MONTEREY PARK, Calif. – Azusa Pacific opened its three days of competition at the Winter Invitational on Friday, and the Cougars put together a very impressive start. Two school records were broken, while Olivia Liddle turned in a great performance on the boards that punched her ticket for the NCAA Nationals Qualification Day this spring.

"Today was a solid start to the weekend," said head coach Tim Kyle, "I am looking forward to what tomorrow brings."

Azusa Pacific had new records set in the 50 Free, and the 200 Free Relay. In the 50 Free, it was sophomore Madeline Schultz who added her name to the school record books, as she swam a time of 23.73 seconds, which broke Quinn Robertson's previous record of 10 years, which was an effort of 23.78 seconds at the 2012 NAIA National Championships. 

In the 200 Free Relay, the quartet of Montana White, Riley Smith, Schultz, and Hannah Swailes combined for a time 1:35.47, which broke the school record. White opened with a 24.07 split, Smith followed at 23.95, Schultz posted a 23.42 split, and Swailes closed it out at 24.03. The previous record was set last season, when the Cougars won the event at the PCSC Championships by posting a time of 1:35.94. That relay team was made up of White, Smith, Amanda Anderson and Emily Rigsby.

Liddle, who had already done what she needed to do for qualification on a six-dive list for the one-meter at Wyatt Balman Invitational, secured her spot for Nationals Qualification Day by her performance in the 11-dive list on Friday. Liddle placed second overall in the one-meter, tallying a finals score of 249.90. Nationals will take place March 8-11, at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the Qualification Day usually being held the day prior to the start of Nationals.

The Cougars also had a pair of swimmers finish second in their respective events, as White was runner-up in the 500 Free with a new season-best time of 4:58.78, which meets the "B" standard for nationals qualification, while Anderson took second in the 200 IM, touching the wall at 2:05.95, which also achieved the "B" standard.

Azusa Pacific will be back in action tomorrow for day two at the Winter Invitational, and the meet can be followed live (results only) on MeetMobile (subscription required).