FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks swim team hosted their annual Blue vs. Gold Pentathlon on Saturday afternoon, with the Gold team earning the win at the Patty Center Pool. In the race to have the lowest overall point total, Gold captured only 19 points to the Blue team's 24 points.
The 2018-19 Blue vs. Gold meet featured two Pentathlons, including the traditional individual medley format and a freestyle medley.
In the IM Pentathlon, sophomore 
Oda Bygdnes was the winner for the second year in a row with a combined time of 5:06.17, significantly faster than her time in the 2017 Pentathlon, which was 5:12.81.
According to head coach 
Scott Lemley, Bygdnes won her first and last events, the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard individual medley, respectively. Bygdnes posted a 100-yard fly time of 00:58.01, over a second faster than her time in the same event last season.
Additionally, Bygdnes' 100-yard IM time of 1:00.22 set a new Blue vs. Gold varsity record, which was over two and a half seconds faster than her time in the same event last year. The record was previously held by former Nanook Margot Adams, who posted a time of 1:00.36 in 2012.
Finishing second in the IM Pentathlon was sophomore transfer 
Kaia Norbye, who posted an overall time of 5:09.50. Coming in third was sophomore 
Erika Kakazu with a time of 5:18.10.
For the second year in a row, Kakazu won the 100-yard backstroke event with a time of 1:00.47, improving just over half a second from last season. Norbye won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:08.78 before also taking first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 00:54.26.
In the Freestyle Pentathlon, senior 
Cassidy Heaton was the swimmer who posted the lower possible time with a total time of 9:01.96. In the combined 875 yards worth of events in the Freestyle Pentathlon, Heaton won every individual event.
Finishing second was freshman 
Camille Dayton (9:14.65), followed closely by 
Rachel Beal (9:27.14), who placed third.
The Alaska Nanooks swim team officially kicks-off the 2018-19 season at home with a two-day meet against Azusa Pacific on Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Patty Center Pool. Friday's meet will being at 6pm AKT, while Saturday is scheduled for 12pm AKT.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks swim team, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Swimming team page on Facebook.