One of the highlights of the A3 Performance Invitational thus far was Gabriel Hernandez's school record for UC San Diego.
UC San Diego Press Release
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - Senior Gabriel Hernandez broke the school record in preliminaries of the 400-yard individual medley to highlight the University of California San Diego's involvement on day two of the 2016 A3 Performance Invitational Friday at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) Swim Stadium.
UCSD is the host of the three-day meet, the top competition on its fall schedule annually, for the eighth successive year, with ELAC the venue for the fourth straight edition. Swimwear manufacturer A3 Performance is the third-year title sponsor.
The Triton men remain in second (771.5), firmly behind UC Santa Barbara (1329), while the women stayed in sixth (355.5), with UCLA also in control there (909.5). UCSD is the only non-Division I squad present, its men and women ranked third and sixth, respectively, in Division II.
The day began with several impressive swims in morning prelims, led by the first school standard to fall in the early going this season. Hernandez went 3:52.52 to get under fourth-year senior teammate Zach Yong's 3:52.78 from 2015. The NCAA consideration qualifier was the fastest of anyone by almost four full seconds. Hernandez, however, just beginning to round into shape after missing the start of the year, scratched the evening final to focus on other events.
In the 100 breaststroke, junior Angie Phetbenjakul (1:01.95) and senior tri-captain Jaimie Bryan (1:02.87) went 1-3 in the morning to each post strong B cuts that are quite likely to get them to Birmingham, Ala., in March for the NCAA Championships. Phetbenjakul's big personal record narrowly missed making her the Tritons' first automatic qualifier, with that standard set at 1:01.82. She is all but assured a trip.
Phetbenjakul (1:02.28) and Bryan (1:03.67) later went 2-7 in the championship final. True freshman Edgar Chin was third in the men's 100 breast in 55.20, a B cut.
Michael Cohn was third-fastest in the 200 freestyle (1:38.15 B). Senior co-captain Julian Jacobs (49.65) and junior CJ Pais (51.03) went 3-6 in the 100 backstroke. Junior Kevin Fink touched fifth in the final of the 400 IM (3:58.91). Kevin Wylder (49.17 B) and Garrett Tse (49.66) were 6-8 in the 100 butterfly.
Amanda Sumrow (San Diego/Northern Arizona/Patrick Henry HS) turned in a 13th-place showing in the 400 IM in a season-best 4:27.64, another B standard.
The 2016 A3 Performance Invitational concludes with six more events on Saturday, Nov. 19, with preliminaries at 9 a.m. and finals beginning at 5 p.m.
