas J. Wall Aquatic Center in Flagstaff, Ariz.
"Mesa State is a very good team," head coach
Scott Lemley said. "I've known the coach for over 20 years and I know they'll be prepared to swim fast tomorrow. We rarely compete at altitude, in this case 7000 feet, because of the challenge involved in swimming fast times."
Last time out, the Nanooks finished 12th at the 2011 Husky Invitational (Dec. 2-4) in Federal Way, Wash. They were also third among collegiate teams competing in the event. At the conclusion of the meet, Alaska had achieved 19 new NCAA 'B' cut times, many of which could already be fast enough to qualify for the NCAA Championship.
Seven varsity records fell at the Husky, four of which came in individual events.
Sophomore
Bente Heller (Hamburg, Germany/Albrecht Thzer Gymnasium) broke varsity records in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles and is fractions of a second shy of a NCAA 'A' cut time in each of the events.
Freshman
Margot Adams (Anchorage, Alaska/Frontier Charter) also broke a varsity record in the 100 butterfly, while relay tandems in the 200 free relay, 800 free relay and 200 medley relay also set new program records.
The Nanooks have had a week to prepare in Flagstaff and used six hours of training per day to ready themselves for the Mavericks.
"This meet will be very telling in many ways, the most important of which will be how our girls finish their races," Lemley said. "I think we match up with Mesa very well and though the girls are sore and tired from the training so far, they're mentally and emotionally strong."
