Photo courtesy: Steven D. Photography
By Lileana Pearson, Swimming World College Intern
NAIA Swimming has put forth another outstanding season. Winter training provided swimmers with some of the most difficult practices they’ve ever endured. Teams are fully focused on NAIA Championships and swimmers have their minds set on tapering well and attaining individual Championship cuts.
NAIA Top Times:
Freestyle:
David Lambert from Saint Andrews has made a sudden appearance in a number of freestyle events this past week. The junior originally from Winter Haven, Florida will be making a splash this season as he progresses within the NAIA division. Another freestyle swimmer to make a new appearance in several events is Eugenia Sebastiani from Caracas, Venezuela. Only a freshman, Sebastiani is racking up personal bests and flourishing through the season.
50 Freestyle Men:
1. David Lambert, Saint Andrews, 20.07
2. Logan Lassley, Oklahoma Baptist, 20.59
3. Nathan Lethbridge, Union, 20.80
4. Josiah Morales, Wayland Baptist, 20.84
5. Marc Sambolin, Oklahoma Baptist, 20.86
100 Freestyle Men:
1. Daniel Ramirez, Oklahoma Baptist, 44.96
2. David Lambert, Saint Andrews, 45.26
3. Simon Pheasant, Olivet Nazarene, 45.57
4. Marc Sambolin, Oklahoma Baptist, 45.89
5. Joel Ax, SCAD, 45.90
200 Freestyle Men:
1. Joel Ax, SCAD, 1:40.35
2. Vladislav Khoroletc, Cumberland, 1:41.66
3. Javier Sossa, Oklahoma Baptist, 1:42.63
4. Matheus Montarroyos, West Virginia Tech, 1:42.71
5. Martino Cervera, Concordia, 1:42.47
500 Freestyle Men:
1. Joel Ax, SCAD, 4:30.52
2. Matheus Montarroyos, West Virginia Tech, 4:37.95
3. Dalton Baxter, Union, 4:38.67
4. Bradley Moore, Union, 4:38.77
5. Martino Cervera, Concordia, 4:39.90
1000 Freestyle Men:
1. Joel Ax, SCAD, 9:37.77
2. Sam Bourgma, Olivet Nazarene, 9:42.33
3. Hunter Sa-Nguansap, Concordia, 9:54.93
4. Laszlo Perlaky, Concordia, 9:55.58
5. Charles Bennett, Olivet Nazarene, 9:58.27
1650 Freestyle Men:
1. Joel Ax, SCAD, 15:45.50
2. Dalton Baxter, Union, 16:13.81
3. Bradley Moore, Union, 16:15.00
4. Joshua Bouma, Olivet Nazarene, 16:28.60
5. Ryan Caverly, Concordia, 16:30.39
50 Freestyle Women:
1. Megan Leckich, Concordia, 22.49
2. Callie Harrigan, Union, 23.87
3. Laura Galarza, Oklahoma Baptist, 24.07
4. Eugenia Tofano, Olivet Nazarene, 24.17
5. Christine Tixier, Biola, 24.21
100 Freestyle Women:
1. Callie Harrigan, Union, 51.26
2. Laura Galarza, Oklahoma Baptist, 52.31
3. Eugenia Tofano, Olivet Nazarene, 53.26
4. Melissa Peplinski, Cumberland, 53.30
200 Freestyle Women:
1. Callie Harrigan, Union, 1:52.12
2. Courtney Hayward, Brenau, 1:54.29
3. Charlotte Parent, Cumberland, 1:54.58
4. Haley Thompson, SCAD, 1:55.88
500 Freestyle Women:
1. Caroline Lepesant, SCAD, 5:03.04
2. Courtney Hayward, Brenau, 5:03.88
3. Baliee Blankemeier, Concordia, 5:05.13
4. Callie Harrigan, Union, 5:07.17
1000 Freestyle Women:
1. Caroline Lepesant, SCAD, 10:25.92
2. Courtney Hayward, Brenau, 10:41..47
3. Laura Bryant, Olivet Nazarene, 10:47.16
4. Rebecca Justus, SCAD, 10:50.12
1650 Freestyle Women:
1. Courtney Hayward, Brenau, 17:02.72
2. Caroline Lepesant, SCAD, 17:29.65
3. Grace Van Ryckeghem, Cumberland, 17:42.84
4. Ella Kleinschmidt, Brenau, 18:09.73
Backstroke:
Jacqueline Anderson has an impressive past in the NAIA. He has three school records to his name and led his team to a third place finish at last season’s NAIA. Anderson is another Olivet Nazarene swimmer powering on to the final Championships. On the female side, Lindenwood-Bellville boasts Hristina Krasteva, a freestyle and backstroke swimmer. The freshman from Pinellas Park, Florida is taking the 100 back by storm and is projected to make the top five in the 200 back as well.
