The University of Redlands swimming & diving teams took to the pool at the Brenda Villa Aquatic Center for the third day of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships on Friday. With 393 points, the Bulldog women remain in third place, as the men hold on to fourth with 365 points, just nine behind third-place Cal Lutheran University.
Senior Ellie Jaques (Covina, CA) continued to put together a solid final conference outing of her career by breaking her own meet record and defending her SCIAC title in the 400 Individual Medley. Her winning time of 4:28.50 also serves as an NCAA "B" cut en route to another All-SCIAC award.
Junior Claire Stuhr (Portland, OR) also registered a sixth-place time of 4:39.84 in the 400 IM, while senior Danielle Miller (Hood River, OR) took second in the consolation final with a mark of 4:39.83.
Junior Emily Waddell (Bellevue, WA) and Miller each picked up winning times in their respective consolation finals. Waddell touched the wall in 1:55.69 in the 200 Free, as Miller out-swam the competition in the 100 Back with a time of 59.51.
The 400 Medley Relay of Miller, Jaques, Stuhr, and Waddell fired off a time of 3:56.72 to take third in the team's final outing of the night.
Furthermore, the Redlands women enjoyed success in the three-meter diving competition. Senior Jessica Kolsky (Red Wing, MN) earned a score of 409.50 to finish seventh in the standings, while freshman Sami Scarano (Boulder, CO) closely followed in eighth with 390.65 points.
For the men, junior Brian Wright (Kent, WA) and senior Eric Bugna (Vancouver, WA) collected critical points for the Maroon and Gray by taking seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 400 IM. Wright put together a time of 4:09.29, while Bugna completed the race in 4:10.88.
Sophomore Joe Widuch (Naperville, IL) enjoyed a solid day by taking second in the 100 Back with an All-SCIAC and NCAA "B" cut time of 50.03. Senior Will Tyrrell (Portland, OR) also competed in this event, earning an eighth-place time of 52.85.
Widuch's success continued in the 100 Fly, as he uncorked a time of 49.98 to finish fourth overall.
Finally, he joined freshman Kyle Jackson (Naperville, IL), Bugna, and Wright to comprise the Bulldogs' top 400 Medley Relay, which clocked a time of 3:25.40 for fourth place. Tyrrell and freshmen Cortlandt Nelsen (Beaverton, OR), Matt Skinner (Lakewood, CA), and Michael Talag (Lakewood, CA) represented the Maroon and Gray in the consolation final by taking third with a time of 3:31.47.
The 2017 SCIAC Championships conclude on Saturday, February 18, with the 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 400 Free Relay, 1650 Free, and men's one-meter diving competition. Live-streaming is available through the SCIAC portal at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/sciac/
