Hawaii Sweeps Men’s and Women’s Titles at Big West Championships
The University of Hawaii men’s and women’s swim teams earned Big West Conference championships over the weekend, pulling away after four days of electric racing. Grand Canyon University finished second on the men’s side, with UC San Diego coming in third. In the women’s meet, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara finished second and third, respectively.
Wednesday
UC Santa Barbara got things started with a bang, as the team of Hazel Derr, Ashley Ray, Makena Leacox and Miranda Stevenson finished in 1:37.69 in the 200 medley relay. The University of Hawaii got the win on the men’s side with the team of Karol Ostrowski, Tom Caps, Jack Simon and Finn Brophy coming in with a time of 1:24.48.
UC San Diego was victorious in the women’s 800 freestyle relay, the team of Asia Kozan, Sydney Niles, Sophia Bell and Edana Huang winning in 7:11.42. Hawaii then earned its second men’s win, as Adam Zdybel, Regan Richardson, Victor Dagenais and Tom Thalau came in at 6:23.63 in the 800 free relay.
Thursday
UC San Diego picked up right where it left off Wednesday night, as Kozan won the 500 free in 4:45.65 and freshman Landon Egeland took the men’s race (4:20.98). Both swims were conference championship records. The Tritons’ big night continued in the 200 I.M, as junior Eve Boehlke won in a championship record 1:57.43. Hawaii got on the board on the men’s side, with Thalau winning the 200 IM in 1:43.93.
The Rainbow Warriors earned crucial points in the 50 free, where Holly Nelson (22.28) and Ostrowski (19.13) took victory. Ostrowski’s time set a new conference championship record. Nelson turned things around quickly to help Hawaii win the 200 free relay, alongside teammates Quincy Key, Alexia Kovaluk and Zofia Tyminska. Their time of 1:29.39 was a conference championship record. Ostrowski, Brophy, Aleks Tomaszewski and Richardson won on the men’s side with a time of 1:17.24.
Friday
Boehlke got Friday night started with yet another championship record, winning the 100 butterfly in 52.79. Cal State Bakersfield then earned its first win of the meet, as Vili Sivec won on the men’s side (45.91). UC Davis earned its first individual win in the 400 IM, as freshman Ella Ackerman finished in 4:15.47. Thalau won his second individual race among the men, coming in with a time of 3:47.09.
Kozan got UC San Diego on the board with a win in the 200 free, with Dagenais earning a win for the Hawaii men (1:34.77). UCSD’s Chloe Braun won the women’s 100 breast in 58.95, while Grand Canyon’s Carter Dooling took victory on the men’s side(52.69). The Tritons continued to roll in women’s action, with Maggie O’Connell giving her school a win in the 100 back (53.81). Ostrowski took the 100 back on the men’s side, with a time of 46.16.
The team of Boehlke, Braun, O’Connell, and Kozan helped UC San Diego finish strong, winning the 400 medley relay (3:35.48). In men’s competition, Grand Canyon delivered its first relay win, as the team of Alex Volkov, Dooling, Jasu Ovaskainen and Guillermo Carrey touched in 3:07.69.
Saturday
UC San Diego began the meet’s final day with a big win, as sophomore Sydney Wilson prevailed in the 1650 free in 16:36.45. Grand Canyon sophomore Jacob Pins then took the men’s title, finishing in 15:17.54.
Boehlke started the night session with another championship record, claiming the 200 backstroke in 1:56.37. Senior Luigi Franco kept things rolling for UCSD, taking the men’s 200 back in 1:43.19. The Rainbow Warriors swept the 100 freestyle in response, with Nelson (48.67) and Ostrowski (42.41) both victorious. Ostrowski’s time broke his own conference championship record from a year ago. Braun won the 200 breaststroke on the women’s side (2:12.19) and Dooling was victorious in the men’s 200 breast (1:54.56).
UC San Diego picked up another win when senior Samantha Banos won the 200 fly (1:56.44). Sivec then secured a sweep of the butterfly events, winning the men’s 200 distance in 1:42.37. The night ended on the women’s side with a win for UC Santa Barbara, as a team of Miranda Stevenson, Gretta Callison, Eugenie Lanilis, and Banos won the 400 free relay in a conference record 3:18.32. Hawaii made it two conference championship records in the last two races, as the team of Brophy, Thalau, Dagenais and Ostrowski closed the meet with a time of 2:52.19.
Women’s Team Standings
1. Hawaii – 798
2. UC Davis – 692
3. UC Santa Barbara – 660
4. UC San Diego – 644
5. San Diego – 350
6. Cal State Bakersfield – 172
7. Seattle U – 157
Men’s Team Standings
1. Hawaii – 780
2. GCU – 728
3. UC San Diego – 571
4. UC Santa Barbara – 568
5. Cal State Bakersfield – 379.5
6. Seattle – 273.5
