Amidst multiple school records, individual conference titles, and All-America nods, the University of Redlands swimming & diving teams enjoyed a solid campaign of success under the direction of Head Coach Trevor Harp during the 2014-15 season. While celebrating the impressive careers of the senior class, the Bulldogs saw a hearty crew of talented underclassmen rise to the occasion, helping to propel both teams to third-place finishes at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships.
During the season-opening Redlands October Invitational, the Bulldogs notched five event-wins, with senior Eric LoPrete (Beaverton, OR) taking two of them. He landed atop the podium in the 50 Free (22.12) and 100 Free (48.39) for a strong start to his final campaign with the Maroon and Gray. For the women, the 200 Free Relay of freshman Emily Waddell (Bellevue, WA), junior Lauren Robeznieks (Tigard, OR), senior Summer Harp (San Bernardino, CA), and sophomore Ellie Jaques (Covina, CA) recorded the only first-place showing of the meet by clocking in at 1:42.48.
For a second year in a row, senior Jeff Depew (Naperville, IL) was crowned champion at the always-entertaining Bulldog Pentathlon in early November. While showing off his versatility, he garnered a five-race time of 4:29.04 while taking first place in the 100 Fly (51.20) and 100 Individual Medley (53.16). In addition, the women gained an impressive outing from Jaques which included a total time of 5:09.76 for second place at the meet.
For the first time in conference history, the SCIAC dual-meets were required but not weighted in terms of final team standings. However, they served as great preparation for the always-exciting SCIAC Swimming & Diving Championships and proved to be just as competitive as ever.
Redlands opened the conference schedule with a pair of wins over Caltech in early December, with the women notching 13 first-place finishes and 23 additional top-three showings. The Bulldogs swept the 200 IM, with freshman Claire Stuhr (Portland, OR) winning the event in 2:19.51, freshman Emily Mabrouk (Aurora, IL) touching second in 2:21.86, and freshman Melissa Knell (Pleasanton, CA) completing the impressive performance with her time of 2:29.56. On the one-meter diving board, sophomore Jessica Kolsky (Red Wing, MN) notched her first win of the season, with this one coming off of a score of 192.2. Junior Akari Matsumoto (Redmond, WA) joined her on the podium with a second-place score of 159.55.
The Bulldogs traveled to the 2014 Collegiate Invite in Commerce, with Depew and Jaques stepping up against the high-caliber competition. Depew registered three NCAA "B" times en route to winning the 200 Fly with a time of 1:49.19. Jaques came up with a pair of NCAA "B" times while also taking first place in the 100 Fly in 57.52.
After the holiday break, the Maroon and Gray returned to SCIAC action with a hard-fought showdown against the Occidental College Tigers on January 10. Both squads prevailed over the Tigers, as the women edged the conference rival by a 13-point margin after setting the tone with an exciting victory in the 200 Medley Relay. The talented quartet of freshman Rachel Haney (Redmond, OR), sophomore Jessica Rivers (Renton, WA), freshman Olivia Rock (Boulder, CO), and Waddell inspired the Bulldogs with a winning time of 1:54.34. The men gained a pair of 1-2 finishes for quality points in the triumph, as senior David Sekula (LaGrange, IL) and freshman Henry Stuckenschmidt (Fresno, CA) took care of business in the 1650 Free with respective times of 17:26.08 and 17:32.64. Sophomore Eric Bugna (Vancouver, WA) and freshman Corey Winter (Ripon, CA) also came out on top in the 100 Back by clocking in at 56.33 and 56.37, respectively.
In mid-January, the Redlands women battled it out with Whittier College and Cal Lutheran University, as the Bulldog women prevailed over both teams but the men recorded split results. Among the highlights, Harp and freshman Linnae Rodriguez (Hollister, CA) teamed up for a 1-2 finish in the 1000 Free, clocking respective times of 11:12.84 and 11:28.36. For the men, sophomore Will Tyrrell (Portland, OR) won the 200 Back with a time of 1:58.67, before joining forces with freshman Harlan Long (Orland Park, IL), junior Nelson Glendinning (Philadelphia, PA), and Depew in the 400 Medley Relay that out-touched all competitors by six seconds with a time of 3:30.21.
Despite notching nine event-wins between the two teams, the Bulldogs came up short against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on January 24. Depew continued to impress in his stellar senior campaign as he registered the men's only first-place showings with top times in the 200 IM, 100 Fly, and 200 Fly.
