2007-08 Swimming Season Review
LEAVE
IT TO THE RELAYS: Just one year ago, neither the Pacific men's
or women's swim teams would have dreamed of scoring points at the Northwest
Conference Championships in the relays. This year was different as the
relay races provided the Boxers' most points in the season-ending event.
The Boxers not only fielded teams in every relay event, but also performed well. Pacific's 800-yard freestyle relay team established a school record, placing sixth in a time of 7:47.25. Likewise, the 400-yard freestyle relay also set a school record with their seventh place finish time of 3:25.54, and the 400-yard medley relay team also took a record with their time of 3:55.79.
On the women's side, the 400-yard medley relay team placed highest, finishing seventh in a season-best time of 4:28.39. The 400-yard freestyle relay, meanwhile, set a school record with their finish time of 3:57.77. In all, the 2007-08 Boxers set records in four of the 10 relay disciplines.
GIVE
ME A "B": On the individual side of the NWC ledger, Boxer swimmers
found it to be a tough go. No Pacific swimmers made it into the “A” final
in their respective events, but the Boxers were represented in the “B”
finals in 10 events.
Brandan Mantei led the way, making the “B” final in two of his three individual events. The freshman placed 14th in the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:04.68 and added a 12th place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking a season best time of 1:50.03. Kai Seixas finished 12th in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.61 and was 12th in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:24.60.
Luke Fuller finished 13th in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:05.23. Scott Kimura finished 13th in the 200-yard butterfly in a season best of 2:18.62 and Wyeth Yogi was 14th in the 200-yard butterfly with his time of 2:21.89.
Kristen Mathis led the way for the Pacific women, setting a school record with her 12th place time in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:05.43. Mathis also finished 14th in the 100-yard freestyle, clocking 58.40 seconds. Alex Prigge finished 13th in the 200-yard backstroke with a season best of 2:20.57 and Rowena Manabat finished 16th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 59.17 seconds.
In the team standings, the Boxers continue to be hurt by the numbers game with only eight swimmers competing in both genders. The Pacific men finished eighth with 147 points, while the women were also eighth with 130 points. The totals for both teams were the most since the teams were resurrected in 2003.
HE'S THE MAN-TEI: While he entered Pacific as a freestyle specialist, Brandan Mantei showed that he could excel for the Boxers in just about any event. The versatile freshman held the Boxers' top time in seven different events, varying from distance freestyle to the breaststroke to the individual medley. His time of 5:03.43 in the 500-yard freestyle broke the school record set by Evan Shute in 2006.
Mantei proved to be the Boxers' best freestyle swimmer after the loss of Nathan Smith in January to injuries. He set season bests in both the 100 and 200-yard freestyle events at the NWC Championships and finished just one second short of his best in the 500-yard freestyle.
SHORT
TIMER: Kristen Mathis has continued to show growth in her specialty
sprint events. The junior finished with the Boxers' top times of the season
in the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard and 200-yard
individual medleys. Mathis' time of 1:05.43 in the 100-yard backstroke
at the NWC Championships broke her own school record. In addition, Mathis
dropped two seconds off her best in the 100 free and five seconds off of
her best in the 100 IM.
LONG TIMER: For the second consecutive year, Alex Prigge proved to be the Boxers' anchor in some of the team's longer events. The junior finished the team's top times in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke. Prigge came through the best in her specialty, qualifying for the “B” finals in the 200-yard backstroke at the NWC Championships with a season best time of 2:22.96. She went on to lower that time by two seconds in the final on her way to a 13th place finish and a time of 2:20.57.
FIRST TIMER: Despite the fact that she never swam for a high school team, Julie Garner showed that she has what it takes to be a factor in Pacific's successes over the next three years. Garner finished with the team's top marks in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. She emerged to make the “B” finals in the 100-yard breaststroke at the NWC Championships and went on to swim a season best of 1:15.66. Garner, who grew up in the eastern Oregon town of Burns, swam for the Hi Desert Swim Club as the local high school does not offer swimming as a varsity sport.
TIME CUT SHORT: The Boxers saw the season end early for two of its male swimmers, both of whom could have figured into the team's point totals. Nathan Smith saw his season end when he sustained an injury over Christmas Break. To that point, Smith had been the team's top swimmer in the freestyle sprint events. Sam Watanuki also saw his first swim season since 2005-06 cut short just before the NWC Championships due to injury. Watanuki owned the Boxers' top times in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events.
2007-08 Records
MEN
500 Free: by Brandan Mantei (5:03.43)
50 Back: by Nathan Smith (26.42)
400 Medley Relay: by Fuller, Seixas, Kimura & Mantei (3:55.79)
400 Free Relay: by Mantei, Fuller, Seixas, & Kimura (3:25.44)
800 Free Relay: by Kimura, Griffin, Seixas & Mantei (7:47.25)
WOMEN
50 Back: by Alex Prigge (31.52)
100 Back: by Kristen Mathis (1:05.43)
400 Free Relay: by Mathis, Prigge, Miyahira & Manabat (3:57.77)
MEN GET FIRST DUAL VICTORY: It was over three years in the making, but the Pacific men's swim team savored their first dual meet in the history of the resurrected program, downing Willamette 82-74 at the Forest Grove Aquatic Center on Jan. 12.
Scott Kimura provided a pair of strong performances in one-on-one events to help secure a lead early. Kimura out-dueled Matt Tanigawa in the 50-yard freestyle, winning in 23.75 seconds. Three events later, Kimura was an easy winner in the 20-yard butterfly over Kevin Tangeman. Kimura's time of 2:23.87 gave the Boxers a 51-33 lead midway through the meet.
Brandan Mantei ran away with his first event, winning the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 2:05.20. In the meet's penultimate event, with the Boxers clinging to a 66-59 lead, Mantei put together another dominant performance. In the 200-yard breaststroke, Mantei put together a 16-second victory, clocking 2:22.07 to secure the dual meet win.
Pacific also received an individual event victory from Sam Watanuki, who won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:09.74. The Boxers also won the opening event of the afternoon, the 200-yard medley relay, with a time of 1:48.60.
GROWING IN NUMBERS: After struggling with roster numbers in his first season leading the Pacific swim program, Head Coach Alec Webster continued to grow the program by adding more swimmers in a sport that thrives in numbers. Pacific rostered eight men in 2007-08, six more than the two that stuck it out for the 2006-07 season. The Pacific women also fielded a roster of eight swimmers, up from six the year before.