FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks swimming team kicked off its 2025-26 season with its annual Blue/Gold meet this weekend, with the 'Nooks competing on Friday and Saturday at the Patty Center Pool.
The meet started with a 200-yard medley relay on Friday, which saw the team of Dorka Dancsok, Giorgia Merlo, Charisma Watkins and Ali Pecore claim first place for Team Gold with a 1:57.53, finishing just 0.32 seconds in front of Team Blue in second. Blue's Kitti Marton picked up the first individual win of the meet by posting an 11:12.02 in the 1000-yard freestyle, and Cosima Schmiedel followed with another victory for the Blue squad in the 50-yard breaststroke (31.53). Merlo took first in the 200-yard freestyle (2:02.17) for Team Gold, and her teammate, Dancsok, followed with a 1:01.75 in the 100-yard backstroke, good for the top spot in the event. After Macy Ahrens (1:10.04) secured a first-place result in the 100-yard breaststroke for Blue, Gold claimed the top spot in the final two events of the day, with Dancsok (2:20.96) and Talia Wentz (25.54) recording victories in the 200-yard butterfly and 50-yard freestyle, respectively.
The second day of competition opened with a first victory for MacKenzie O'Keefe, who took first in the 50-yard butterfly for Team Blue with a 28.02. After Dancsok finished first in the 200-yard backstroke with a 2:16.53, Blue won three straight events. Janci Pangburn took her first victory of the day in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing in 55.47, and Ahrens (2:41.18) and Marton (5:31.00) won the 200-yard breaststroke and 500-yard freestyle, respectively. Merlo grabbed the first-place finish for Gold in the 100-yard butterfly with a 1:00.94, but Pangburn (30.68) and Schmiedel (2:20.50) grabbed the top spot in both the 50-yard backstroke and 200-yard IM, leaving the 200-yard freestyle relay as the only event remaining. The team of Pecore, Wentz, Dancsok and Merlo secured the victory for Gold, finishing the relay in 1:42.72.
The 'Nooks are back in the pool in two weeks, traveling to Fresno Pacific on Friday, Oct. 3, for two dual meets on Friday and Saturday.
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