Redlands returned home to the Thompson Aquatic Center for Senior Day against rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges to close out the month of January. Regardless of the celebratory atmosphere, the Bulldogs struggled to overtake the Stags and Athenas, and dropped their final home meet. Among the many senior accomplishments of the day, Sekula won the 1650 Free by a 15-second margin with a time of 17:22.6.
In the final showdown before the SCIAC Championships, both teams captured victories over the University of La Verne and Chapman University. For the women, freshman Danielle Miller (Hood River, OR) won the 100 Back (1:03.09) and Mabrouk finished first in the 200 Fly (2:12.70). The men's 200 Free Relay of LoPrete, junior Patrick Fink (San Pedro, CA), freshman Brian Wright (Kent, WA), and Glendinning uncorked a time of 1:27.96 to prevail over the competition.
After the 2015 SCIAC Championships were relocated to Whittier College at the last minute due to facility issues, the Bulldogs battled throughout the four-day event by unleashing multiple NCAA "B" times, school-record efforts, and All-Conference performances.
The opening day began with outstanding diving from Kolsky and freshman Lindsay Nichols (Arroyo Grande, CA), as they both qualified for the NCAA Zone 2 Regionals by exceeding the point minimum. Kolsky finished third on the one-meter board with a score of 449.60 to garner All-SCIAC accolades, while Nichols took fifth by amassing 429.95 points.
In addition, the women's 200 Medley Relay of Haney, Jaques, Robeznieks, and Waddell put together a school-record time of 1:47.19 for fourth place.
Jaques and Depew impressed on day two, as they each captured 200 IM titles in exciting fashion. Jaques touched the wall in 2:06.69, while Depew clocked a time of 1:49.85.
Day three was a big day for the Bulldogs, as they recorded multiple NCAA "B" times with impressive finishes. Depew took home his second individual championship of the meet by winning the 400 IM in 3:57.72, while Tyrrell became an All-Conference competitor with his third-place showing in the 100 Back with a solid time of 50.90. In addition, Jaques' second-place time of 4:35.66 in the 400 IM was fast enough for a "B" cut and another All-SCIAC honor.
Furthermore, Kolsky wrapped up her impressive sophomore campaign by taking fifth on the three-meter diving board with a total of 374.75 points. Senior Erica Pieramico (Oceanside, CA) also scored quality points for the Bulldogs with her sixth-place tally of 372.10.
The SCIAC Championships wrapped up with many more outstanding results, including Tyrrell's NCAA "B" time of 1:51.63 in the 200 Back for second place and another All-SCIAC nod. For the women, Haney fired off a school-record, All-Conference mark of 2:06.86 for third place in the same event. Mabrouk completed the 200 Fly in 2:07.68 for an NCAA "B" standard that landed her on the podium and among the All-SCIAC honorees in second place.
Finally, Depew was voted as the SCIAC Male Athlete of the Year for Swimming after finishing up his final conference meet with a first-place and NCAA "B" time of 1:47.58 in the 200 Fly. Overall, he won all three of his individual events for an outstanding conference finale. He also swam on the third-place 400 Free Relay with Tyrrell, LoPrete, and Glendinning that uncorked another NCAA "B" time at 3:04.47 for All-SCIAC recognition.
After the final race, both Bulldog squads finished in third place among the conference standings. The Redlands men tallied 575 points, while the Maroon and Gray women earned 709 points during the four-day outing.
Due to their strong showings at the SCIAC Championships, Kolsky and Nichols moved onto the NCAA Zone 2 Regional Diving Championships at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. This marked the Bulldogs' first appearance at the regional meet since the competition's inception. The meet began with the women's three-meter competition, with Kolsky taking ninth out of 15 divers, with an 11-dive total of 345.00. On the one-meter board, Kolsky moved up one slot in the standings by taking eighth with a score of 334.00, while Nichols followed close behind at 325.90 for ninth place.
For the Redlands swimmers, Depew served as the sole representative at the NCAA Championships, as he qualified for the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 Fly. During the memorable national meet, he unleashed two school-record, career-best times and finished among the top five in every race. He took fourth in the 200 IM with a time of 1:47.06, before earning fifth place in the 400 IM with a time of 3:52.30. In his final race as a Bulldog, Depew left it all in the pool with a time of 1:45.45 to take the silver in the 200 Fly. He completed his exceptional career at Redlands with 16 All-America or Honorable Mention All-America nods before being named one of two Frank Serrao Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year in 2015.
With multiple school records, individual conference titles, and All-America nods, Redlands orchestrated a quality campaign during the 2014-15 season. Despite the graduation of many incredible competitors, the Bulldog swimming & diving teams hold high hopes for a continued upward trend of success that includes national and conference acclaim.