WOMEN: Pacific 178, College of Idaho 45
MEN: Pacific 148, College Of Idaho 84
Individual Results
FOREST GROVE – After a long holiday layoff and some grueling training sessions, the Pacific University swim team returned to competitive action on Sunday with a non-conference dual meet against The College Of Idaho at Forest Grove Aquatic Center.
With the majority of Pacific's swimmers competing in events other than their specialties, the Boxers were still able to cruise to a sweep as the women won 178-45 and the men came away with a 148-84 win. With both teams now 1-2 in dual meet competition, the Boxers will prepare for the rest of the Northwest Conference dual meet schedule, beginning with two more home meets next weekend.
“This is a tough event,” said Pacific head swim coach
Alec Webster of the post-holiday dual. “Times are usually not going to be that fast because everybody is broken down. The key is to keep enthusiasm high and keep them motivated so that they know there are better things to come.”
The Boxers even ceded some points to the Coyotes, swimming both men's and women's 400 yard freestyle relays as exhibitions. The women's relay team of
Allison Clark (Jr., Keizer, Ore.),
Stacie Struble (Fr., Albany, Ore.), Katherine Porter (Fr., McMinnville, Ore.) and
Kelli Kronsberg (So., North Bend, Wash.) had the top time (3:57.85), but was ineligible to score due to exceeding the participation limit. Clark did notch a pair of first places in the 1000 free (11:40.62) and 200 breaststroke (2:34.08), while
Amanda Clark (Fr., Olympia, Wash.) was a four-time winner with first place finishes in the 200 butterfly (2:19.10), 50 free (26.39), 100 free (56.54) and 200 backstroke (2:23.93).
It was a game of trading places for Porter and
Amanda Clark, with the current school record-holders in the sprint and distance freestyles swapping events. The sprinter Porter claimed a first place finish in the 500 free (5:42.92), adding a win in the 100 back (1:06.38). Struble also notched a pair of individual wins in the 200 free (2:05.84) and 100 fly (1:03.95).
On the men's side,
Dylan Cramer (Jr., Caldwell, Idaho) and
Kramer Ichimura (Fr., Mililani, Hawaii) won two individual events each and combined with
Michael Hargitt* and
Spencer Chandler* (Fr., Weiser, Idaho) on a victorious 400 medley relay swim (3:47.57). Ichimura barely touched out Hargitt for a win in the 500 free, finishing in 5:05.90, just .07 seconds ahead of his teammate. Ichimura also added a win in the 200 fly (2:00.72). Cramer took first place in the 200 free (1:55.32) and 200 back.
Aiden Lindsey (Fr., Portland, Ore.) also checked into the win column twice, cruising to a first place finish in the 200 breast (2:36.66) while taking a close first over teammate
Evan Burrell (Fr., Redding, Calif.) in the 100 fly (1:01.22 to 1:01.99).
College Of Idaho's day was highlighted by Jeremy Erbsen, who swam to first place finishes in the 100 back (55.73) and 100 free (51.11), while swimming the lead leg on a victorious 400 free relay (3:32.11). Zach Morgan swam third in the relay and also scored a first place in the 1000 free, overtaking Pacific's
Damian Lopez Plancarte (So., Albuquerque, N.M.) in the final 100 meters to win by less than a second (10:59.43) in the day's most dramatic finish.
The Boxer women dominated their Coyote competition, only giving up first place points on the final two events as their participants were ineligible to score after exceeding the four event participation limit in the 28-event meet.
“The team dynamics and spirit is high,” said Pacific head swimming coach
Alec Webster. “The swimming is not so fast, but we didn't expect that after a hard week of training. We have set ourselves up really well for the rest of the dual meet season and going into taper.”
The remainder of the Boxers' schedule is comprised of conference dual meets until the NWC championships. Pacific hosts Puget Sound on Friday at 6:00 p.m. before taking on Pacific Lutheran on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Forest Grove Aquatic Center.
