Nov. 24, 2008
Day Three/Final Results
Day Two Results
Day One Results
LONG BEACH, Calif. - LMU swimming finished a program-best seventh overall with 383 points at the 2008 Nike Cup, which was held in Long Beach, Calif. LMU finished 10th overall last year, but bested that performance this season by defeating UC Irvine and University of New Mexico for the first time in program history, as well as beating Pepperdine and USD for the fourth year in a row.
The Lions performed extremely well throughout the three-day competition, as 12 LMU swimmers posted season-best times and made it to the finals and scored points for the team. The top-32 swimmers in each event returned to the final rounds at the conclusion of each day, with the top-24 scoring for their respective teams. The 12 individual scorers doubled the previous LMU program-high for the Nike Cup of six.
Alicia Witter had a phenomenal meet, making the finals in all of her events (100, 200 and 500 freestyle), including her first Championship Final in the 100. There, she placed eighth overall in a time of 52.04, finishing behind teammate Anne Scott with a sixth-place finish in 51.35. In the 500, she finished 30th overall in 5:12.01, while placing 12th in the 200 in 1:53.19.
Scott continued to shine for the Lions, reaching the finals in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events. The native of Bainbridge Island, Wash. posted her first top-10 finish in the 50, touching the wall in 23.78 to claim 10th overall. She went on to reach the Championship Final in the 100 and 200 events, finishing fifth in the 200 with a time of 1:53.07. Her times now place her second overall in LMU history in all three of her freestyle events.
Yvonne Le reached the finals in the 200 individual medley, placing 21st with a time of 2:09.37. She followed that performance by finishing 16th in the 100 butterfly (58.37) and 22nd in the 200 backstroke (2:09.03). She now owns the third-fastest 400 individual medley and 200 backstroke times, the fourth-fastest 100 butterfly time, fifth-fastest 200 individual medley and 200 butterfly times, and sixth-fastest 100 backstroke time.
Tammy Choy was the final LMU swimmer to reach the finals in three events, the 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley and the 200 backstroke. Choy finished 16th in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:10.77 before placing 20th in the 200 backstroke (2:07.80) and 15th in 400 IM (4:34.88). Choy is now the second-fastest 200 backstroker in LMU history, is second in the 200 individual medley and the 400 individual medley, and fourth all-time in the 100 backstroke.
Jill Dahle, Olivia Plume and Trinity O'Neill each reached the finals twice over the weekend. Dahle posted a personal-best time in the 500 freestyle at 5:09.97 in the prelims before placing 32nd in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:13.33. Her times place her fourth all-time in the LMU record books in the 500 freestyle and fifth in the 200 butterfly. O. Plume competed in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly events, placing 32nd in the 50 freestyle (24.61 in prelims) and 25th in the 100 butterfly (58.94). She now owns the sixth-fastest 100 butterfly time and ninth-best 50 freestyle mark. T. O'Neill swam her way to the finals in the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly events. There, she finished 24th in the 400 IM (4:37.72) and 18th in the 200 butterfly (2:07.19).
Rebecca Plume, Carolyn Pasque, Mallorie Lim, Katie Carmody and Terry Rinder rounded-out the 12 LMU swimmers in the finals, reaching that plateau in one event apiece. R. Plume took 22nd in the 500 freestyle (5:07.85), Pasque claimed 27th in the 50 freestyle (24.77), and Lim placed 13th in the 100 butterfly with a personal-best time of 57.93. Carmody and Rinder each turned-in personal-best times, finishing 23rd (2:08.78 in prelims) and 19th (17:49.88) in the 200 butterfly and 1,650 freestyle, respectively. Rinder now holds the second-fastest 1,650 freestyle time and the fourth-fastest 1,000 freestyle mark. Carmody sits fourth all-time in the 200 butterfly.
In addition to those swimmers posting personal-best times in the finals of various events, three other Lions also swam personal bests over the three-day competition. Danielle Garcia (100 freestyle), Michelle Horgan (50 freestyle) and Kara O'Neill (200 freestyle) each pushed their bar to the next level early in the 2008-09 campaign.
LMU returns to the water on December 19 at 11 a.m. when it plays host to New Mexico State in dual-meet competition.
