Grand Canyon Sweeps Biola

Grand Canyon University's men's swimming team set two school records in Saturday's 143-36 victory over Biola at Brophy Sports Complex. The 15th-ranked Antelopes won all 11 events in the final tuneup before the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 11-13 in Arvada, Colo.

Junior Ralph Herberg (Potsdam, Germany/Sportschule Potsdam) set a new mark in the 200 Breaststroke (2:09.40) and freshman Xavier Lopez (pictured left, Goodyear, Ariz./Millennium) broke the record in the 1650 Freestyle (16:49.57).

Lopez added a win in the 500 Freestyle (5:00.45). Junior Artem Tretiakov (Donetsk, Ukraine/Donetsk National University) was a double-winner in the 50 Freestyle (21.52) and 100 Freestyle (48.05). Freshman Johann Ivarsson (Sundsvall, Sweden/Sundsvall) won twice with victories in the 200 Backstroke (1:58.86) and 200 Freestyle (1:44.69).

In the 200 Butterfly (mixed), freshman Richie Krzyzanowski (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) won in 1:58.39. Freshman Matt Muchna (Prescott, Ariz./Home School) won the 400 IM (mixed) in 4;31.21.

Grand Canyon also had wins in the 400 Freestyle Relay (3:16.64) with Muchna, junior Charles Woodruff (Phoenix, Ariz./Central), Ivarsson and Tretiakov and the 400 Medley Relay (3:37.46) with the group of Ivarsson, Herberg, Krzyzanowski and Tretiakov.

Grand Canyon University's women's swimming team won had seven first-place finishes and defeated Biola 110-70.

Ranked No. 12 in the nation, GCU got victories in the 500 Freestyle and 1650 Freestyle from Victoria Heron (Glendale, Ariz./Sandra Day O'Connor). She had times of 5:22.35 and 18:31.30, respectively. Sophomore Caiti Hoffman (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) was also a double winner, claiming victories in 200 Backstroke (2:16.33) and the 400 IM (4:56.93) - two events she will be competing in at the NCAA Championships in March.

Senior Alexis Glessner (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain/No. Colorado) won the 200 Freestyle (2:00.16). Sophomore Brooke Bellah (Phoenix, Ariz./Christian) won the 50 Freestyle (25.57) and freshman Riley Smith (Phoenix, Ariz./Christian) topped the fly in 2:15.77.

GCU also won the 400 Freestyle Relay in 3:47.06 with Smith, Heron, Karlee Grundeis (Bakersfield, Calif./East) and Bellah and the 400 Medley Relay in 4:10.20 with Hoffman, Julie Redaway (Braine L'Alleud/Belgium/Ste Gertrude Nivelles), Bellah and Grundeis.