LA MIRADA, Calif. – After months of early mornings and countless yards of training, the Azusa Pacific swimmers and divers finished the 2017-18 season at the Pacific Coast Swimming Conference championships.
The Cougars set numerous school records and improved NCAA "B" cut times en route to finishing fourth, which ties the school best finish, during four-day, 13-team event hosted at SPLASH! Regional Aquatic Center in La Mirada.
There are a handful of Cougars who will move onto the NCAA Championship in mid-March. That official invite list will get released in the coming days on NCAA.com.
DAY ONE (Results - PDF)
A pair of school records, a handful of top three finishes were among the top highlights for the Cougars after the first day.
McKenna Webster posted a second place finish in the one-meter diving competition. In her first year of collegiate completion the native of Lake Tapps, Wash. scored 245.80 with UC San Diego's Brooke Abrantes' 268.05 winning the event.
Also in the diving competition, Rachel Johns (213.65) and Delaney Adams (202.65) placing sixth and seventh respectively in the 17-person field.
Off the swimming blocks Tamara Miler and Rosalee Mira Santa Ana posted a pair of top five finishes in the 1000 freestyle – the evening's only individual event. Miler posted her best time of the season (10:13.83) to place third. Santa Ana was just behind by touching the wall in her best time of the season in 10:16.38. Both lowered the NCAA "B" cuts time in the process to increase their chances of earning an invitation the national championships.
The 200 medley relay team of Abigail Wiet, Elodie Poo Cheong, Angel Van Hofwegen and Emily Rigsby set the school with a time of 1:46.00. The previous record, which was set last season, was broken by over as second. The team recorded a sixth place finish.
Another school record was broken during the 800 freestyle relay. The combination of Santa Ana, Wiet, Alyse Darnall and Poo Cheong went 7:33.92 for the milestone mark. In addition, they set an NCAA provisional mark. The grouping finished fourth in the race
DAY TWO (Results - PDF)
Three individual events and a relay were on the docket for day two.
During the 500 freestyle championship final Rosalee Mira Santa Ana battled with Laura Fornshell, the event's defending champion. The Fresno Pacific took an early lead and was able to hold it throughout. Santa Ana hit the wall in 4:56.87 which was just over seven second behind first-place. It was a season best time for Santa Ana and lowers her already NCAA "B" cut time. Also in the event, Tamara Miler notched a season best time of 5:03.31 - also an NCAA "B" cut.
Elodie Poo Cheong had the best Azusa Pacific finish in 200 IM - the evening's second individual event. The junior finished second in the "B" final in a season best time of 2:05.10. Abigail Wiet was just behind her by clocking a 2:06.17.
A host of Azusa Pacific swimmer competed in five finals in the 50 freestyle. Angel Van Hofwegen had the best finish as she tied for 11th by recording a time of 24.21. A few ticks behind her was freshman Emily Rigsby (24.36). Money Favreau also tallied team best for the Cougars as she went 25.07. Ballie Carroll won the "D" final with a time of 24.89.
A significant highlight came in the final event as the 200 freestyle relay team of Poo Cheong, Emily Risby, Van Hofwegen and Alyse Darnall set the school record with a time of 1:36.09.
DAY THREE (Results - PDF)
McKenna Webster posted the highest finish of the day for the Cougars as the freshman placed third in the three-meter diving competition. Webster scored 241.60 points to notch her podium finish. Rachel Johns, who also reached the finals, placed seventh (218.50).
A pair of swimmers tallied fourth placed finishes for the best placing off the blocks. Abigail Wiet placed fourth in the 400 IM with a time of 4:29.18 which is an NCAA "B" cut time and top effort of the season for the junior. Elodie Poo Cheong had her best effort of the season in the 100 butterfly with a 55.51 for her NCAA "B" cut. During that same race, Angel Van Hofwegen placed sixth (56.45). Emily Rigsby and Naomi Vaughn each won their respective consolation as well.
Also winning her respective consolation final was Alyse Darnall who went 1:55.25 in the 200 freestyle "C" final.
Holly Williams nearly posted the top finish in the "B" final of the 100 butterfly but still settled for her season best time with a runner-up finish. The freshman touched the wall in 1:06.05.
Highlighting the evening was the foursome of Wiet, Holly Williams, Angel Van Hofwegen and Rosalee Mira Santa Ana) setting the school record in the 400 medley relay. The grouping went 3:52.63 to break the previous record by nearly four seconds.
DAY FOUR (Results - PDF)
More school records fell by the wayside as the Cougars wrapped-up a successful week.
During the first event of the evening the long distance freestyle duo of Tamara Miler and Rosalee Mira Santa Ana finished third and fifth respectively in the 1650 freestyle. Miler went 17:04.27 while Santa Ana posted a time of 17:13.30. Each senior is expected to earn an invitation to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season.
Abigail Wiet was Azusa Pacific's top finisher in the next individual event – 200 backstroke. The junior placed third by touching the wall in 2:02.18 which was just .01 seconds off of the second place finishers. It is also an NCAA "B" cut time.
Elodie Poo Cheong also posted a third place finish for the Cougars in the 100 freestyle. In recording a time of 51.35 she broke her own school record and lowered her NCAA "B" cut time. In a loaded field in the event Alyse Darnall and Bailie Carroll posted a pair of top 20 finishes to help in the team's point total.
Emily Rigsby continued a string of third-place finishes for the Cougars. In her first year of collegiate competition, she went 2:05.18 in the 200 butterfly to get an NCAA "B" cut time of her own. Samantha Escalante recorded a time of 2:13.32 in the "B" final to help the team point total.
The final school record fell in the last event of the meet. The foursome of Poo Cheong, Santa Ana, Angel Van Hofwegan and Darnall went 3:28.43 in the 400 freestyle relay for the sixth school record of the meet.
