Swimming posts four top-10 finishes on day two of Husky Invitational
December 3, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
Federal Way, Wash. – The Alaska women's swim team turned in top-10 finishes in both relays and two individual events on day two of the 64th annual Husky Invitational on Dec. 1 at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center.
“Our swimmers continue to turn in lifetime bests, nationally ranked swims and NCAA qualifying times,” head coach Scott Lemley said. “We've trained very well this semester and the results are evident in our times. The Husky Invitational is the fastest meet on the West Coast this year. It's faster than our Division II National Championships will be next spring.”
Sophomore Margot Adams (Anchorage, Alaska/Political science) was the top finisher of the day for the Nanooks as she turned in a fifth-place finish in the final of the 100 butterfly after touching the wall in 55.38 seconds, which was three-one hundredths of second off her preliminary time of 55.35. That time, which seeded her fourth for the final, was one-tenth off an NCAA A-cut qualifying time.
“She remains one of the consistently fastest flyers in the country,” Lemley said “We've been training her to swim the 200 fly for the last three months and I'm sure that's why she had the endurance to finish her 100 fly so well today.”
The other solo swimmer who made it to a “Big Final” was junior Bente Heller (Hamburg, Germany/Psychology). Heller took seventh in the 200 freestyle with a B-cut time of 1:51.62, which was .23 seconds faster than her preliminary time of 1:51.83 (seventh). Lemley touched on the fact that she will be one of the few swimmers around the country who is ranked nationally in three separate freestyle distances when the updated rankings are released next week.
On the relay side, the Nanooks saw success in both the 800 free and 200 medley relays.
The foursome consisting of sophomore Danielle Lyons (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan/Biological sciences), Adams, sophomore Gabi Summers (Cheyenne, Wyo./Wildlife Biology and Conservation) and Heller completed the 800 with a B-cut time of 7:42.97 to take sixth place. In that race, Grand Canyon and Alaska were neck-and-neck until Heller pulled Alaska ahead on the anchor leg.
In the 200 medley, Heller, freshman Eileen Audette (Seward, Alaska/Fisheries), Adams and Lyons placed eighth after completing the race with a mark of 1:46.79, which also surpassed the NCAA B-cut standard.
“There are swim meets going on in other parts of the country and when the times are posted these relays will undoubtedly rank in the top 10 nationally,” Lemley said of his relay tandems.
The Husky Invitational concluded Sunday, Dec. 2.