The University of Redlands swimming & diving teams continued the excitement of the 2015 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships on Saturday with strong showings throughout the evening session. The men moved back into third place with 356 points through three days, jumping past Cal Lutheran University by one point. The Bulldog women maintained their third-place position with 520 points thus far.
Highlighting the individual performances, senior Jeff Depew (Naperville, IL) captured another conference title with his winning time of 3:57.72 in the 400 Individual Medley. His mark also exceeded the NCAA B-Cut standard.
Freshman Nick Gambatese (Corvallis, OR) collected valuable points for the team standings with his third-place showing in the "B" final of the same event, as he touched the wall in 4:15.62.
During the 100 Fly "B" final, sophomore Eric Bugna (Vancouver, WA) fired off a time of 52.26 to take fourth, scoring important points in the process.
The 200 Free saw a pair of Bulldogs finish among the top eight with senior Eric LoPrete (Beaverton, OR) taking sixth in 1:42.61 and junior Nelson Glendinning (Philadelphia, PA) quickly following in 1:42.40.
In addition, sophomore Will Tyrrell's (Portland, OR) third-place time of 50.90 in the 100 Back exceeded the B-cut standard for possible NCAA consideration.
Finally, the men's outing concluded with the 400 Medley Relay of Tyrrell, freshman Harlan Long (Orland Park, IL), Depew, and Glendinning firing off a time of 3:26.21 for fourth place, earning critical points for the team's standing.
The Redlands women showcased their depth and talent in a stellar day at the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center. Sophomore Ellie Jaques (Covina, CA) continued to impress in her second SCIAC Championship meet by finishing second in the 400 IM with an NCAA B-cut time of 4:35.66. Freshman Emily Mabrouk (Aurora, IL) took fourth in the race with a 4:37.31-mark. Finally, the Bulldogs collected quality points from freshman Claire Stuhr (Portland, OR), who grabbed second place in the "B" final with a time of 4:42.85.
In addition, junior Lauren Robeznieks (Tigard, OR) clocked a time of 59.46 in the 100 Fly, while freshman Olivia Rock (Boulder, CO) came in fourth in the "B" final (1:00.34).
The 200 Free "B" final included a fourth-fifth combination for the Maroon and Gray, as freshman Emily Waddell (Bellevue, WA) and senior Summer Harp (San Bernardino, CA) uncorked respective times of 1:56.55 and 1:56.95.
During the 100 Breast, Jaques returned to the podium with her third-place time of 1:05.76, with senior Haley Thiltgen (San Diego, CA) taking seventh in 1:08.15. Senior Rachel Weinstein (Oak Harbor, WA) added to the depth of the event for the Bulldogs by taking third in the "B" final with a 1:10.58-showing.
The 100 Back saw similar performances for Redlands, as freshman Rachel Haney (Redmond, OR) filled the last spot of the podium with her third-place effort of 58.56. Freshman Danielle Miller (Hood River, OR) won the "B" final in 1:01.26, while junior Jane Kim (Sunnyvale, CA) came in fourth (1:01.59).
The 400 Medley Relay of Haney, Jaques, Robeznieks, and Waddell put together a fourth-place time of 3:57.57. In addition, Redlands' quartet of Miller, Thiltgen, Rock, and Harp combined efforts for a third-place time of 4:04.58 in the "B" final.
The Bulldogs' outstanding day also included top-eight performances on the women's three-meter board. Sophomore Jessica Kolsky (Red Wing, MN) finished fifth with 374.75 points, as senior Erica Pieramico (Oceanside, CA) closely followed in sixth with 372.10.
The final day of the SCIAC Championships takes place Sunday, February 22, at Whittier College.