Colorado Mesa’s men and CBU’s women claim 2017 RMAC swimming & diving titles on Saturday night.
The Mavericks compiled 987.5 points to win the RMAC championship at home in Grand Junction, Colorado. Colorado Baptist finished as the runner-up with 955 points, making a push on the final day. OBU took third with 861 points and Colorado School of Mines fourth with 508.5 points.
CBU’s women racked up 1067 points on its way to taking home a fourth straight RMAC title. Colorado Mesa ended the meet with 796 points as the runner-up. OBU finished with 618 points, Colorado School of Mines 524 points, and Western 390 points to round out the top five. CSU-Pueblo took sixth with 226 points, Adams State seventh with 207 points and Nebraska-Kearney eighth ending with 141 points.
Starting off the night was the women’s 1650-free event as CBU’s Mackenzie Mergel took home first with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 17:32.35. Colorado Mesa’a Katelin Staab (17:40.17) and Tessa Olson (17:46.76) of CBU rounded out the top three.
Colorado Mesa’s Sam Bryant started the night by breaking his own pool and RMAC meet record on the men’s side of the 1650-free with a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 15:36.68. CBU’s duo of Robert Griffith (15:40.66) and Tanner Shore (16:11.14) took second and third respectively. Griffith’s time provisionally qualifies him for the NCAA championships.
In the women’s 100-free Western’s Randi Yarnell took home another first-place medal by setting a new pool record of 50.04. CBU’s Hannah Evans (51.06), OBU’s Victoria Fonville (51.26) and Colorado School of Mines Carrie Kralovec (52.03) all posted NCAA provisional qualifying times.
The top seven finishers on the men’s side of the 100-free finished in NCAA provisional qualifying time. The OBU duo of Julien Goyethce (44.14) and Marc Sambolin (44.28) took the top two spots as CBU’s Alexis Ohmar (44.78) finished third. Colorado Mesa’s Sky Hirsch (44.97), CBU’s Bernardo Valentim (45.15), OBU’s Chad Brandon (45.28) and Colorado School of Mine’s Josh Schechter (45.56) rounded out the top seven.
Colorado Mesa’s Mary Saiz took first in the women’s 200-back with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:00.78. OBU’s Tamlyn Price (2:02.16) and CBU’s Kylie Mihld (2:02.22) finished second and third respectively, as the two also posted NCAA provisional qualifying times.
Felipe Ramirez of OBU took the top spot on the men’s side of the 200-back, finished in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:48.13. Colorado Mesa’s Eric Berg also finished with NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:49.96 in a second-place effort. OBU’s Alex Mudnt (1:50.79) rounded out the top three.
The top three finishers of the women’s 200-breast all finished with provisional qualifying times, as CBU’s Alena Rumiantceva (2:14.27) took the gold. Juliana Cifuentes (2:19.31) of OBU and Miranda Reetz (2:20.44) finished second and third respectively.
On the men’s side of the 200-breast, Eric Tolman of CBU took the top spot with a provisional qualifying time of 1:59.11 while setting a new pool record. Colorado Mesa’s Ryan Gifford (2:01.64) also provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships. Another Lancer took the bronze as Adrien Deloffre finished with a time of 2:01.96.
The top five teams of the women’s 400-free relay provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships, as OBU’s team of Fonville, Price, Celina Marquez and Miriam Avila Martinez finished first with 3:26.43. Colorado Mesa’s team of Marissa Bradley, Madelaine McClain, Sam White and Saiz (3:28.11) took the silver and CBU’s team of Christie Halverson, Grace Oeser, Hailey Golden and Evans (3:28.71) the bronze. Colorado School of Mines’ Mia Wood, Sarah Berude, Haley McComas and Carrie Kralovec (3:28.71) and Western’s team of Ariel Fitch, Kate Hewson, Morgan Aragon and Yarnell (3:30.79) rounded out the top five.
All four teams in the finals of the men’s 400-free relay provisionally qualified as CBU’s Justin Quiroga, Valentim, David Ring and Ohmar took home the gold with a time of 2:59.11. OBU’s Goyetche, Mundt, Brandon and Sambolin (2:59.48) and Colorado Mesa’s Noah Beaver, Morgan Bean, Hirsch and Bryant (3:00.05) finished second and third respectively. Colorado School of Mines’ Loki Hondorf, Schechter, Josh Graber and Ethan Pfeiffer finished fourth with a time of 3:00.81. CBU’s Deloffre, Griffith, Schuster and Shore also finished with a provisional qualifying time of 3:02.89 in the B final.
On the women’s 3m board the top four divers qualified automatically for the NCAA championships. CBU’s Bre Schlenger took home the gold with a score of 456.90 as teammate Lauren Skinner (425.50) took bronze. Colorado Mesa’s Cassie Blakeman finished second with 451.15 points and teammate Brittany Dixon (424.40) rounded out the top four.
RMAC Women's Diver of the Meet: Breanne Schlenger, CBU
RMAC Women's Swimmer of the Meet: Randi Yarnell, Western
RMAC Women's Swimming & Diving Freshman of the Year: Mia Wood, Colorado School of Mines
RMAC Women's Diver of the Year: Cassie Blakeman, Colorado Mesa
RMAC Women's Swimmer of the Year: Randi Yarnell, Western
RMAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year: Rick Rowland, CBU
RMAC Men's Diver of the Meet: Otto Lehtonen, OBU
RMAC Men's Swimmer of the Meet: Sam Bryant, Colorado Mesa
RMAC Men's Swimming & Diving Freshman of the Year: Eric Tolman, Cal Baptist:RMAC Men's Diver of the Year: Zakary Rowton, OBU
RMAC Men's Swimmer of the Year: Sam Bryant, Colorado Mesa
RMAC Men's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year: Geoff Hanson, Colorado Mesa
