FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- The Alaska Nanooks swim team opened the 2015-16 season on a high note, as they defeated Azusa Pacific, 104-101, Friday night at the Patty Center Pool.
The Nanooks took home the thrilling victory by winning six of the nine individual titles on Friday night, as a quartet of Alaska swimmers posted times that currently rank inside the top 15 nationally.
The meet started off with the 400-yard medley relay, and the Nanooks dominated from the get go, as they won the race by half the length of the pool, turning in a time of 3:58.84. The 400-yard medley relay team's performance on Friday gives them the third-fastest time in the nation in the event. All-American Victoria Adams led off the relay with the 100-yard backstroke and posted one of the fastest times this season in the NCAA to give her team the quick advantage. All-American Nga Nguyen followed with the breaststroke and turned the lead over to yet another All-American in sophomore Martha Hood, who was inserted into butterfly leg of the 400-yard medley relay after the graduation of All-American Margot Adams. Hood performed admirably before turning over the race to All-American anchor Katie Stark, who sealed the deal for the Nanooks. Â Â
Azusa Pacific responded with a win in the 1,000-yard freestyle, as Rosalee Mira Santa Ana, who currently ranks No. 1 in the event, captured the victory. Santa Ana was being chased by Alaska freshman Cassidy Heaton, who was competing in her first collegiate race, and turned in a time of 10:51.96 in her first collegiate action. Heaton's time is the sixth-fastest recorded time in the 1,000-yard freestyle nationally.
Hood took her first individual title of the 2015-16 season, with her 24.56-second-performance in the 50-yard freestyle. The All-American's effort in the event gave her the third-best time in the nation in the event. Adams followed Hood's performance with a first-place effort in the inaugural 100-yard individual medley, an event that the NCAA instituted this season, as she won in 1:05.05. The time is now the standard for the Alaska swim program in the 100-yard individual medley, as it was the first time the Nanooks competed in the event.
Azusa Pacific took captured first place in the 100-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle in the middle third of the meet. Sophomore Kate Mathews, who was making her Alaska debut after transferring into the program this offseason, took the tough loos in the 100-yard butterfly, as she was edged out by Heidi Zuniga by just 0.03.
Nguyen captured the final individual title for Alaska on the night, with her 1.07.33-performance in the 100-yard backstroke. Ngyuen's time places her at No. 11 in the event nationally.
The two teams will matchup again on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Patty Center Pool. Saturday's meet will feature longer distances, which will test the Nanooks, as Azusa Pacific is one of the top-ranked distance teams in the NCAA.
For more information on the Alaska swim team, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like Alaska Nanooks Swim on Facebook.
