Friday Individual Results | Friday Team Results | Saturday Individual Results | Saturday Team Results

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks swim team opened the 2018-19 season splitting a two-day meet against the Azusa Pacific Cougars on Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Patty Center Pool. The Nanooks defeated the Cougars 108-95 on Friday night before falling 107-98 to APU on Saturday.

Friday's Meet
The Nanooks earned their first victory of the season against fellow Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference member Azusa Pacific, taking the win in six of their 11 events.

"The girls did a really good job competing and working on the small details last night," associate head swim coach Rebecca Weiland said on Saturday. "The freshmen started their collegiate careers off with a big splash and our returners did a fantastic job racing."

The Nooks kicked-off Friday's meet with a win, taking first in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:58.71. Alaska's winning relay squad consisted of sophomore Erika Kakakzu, sophomore transfer Kaia Norbye, sophomore Oda Bygdnes and freshman Wanlaya Jarupakorn.

Senior Cassidy Heaton swept all of her events on Friday, beginning with the 1,000-yard freestyle where she posted a time of 10:50.65. The Fairbanks native was the only swimmer in a field of six that registered a time less than 11 minutes.

Freshman Camille Dayton (11:06.08) and senior Sierra Kinworthy also competed in the 1,000-yard free, placing second and fourth, respectively.

Jarupakorn was the highest-placing Alaska swimmer in the 200-yard freestyle, placing third overall with a personal-best time of 2:04.27. Sophomore Rachel Beal (2:06.87) and senior Cassidy Kelly (2:11.83) followed closely behind, placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

The Nooks swept first and second place in the 50-yard freestyle, led by Norbye, who posted the only sub-25 second time of 00:24.46. Bydgnes was less than a second behind to place second, tallying a time of 00:25.25.

Alaska placed first in the 100-yard backstroke, courtesy of Kakakzu (00:59.79), and the 500-yard freestyle, with Heaton posting a first-place time of 5:16.40.

In the final event of the night, Alaska placed second in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:46.91. The relay team consisting of junior Claire McElroy, freshman Whitney McArthur, Kinworthy and Heaton was less than five seconds behind APU's first-place relay team, who tallied a time of 1:41.71.

Saturday's Meet
The Nanooks earned their first loss of the season, dropping Saturday's contest 108-95 to Azusa.

"Our girls did exceptionally well today, they did a great job finishing their races and attacking each opportunity they had given to them," Weiland continued. "We had a number of races today where girls swept the top-two places, for a nice one-two punch against Azusa Pacific. We are looking forward to our next dual against Biola in mid-November."

Like Friday, Alaska kicked-off Saturday's meet with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay with Kakazu, Norbye, Bygdnes and Jarupakorn combining for a first-place time of 1:49.55.

Dayton won her first collegiate race in the 1,650-yard freestyle on Saturday, posting a time of 18:24.57 for a personal-best. Kinworthy placed second in the mile-long race, totaling a time of 18:50.14.

In the 50-yard freestyle, Norbye handily won first place with a time of 00:24.57, with the next best time being 00:26.00. Norbye's time was only half a second behind the NCAA "B"-cut qualifying time.

In the 400-yard individual medley, Alaska went one and two, as Beal won her first event of the season with a time of 4:50.90. Bydgnes followed behind with a time of 4:52.75, as the two Nooks were the only ones to post a sub-5 minute time.

Heaton concluded her weekend with another first-place finish, taking the 500-yard freestyle event with a time of 5:16.86.

The Alaska Nanooks swim team returns to the Patty Pool for another head-to-head meet against the Biola Eagles on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17. Friday's meet will take place at 6pm AKT, while Saturday is scheduled for 12pm AKT.