MONTEREY PARK, Calif. – The Nanooks swimming team wrapped up the PCSC Championships on Saturday, matching their best conference finish in the past 12 years. Alaska ended the conference championships in fifth place with 751 points, recording five medals, four NCAA B Cuts, three record-setting swims and an individual conference championship for Dorka Dancsok in the 400-yard IM. Dancsok had the fourth-most individual points during the meet with 111, while Ali Pecore tallied the 10th-most with 95.
"I'm really proud of how the team competed across all eight sessions," said Nanooks swim coach Logan Indest. "We had great energy throughout the meet, and that translated to great performances in the pool. All the hard work the swimmers put in this season paid off."
The Nanooks had four swimmers compete in the 1650-yard freestyle race on Saturday, with Kitti Marton leading the way with a fifth-place finish after posting a 17:38.69. Mariia Sirotinskaia followed in 10th, swimming to a time of 18:07.59, while Guielsie Borbon (18:44.30) and Macy Ahrens (19:08.74) placed 21st and 24th.
Pecore posted a 52.03 in the A-Final of the 100-yard freestyle, giving her a sixth-place result and putting her among the 10 best times in program history for the event. McKenzie Fazio added a 14th-place finish in the 100 freestyle, posting a 53.08. Charisma Watkins was the only Nanook to swim in the finals of the 200-yard backstroke, as she touched the wall in 2:07.93 to take 14th.
Up next was the 200-yard breaststroke, where Dancsok notched another podium finish. She completed her race in 2:19.17, which was good enough for third place. The 'Nooks had two swimmers in the C-Final, as Cosima Schmiedel (2:23.50) and Ahrens (2:31.77) took 17th and 24th. Schmiedel's 2:23.50 also put her in the program's top-10 times in the event.
Finally, the Nanooks swam in the 400-yard freestyle relay, as the team of Fazio, Dancsok, Giorgia Merlo and Pecore placed sixth with a time of 3:33.31.
The Nanooks now turn their attention to the NCAA Championships selection, as they wait to find out if they will make the trip to Evansville, Ind., for the national championships.
Follow the 'Nooks
IG - @NanookSwim
X - @NanooksSwim
FB - Alaska Nanooks Swimming
