ALISO VIEJO, Calif. --- Head Coach
Emily Mosbacher's Biola Swim & Dive program seems to be peaking at a very good time. The women's side was so strong on Saturday that it won the SOKA Invitational outright, and the men also earned a top-4 placing with some strong swims.
Women's Swim & Dive combined for 362 total points to lead a field that included Azusa Pacific, Redlands, Occidental, SOKA and Concordia-Irvine. The combined total of points between the men and women's teams had Biola second in a field of six teams. Redlands won the invitational in the combined category.
"Strong swims today from the start of the meet through the very end. The team consistently performed season-bests throughout the day," said Mosbacher. "All in all, it was definitely an encouraging day and once again affirmed that we are right where we want to be at this point in the season."
The women's team claimed eight new national qualifying times with strong efforts out of
Bethany Harper (100-backstroke – 1:01.59),
Lisa Tixier (100-backstroke – 1:00.66),
Emily Silzel (100-breaststroke – 1:10.47, 200-IM – 2:15.17), Lilly Barrett (200-butterfly – 2:18.21),
Sammy Dammann (200-butterfly – 2:15.74) and
Rachel Stinchcomb (500-freestyle – 5:25.49, 200-IM – 2:17.35).
"We added two more people to the nationals group with several more within hundredths of a second away," said Mosbacher.
Outside of the fantastic individual performances the women's relays were once again very strong and helped lift the team to its invitational victory. The Eagles got victories in the 200-medley relay (Harper, Stinchcomb,
Rebecca Brandt, Tixier – 1:54.36) and the 400-fresstyle relay (Silzel, Grace Tan, Brandt, Tixier – 3:41.75).
Tixier was the only women's individual to earn an event win. She took the 100-freestyle title with a :53.68. She edged the second-place swimmer from Redlands by almost two full seconds.
Raymond Kam again cleaned up on the guy's side. The freshman sensation won the individual title in the 100-breaststroke (1:00.49) and the 200-breaststroke (2:12.88).
He continues to impress in his first season of collegiate competition and will look to lead the men to improved finishes over the rest of the season. The season continues when the Eagles head to the La Verne Winter Invite during the first week of December. This meet is traditionally the biggest event of the fall season for BU as many student-athletes make the push for nationals cuts.
"We are right where we want to be at this point in the season as we lead up to our Winter Invite the first week in December. We are expecting great things," said Mosbacher.
