Jan. 23, 2010
Complete Results
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The LMU swimming team finished second of three teams on Saturday in a very close meet between San Diego, Fresno State and the Lions. The Toreros won the meet with 279 points, followed by LMU at 275 and Fresno State at 270. LMU was the only team to not field a diving squad, thus surrendering valuable points. Saturday's meet, which was decided in the final swim of the day, was also LMU's senior day, as the Lions watched seven senior swimmers compete in their final home meet of their careers.
The Lions started the meet, which was structured after a Division I Conference Championship format, on a high note by winning the 200 freestyle relay. Isabella Zhang, Camille Hopp, Carolyn Pasque and Anne Scott combined to post a mark of 1:37.31. USD took second and fourth overall, with Fresno State claiming third.
The Lions placed well in the 500 freestyle, as Alicia Witter took home second place with a time of 5:16.11. USD's Sarah Gleason won first overall in a time of 5:10.16. The Lions also placed Christina Cannata (fifth - 5:17.30) and Terry Rinder (sixth - 5:17.73) in scoring positions. Jill Dahle turned-in a top-eight finish for the Lions, claiming eighth overall in 5:20.37.
San Diego's Sarah Geerdes won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:09.23. Heidi Gjoen (Fresno State) took second in the race at 2:10.38, followed by Trinity O'Neill (2:10.64) and Tammy Choy (2:12.08) for the Lions in third and fourth.
LMU dominated the 50 freestyle, racing to first, third and fourth place finishes. Scott claimed the top spot with a time of 24.06, while Pasque (24.77) and Hopp (24.78) finished in third and fourth. Francesca Finucane placed second for the Toreros in 24.67.
The Lions just out-touched San Diego for second place in the 400 medley relay in 4:01.28. Noelani Vargas, Hopp, O'Neill and Scott teamed for the Lions to take second. Fresno State won the race with a time of 3:56.88.
O'Neill continued a strong senior day by winning the 400 individual medley in 4:32.07. Choy and Cannata also placed for the Lions, winning third and fourth in 4:42.84 and 4:44.17, respectively. San Diego earned second place as Melissa Andruzzi touched the wall in 4:35.78.
Yvonne Le was the top finisher for the Lions in the 100 butterfly, placing fourth in 1:00.37. Fresno State's Rayanne Nguyen took first in 58.85. Scott won a very close race in the 200 freestyle, stopping the clock at 1:54.51 for first. Geerdes followed in second at 1:54.75, preceding a third-place finish for Witter and the Lions at 1:57.17. Dahle placed fifth in 1:59.80.
USD won the 100 breaststroke as Andruzzi touched in 1:06.34. Hopp was LMU's top finisher, earning fifth in 1:08.74. The Lions also lost valuable points in the 100 backstroke, as Vargas' seventh-place finish in 1:02.73 set the bar for LMU. Gjoen and Fresno State won the event with a mark of 59.24.
San Diego once again claimed the top spot in a race, as the Torero 800 freestyle relay combined for a time of 7:49.06. LMU's team of Pasque, Dahle, Witter and Scott combined for a mark of 7:57.60, good for second. LMU also placed a relay in fourth at 8:06.05.
Terry Rinder swam a good race in the 1650, finishing third overall in 18:11.55. Gleason won the race for San Diego with a time of 17:46.70. Dahle also swam for the Lions, claiming fifth in 18:22.61.
Gjoen easily defeated her competition in the 200 backstroke, touching the wall in 2:04.77 for Fresno State. Choy and the Lions took second in 2:10.29. LMU also placed a pair of swimmers in fifth and sixth, as Kia Dobie and Vargas finished in 2:13.12 and 2:13.30, in that order.
The Lions showed strength in the 100 freestyle, winning first, fourth and fifth. Scott once again claimed victory, just out-touching USD's Finucane, 52.21-52.49. Witter and Pasque finished fourth and fifth for LMU at 53.78 and 54.28, respectively.
Fresno State proved stellar in the 200 breaststroke, winning three of the top four spots. Britney Vogel won the event in 2:23.61, while teammates Sarah Pino (second - 2:23.86) and Mary Tess Taylor (fourth - 2:25.37) contributed important finishes.
O'Neill finished her home LMU career on an extremely high note, winning the 200 butterfly in 2:06.37. Nguyen was right behind in second, stopping the clock at 2:06.51. Katie Carmody and Yvonne Le took third and fourth for LMU, finishing in 2:12.13 and 2:12.71, respectively.
With five points separating the first and third place teams headed into the final race, LMU managed to win the 400 freestyle relay in 3:30.14. Pasque, Zhang, Witter and Scott teamed for the victory, but USD placed a pair of relays in second and fourth to ensure the victory.
LMU will return to action on January 30 when it visits Cal State Northridge for the final dual meet of the season.
