Women's Swimming | 12/5/2016 3:06:00 PM

Results

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – The Alaska Nanooks swimming team returned to action in a big way over the weekend, posting a great showing at the 2016 Husky Invitational Dec. 2-4 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.

The Invitational, one of the most premier meets in the country, featured a combined 68 men's and women's teams, as the Nanooks were one of seven women's collegiate teams participating in the three-day event. Alaska placed fifth in the women's collegiate division, posting 383 points throughout the invitational.

In Friday's preliminary events, two Nooks placed within the top-10, while four placed in the top-20 overall. The day started out on a high note, when sophomore Cassidy Heaton placed fifth overall in the 500-yrd freestyle with a time of 4:59.51. The race broke the Nanooks' varsity record in the event, as no Nanook has ever swum the 500 free in less than 5 minutes in official competition. Heaton had already posted the NCAA "B" cut time for this event earlier in the year, with this new time inching her closer to qualifying for a National Championship. Later on in the evening, Heaton placed seventh overall in the finals of the same event with a time of 5:02.92.

The 500 free preliminary event also saw sophomores Abby Blackstone and Cassidy Kelly break records, as Blackstone had a season-best time of 5:20.57 (61st overall), while Kelly had a career personal-best time of 5:23.71 (77th overall).

Junior Kate Mathews swam a lifetime-best in the 200-yard IM in Friday's preliminary event, swimming to a 16th overall finish with a time of 2:07.13. In the finals later on the night, Mathews dropped a couple of seconds off that performance to break and reset a new career-best to place ninth overall with a time of 2:05.11. The swim moves Mathews from sixth place on the Nanooks' All-Time Top-10 list to second place.

Also swimming in the same event as Mathews was senior Victoria Adams, who swam a season-best 2:08.13 to put her 13th overall in the preliminary round and freshman Melinda Farmer, who swam a lifetime best of 2:17.99.

Junior Martha Hood placed fifth overall in the finals of the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 0:23.67 for the Nanooks' highest overall individual finish on Friday. Earlier in the day, Hood placed sixth in the same event with a time 00:23.76. Hood's time in the finals breaks and resets her career personal-best.

Three other Nanooks broke season-best records in Friday's preliminary round in the 50 free, as junior Katie Stark finished with a time of 00:24.83, junior Noelle Graham posted a 00:24.98 and senior Nga Nguyen recording a 00:25.20.

Rounding out Friday's events was the 200-yard freestyle relay team, who had the team's highest overall finish of the day, coming in fourth place with a time of 1:36.22. The relay team consisted of Adams (24.37), Stark (24.18), Mathews (24.12) and Hood (23.55).

"Though we were a little flat today, we had some very good individual swims," Lemley said on Friday. "Cassidy Heaton continues to set the pace for us with another spectacular swim in the 500 freestyle, giving her a second varsity record. Kate Mathews had a very good day contributing some vital legs on two of our relays and achieving her first national provisional time of the season in the 200 IM. And Martha Hood continues to place the highest of all our swimmers with a fifth place finish in the 50 free in one of the fastest fall invitationals on the West Coast."

Saturday's performances proved to be better than Friday's, as Alaska boasts six swimmers with national qualifying times this season.

In a field of 162 swimmers, Stark placed sixth overall in the 200-yard freestyle preliminary event with a time of 1:52.98, becoming the fourth swimmer to achieve the NCAA "B" cut standard. Stark's swim in the 200 free also marks her career personal-best time, moving her into the No. 4 position on the Alaska Nanooks Swimming's All-Time Top-10 list. Later that night, Stark placed eighth overall in the 200 free finals with a time of 1:54.12.

Also swimming in the 200 free preliminary round was Heaton, who posted a career personal-best time in the event with a time of 1:54.68. Heaton's time in the 200 free placed her 16th overall in the field of 162 and moved her to No. 7 on the Nooks' All-Time Top-10 list in the event.

Nguyen was the fifth swimmer to make a "B" cut time on the day, as she swam a 1:04.46 in the preliminary round of the 100-yard breaststroke to place 12th overall in a group of 96 total. Nguyen's time qualified her for the finals later on in the evening, where she placed 14th overall with a time of 1:04.99.

Mathews also swam in the 100 breast, placing 25th overall in the finals with a time of 1:04.93, marking a season-best for her in the event and only .06 off of her career personal-best time of 1:04.87. Earlier in the day, Mathews placed 26th overall in the preliminary round with a 1:05.47. Freshman Melina Farmer posted a career personal-best in the 100 breast with a 1:10.20.

Adams was the highest individual swimmer for the Nanooks on Saturday, placing third overall in the preliminary round of 100-yard backstroke with a 00:56.78. In a field of 130 swimmers, Adams' preliminary backstroke time made her the sixth Nanook to achieve a "B" cut time this season. Later on in the finals, Adams placed sixth overall with a time of 00:57.26.

