In a two-day meet with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Westmont women’s swimming team produced four school records and eight NAIA National Championship “B” standard qualifying marks, though the Warriors were outscored 242 to 164.
The meet took place Friday and Saturday at Westmont.
Friday, Westmont’s Olivia Garrison and Morgan Bienias finished first and second in the 1,650-yard freestyle with times of 18:08.85 and 18.27.79. Both times were within the “B” standard. Garrison’s time was the second fastest in the Warrior record books.
Bienias won the 200-yard individual medley, posting a time of 2:17.66. That mark was also the second fastest time in program history.
Later in the day, Garrison and Rian Lewandowski competed in the 100-yard butterfly with Garrison edging out Lewandowski for first by one one-hundredth of a second. Garrison’s time was 1:02.85
Lewandowski took first place in the 100-yard backstroke, posting a time of 1:03.95 and Bienias claimed first in the 500-yard freestyle with an NAIA “B” qualifying time of 5:26.56.
On Saturday, Garrison and Bienias again captured first and second, this time in the 200-yard freestyle. Garrison’s time of 1:59.12 established a new school record and meets the “B” standard. Bienias posted a time of 2:05.67.
Garrison set two more school records on Saturday. In the 200-yard butterfly, she beat her own record with a time of 2:20.06 to win the race. Then in the 500 freestyle, which was conducted on both days of the meet, Garrison finished second but posted a record time of 5:20.81, which beat the “B” standard.
Bienias lowered the time of the school record she already possessed in the 200 yard backstroke to 2:10.02 while finishing first. Her time also earned the “B” standard qualification.
Bienias also won the 200 yard breaststroke, completing the eight lengths of the pool in 2:38.92.
Bridget Hoth won two races on Saturday, both of which were under the “B” standard. In the 50 yard freestyle, Hoth posted a time of 25.12. Then in the 100 yard freestyle Hoth recorded a time of 54.94.
The Warriors will be back in action on Nov. 13 when they compete in the Wyatt Balman Invitational at Soka University.
Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.
email: dmason@newspress.com
