BOISE, Idaho – The Alaska Nanooks swimming team officially concluded the Northwest Collegiate Invite on Sunday, placing fifth as a team with 754 points. The Nanooks posted 63 season bests, 22 personal bests, 10 top-10 program performances and two NCAA B Cuts during the three days of competition.
The 'Nooks had three swimmers in the 200-yard backstroke finals, with McKenzie Fazio and Charisma Watkins competing in the C Final and Mariia Sirotinskaia swimming in the D Final. Fazio placed 19th in her race after posting a 2:07.06 in the finals, while Watkins placed 22nd with a 2:12.13. Sirotinskaia finished in 2:17.91 in her heat, placing 26th.
Janci Pangburn finished 14th in the 100-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 52.86 in her B Final heat. Ali Pecore and Fazio finished their C Final in 52:93 and 52:99, respectively, to take 19th and 21st. Talia Wentz led the way in her D Final heat with a 53:23 and placed 25th.
Dorka Dancsok recorded another podium result when she took second in the 200-yard breaststroke, nearly grabbing the win for the 'Nooks. Her 2:18.81 was 0.68 seconds off of first place and secured another B Cut on the weekend. Macy Ahrens (2:27.70) took 15th and Sariah Rodgers (2:39.23) placed 26th.
Cosima Schmiedel matched Dancsok's finish with her own second-place result in the 200-yard butterfly, finishing in 2:07.88. Giorgia Merlo led her B Final heat with a 2:10.13 to secure ninth place, and MacKenzie O'Keefe (2:28.15) and Kaidence Sampsel (2:33.01) placed 25th and 26th.
Alaska finished seventh and 12th in the 400-yard freestyle relay, with the team of Fazio, Dancsok, Pangburn and Pecore swimming to a time of 3:34.37 to place seventh. In the 1650-yard freestyle, Kitti Marton led the way for the 'Nooks, finishing eighth with a 17:46.40. Ahrens (17th, 18:22.02), Guielsie Borbon (19th, 18:39.39) and Sirotinskaia (20th, 18:46.64) rounded out the event for the Nanooks.
Alaska returns to the pool on Dec. 15 for the UNLV Invitational. The three-day invite will be their final meet of 2025.
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