Bulldog Swim & Dive Opens SCIAC with Outstanding Results at Caltech

Bulldog Swim & Dive Opens SCIAC with Outstanding Results at Caltech

The University of Redlands swim & dive teams officially opened the 2017-18 competitive season with Saturday's meet at Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) foe, Caltech.  With quality results throughout the meet, the Bulldog men came away victorious in a 192-103 decision, while the Redlands women cruised to a 211-68 victory.

Overall, the men registered 11 first-place efforts to go along with 21 additional podium showings, as the women won 13 events while finishing second or third on 19 other occasions.

The women impressed with their depth by sweeping the top three in seven races, including the 200 Free, which was highlighted by senior Emily Waddell's (Bellevue, WA) winning time of 2:00.82. 

In addition, Waddell headlined the top-four finishers in the 100 Free, with each Bulldog recording sub-59-second times.  Waddell touched the wall in first place in 56.11, as senior Olivia Rock (Boulder, CO), first-year Olivia Cano (Dublin, CA, and junior Wendy McAleer (Simi Valley, CA) quickly followed in the next two-and-a-half seconds.

First-year Cassy Hauserman (South Elgin, IL) and sophomore Julia Hagenbaumer (Naperville, IL) led off a pair of sweeps in the 1000 Free and 200 Breast, respectively.  Hauerseman made her Bulldog debut a memorable one by recording a first-place time of 12:08.82 in the longer race, while Hagenbaumer won the 200 Breast in 2:38.62. 

On the diving boards, sophomore Sami Scarano (Boulder, CO) represented Redlands well by winning both events.  She scored 256.60 points on the one-meter board and notched 240.30 points in the three-meter competition.

The Bulldog men earned sweeping results on both diving boards and in the 200 Individual Medley.  Sophomore Jacob Miner (Antioch, CA) spearheaded the dominating diving performance with his first-place scores of 277.20 (1M) and 279.55 (3M). First-year Max Spiegel (Englewood, CO) earned a pair of second-place finishes in diving during his first meet with the Bulldogs.  In the 200 IM, Redlands was led by senior Brian Wright (Kent, WA) at the top of the podium with his gold-medal time of 1:59.45, while first-years Jordan Convery (Fairview, OR) and Eric Forbes (Ladera Ranch, CA) shined with respective times of 2:04.19 and 2:05.47. 

Wright also won the 200 Free (1:45.27) and 200 Breast (2:10.25) to step up big-time for the Maroon and Gray.  Furthermore, junior Aaron Bauer (Garden Grove, CA) added his stamp on the solid day by uncorking the fastest times of the meet in the 50 Free (21.96) and 100 Free (48.32).

Finally, Convery and senior Henry Stuckenschmidt (Fresno, CA) provided key points in the 1000 Free with their respective first- and second-place performances.  Convery clocked in at 10:14.36, while Stuckenschmidt touched the wall in 10:24.56.

The outstanding meet was capped off with the men and women each winning the 400 Free Relay.  Sophomore Michael Talag (Lakewood, CA), first-year Rafael Zasas (Johannesburg, South Africa), sophomore Carson Brett (Exeter, CA), and Bauer combined forces to win the men's event with a time of 3:16.82.  The women prevailed in 3:45.96, as junior IvyLee Senn (Novato, CA), first-year Karina Lanning (Cupertino, CA), Rock, and Waddell teamed up in the final race of the day.

Redlands heads to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for a SCIAC meet on Saturday, November 18, at 10 a.m.