MALIBU, Calif. – With their first-ever conference title to defend, the Cougar swimming and diving team kicked off its 2025-26 campaign at the Rodionoff Invitational this weekend at Pepperdine University.

Action got underway Friday morning with the 3-meter diving competition.  The star of the show for Azusa Pacific was freshman Brooke Melvin, who racked up 209.2 points in the competition, the highest of the four D2 competitors in the field.  Right on her heels was senior Allison Ferrer, who finished with a score of 205.75.  Both competitors finished ahead of the pair of divers competing from Biola, giving the Cougars 16 points in the meet standings.

On Saturday, Melvin and Ferrer again finished 1-2 in the 1-meter springboard competition, while the swimming portion of the team saw their first action.  The quartet of Mikaela Maemura, Angelica Benitez, Ashley Cochran, and Sydnee Wilson took first among non-D1 schools in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:48.27.  Sophomore Adele Brush followed that up with a second-place finish in the 400 individual medley, finishing in 4:45.69.  Wilson claimed second in the 200 freestyle at 1:55.82.

As a team, the Cougars had five swimmers finish in the top seven of the 100 butterfly, though teams were only awarded points for their top three finishers.  Maemura and Gillian Sato finished 1-2 in the 100 backstroke, earning another 16 points in the standings.  And to wrap up the day, the team of Wilson, Maemura, Ellie Sivesind, and Aleena Herrera took home second in the 400 freestyle relay, touching the wall in 3:35.46.  All told, the Cougars ended the meet with 165 points.

The rest of the Cougar team will take to the starting blocks next weekend when the Cougars head north to the UC Santa Cruz Slug Shootout, which will be held on October 10 and 11.