Hood also swam in the 100 back, placing 15th overall in the preliminary round with a time of 00:58.30. Kelly was another Nook who swam in the 100 back, posting a career personal-best with a 1:05.90

Graham and Hood also swam in the 100-yard butterfly on Saturday, as they placed 19th and 20th in the finals, respectively. Graham's final time of 00:57.54 was faster than her preliminary time of 00:57.82, as was Hood's, who recorded a 00:57.60 in the finals in comparison to her prelim time of 00:57.83. Graham's time was her career personal-best in the 100 fly, as she also achieved an NCAA "C" cut time.

The 200-yard medley relay team placed fourth overall in Saturday's finals with a time of 1:45.10. The team consisted of Adams (26.63), Mathews (29.39), Graham (23.35) and Hood (23.73).

The second relay team of the day placed 18th overall in the 800-yard freestyle, as sophomore Abby Blackstone (2:00.19), Kelly (2:03.75), sophomore Sierra Kinworthy (2:02.65) and Heaton (1:55.51) posted a combined time of 8:02.10.

"Saturday was a long but exciting day for the team," Lemley said. "We have a huge turnout from parents who traveled such great distance to make up the largest cheering section we've had at this invitational ever."

Sunday proved to be just as memorable as Saturday, as the Nooks concluded the weekend with six swimmers with NCAA "B" cut times in nine different events.

Heaton placed third overall in the 1,650-yard freestyle (one mile) against 41 other swimmers with a time of 17:33.29. Heaton was followed closely behind by Kinworthy, who placed seventh overall with a time of 17:43.77.

"Sierra pulled off a very impressive weekend after being quite sick on Friday, missing a good part of the meet," Lemley said of the sophomore transfer. "By the time she got on the blocks on Sunday, she was chaffing a bit but she looked so good and progressed so well as the race went on, registering a season-best time in her 200 free intermediate split (2:03.36), 500 free intermediate split (5:15.03) and 1,000 free intermediate split (10:38.93) on the way to a season-best 17:43.77 in the mile. Amazingly, her 500 split now ranks her No. 10 on our All-Time Top-10 list, while her 1,000 split ranks her No. 5 on the list and her mile time marks her No. 6. Outstanding swimming for a young lady who was quite ill when the meet started."

Kelly also swam in the 1,650 free, posting a career personal-best in the event with a time of 18:41.19, placing her 28th overall. Blackstone was also in the mile event, placing 20th overall with a time of 18:19.38.

Moving on throughout the day, Adams placed fourth overall in the finals of the 200-yard backstroke, posting a time of 2:05.29. Adams improved her time from earlier in the day of 2:06.71 in the preliminary round, placing her 11th overall.

Kelly placed 92nd in the 200 back, posting a career personal-best with a time of 2:20.26.

The 100-yard freestyle race saw four Nooks post impressive times, led by Stark who ranked eighth overall of 222 swimmers with a time of 00:51.99. Stark's race gave the Nooks their final NCAA "B" cut tie of the weekend. Hood followed closely behind with a 22nd overall finish at 00:53.24. Graham (00:55.85) and Kelly (00:57.09) placed 125th and 187th, respectively. Hood was the only Nanook in the finals, placing 10th overall with a time of 53.24.

The 200-yard butterfly event saw Nguyen place 46th overall in a field of 78 swimmers, posting a time of 2:29.19, while Farmer and freshman Claire McElroy recorded career personal-bests in the event, swimming to 2:32.06 and 2:33.34, respectively.

Mathews posted a career personal-best in the 200-yard butterfly, placing fifth overall in the event finals with a time of 2:06.89. Earlier in the preliminaries, Mathews placed 12th out of 62 swimmers with a time of 2:07.97. Her new personal-best time will put her as No. 3 in the Alaska Nanooks Swimming's All-Time Top-10 list.

The weekend was concluded with the 400-yard freestyle relay, where the Nanooks' "A" squad placed fourth overall with a time of 3:31.85. Alaska's "B" relay team placed 39th with a time of 3:49.33.

"Sunday brought a close to our time in Federal Way at the King County Aquatic Center. We had fewer swims than Saturday, but the quality of swimming was just as high," Lemley concluded. "By far, the swimmer of the meet for us this weekend was Cassidy Kelly. She entered six events and came away with seven best times! In her mile yesterday, she was a lifetime best and also split an 11:18.97 in the first 1,000 yards, which is a legitimate freestanding time on its own and a lifetime best. Congrats to Cassidy for breaking personal-records in the 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle races and the 100 and 200 backstrokes."

Following the weekend, Alaska's swimmers that have achieved national "B" cut standards are Katie Stark (100 free, 200 free), Cassidy Heaton (500 free, 1000 free, 1650 free), Kate Mathews (200 IM), Nga Nguyen (100 breast), Martha Hood (50 free) and Victoria Adams (100 back).

The Alaska Nanooks will take a break from competition until after the holiday break, heading to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California for a two-day meet on Friday, Jan. 13 and Saturday, Jan. 14.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks swimming team, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Swimming team page on Facebook.