University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

Meet Results

LOS ANGELES — The Alaska women's swimming team flexed its relay muscles Wednesday, winning three events in a double-dual relay meet against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, dropping close decisions to both NCAA Division I programs at the Burns Aquatics Center on the campus of Loyola Marymount.
 
The Nanooks (5-4) were barely edged by Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference opponent Pepperdine 80-79, while host LMU defeated Alaska for the third time this season, 85-68. The Nanooks suffered from lack of depth, as Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount each had about twice as many swimmers competing as Alaska.
 
The 17-point margin against LMU was much closer than the Lions' first two dual meet wins over the Nanooks on Nov. 1-2 at the Patty Center Pool. Then, Loyola Marymount won by 41 points (123-82) and 67 points (135-68).
 
Alaska took victories in the 400-yard medley, 800 freestyle and 300 backstroke relays. It also placed second in five of the nine events Wednesday.
 
Freshman Victoria Adams (Anchorage, Alaska/Accounting) and senior Bente Heller (Hamburg, Germany/Psychology) both swam on all three victorious relay squads. Heller and Adams kicked off the first two legs of the winning 300 backstroke relay, with junior Gabi Summers (Cheyenne, Wyo./Foreign Language) anchoring the Nanooks' first win of the day for a time of 2 minutes, 57.95 seconds.
 
Adams, Heller and Summers joined freshman Kathryn Pound (Pahiatua, New Zealand/Business Administration) on the victorious 800 free relay team, which took the top spot in 7:52.24. Victoria joined her sister, junior Margot Adams (Anchorage, Alaska/Political Science), freshman Nga Nguyen (Wiesbaden, Germany/Psychology) and Heller for the Nanooks' final win of the day in the 400 medley relay with a top time of 4:02.56.
 
Alaska wraps up its trip to Southern California Saturday in a quad meet at Cal State Bakersfield. The Nanooks will also face Loyola Marymount again and PCSC rival UC San Diego.