Bulldog Swimming & Diving Competes at 2015 Collegiate Winter Invite

Photo Credit:  Beth Doolittle
Photo Credit: Beth Doolittle

The University of Redlands swimming & diving program competed in the 2015 Collegiate Winter Invite in Southgate against fellow Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) foes and strong NAIA competition. The men finished fifth with and overall score of 588 points, while the women placed sixth with a total of 447.

On the men's side, the Bulldogs started off hot with junior Eric Bugna (Vancouver, WA), sophomore Harlan Long (Orland Park, IL), freshman Zack Amendola (Palos Heights, IL), and sophomore Brian Wright (Kent, WA) joining forces to win the 200 Medley Relay with a time of 1:37.26. In addition, this same group of Bulldogs later hauled in the silver medal in the 800 Free Relay with a mark of 7:08.01.

Bugna continued to roll at the three-day meet by placing in the top five in the 100 Fly with a mark of 53.29. Amendola impressed with a top-five finish in the 200 Individual Medley by inking a mark of 1:58.84, while Wright followed shortly after with a time of 2:00.09.

For the women, junior Ellie Jaques (Covina, CA) highlighted the team's lone first-place finish with a solid mark of 4:33.01 in the 400 IM. She cranked out a top-five performance in the 100 Fly with a time of 58.96. Jaques later joined forces with sophomore Emily Waddell (Bellevue, WA), junior Jessica Rivers (Renton, WA), and senior Lauren Robeznieks (Tigard, OR) in the 200 Free Relay, which placed third with a time of 1:39.91.

The relays remained strong for the women, as freshman Kate Canfield (Naperville, IL), sophomore Claire Stuhr (Portland, OR), Rivers, and Jaques made their way onto the podium with a third-place time of 1:51.41in the 200 Medley Relay.

Robeznieks continued to perform well by placing in the top five in the 50 Free with a time of 25.05.

The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, January 9, when they resume Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action with the La Verne-Whittier-Redlands Tri-Meet at the University of La Verne at 10 a.m.