100 Backstroke Men:
1. Georgi Krastev, Saint Andrews, 49.47
2. Karl Hegwein, SCAD, 50.92
3. Daniel Ramirez, Oklahoma Baptist, 51.12
4. Jacqueline Anderson, Olivet Nazarene, 51.35
5. Vladislav Khoroletc, Cumberland, 51:48
200 Backstroke Men:
1. Vladislav Khoroletc, Cumberland, 1:50.91
2. Georgi Krastev, Saint Andrews, 1:51.44
3. Jacqueline Anderson, Olivet Nazarene, 1:51.88
4. Tyler Prescott, SCAD, 1:51.90
5. Karl Hegwein, SCAD, 1:52.02
100 Backstroke Women:
1. Talia Sola, Brenau 56.76
2. MacKenzie Anderson, Olivet Nazarene, 58.70
3. Ines Remersaro, Oklahoma Baptist, 59.41
4. Hristina Krasteva, Lindenwood-Bellville, 59.45
5. Julie Woody, SCAD, 59.50
200 Backstroke Women:
1. Talia Sola, Brenau, 2:02.08
2. Ines Remersaro, Oklahoma Baptist, 2:05.60
3. Diana Tobo, Emmanuel, 2:05.86
4. Tiffany Ray, Olivet Nazarene, 2:06.60
5. Brittany Litke, Cumberland, 2:08.60
Breaststroke:
Olivet Nazarene athlete Calvin Price is an international student from Grahamstown, South Africa. Price holds a solid third place in the 100 breast and is expected to drop more time at the NAIA Championships. Likewise, Jule Stein from Union is holding an impressive number 2 slot in the 100 breast and is less than two seconds from doing the same in the 200 breast. Both Stein and Price possess the strength to blow through the remainder of the season with gusto.
100 Breaststroke Men:
1. Hunter Sa-Nguansap, Concordia, 56.12
2. Fernando Morillas, Oklahoma Baptist, 56.42
3. Calvin Price, Olivet Nazarene, 57.13
4. Ryan Frayne, Saint Andrews, 57.74
5. Marc Tahull, Cumberland, 57.90
200 Breaststroke Men:
1. Hunter Sa-Nguansap, Concordia, 1:59.85
2. Fernando Morillas, Oklahoma Baptist, 2:03.47
3. Marc Tahull, Cumberland, 2:06.23
4. Ryan Frayne, Saint Andrews, 2:06.35
5. Elliot Boon, Saint Andrews, 2:06.65
100 Breaststroke Women:
1. Chrstine Tixier, Biola, 1:04.93
2. Jule Stein, Union, 1:06.68
3. Mary Katherine Jabbia, Brenau, 1:07.39
4. Kendra Monnin, West Virginia Tech, 1:07.63
5. Michelle Billeaud, Brenau, 1:07.81
200 Breaststroke Women:
1. Kendra Monnin, West Virginia Tech, 2:23.21
2. Lisa Tixier, Biola, 2:23.90
3. Jule Stein, Union, 2:25.09
4. Safiyyah Abdullah, Columbia College, 2:27.24
5. Jessica Wilson, Concordia, 2:27.35
Butterfly:
Geoffroy Gauneau is a phenomenal student-athlete from West Virginia Tech, who leaves everything he has in the pool and busts his way into the rankings. Freshman Lisa Tixier from Biola is making sure she enters NAIA swimming with a bang. Currently ranked in a number of events, she is projected to surpass her older sister who is a two-time record holder in the 100 fly. Lisa Tixier strives for an amazing first season as she begins her college swimming career.
100 Butterfly Men:
1. Hunter Sa-Nguansap, Concordia, 49.75
2. Nathan Lethbridge, Union, 49.84
3. Igor Dozortsev, Cumberland, 50.28
4. Marc Sambolin, Oklahoma Baptist, 50.32
5. Sebastian Wegner, Lindenwood-Bellville, 50.53
200 Butterfly Men:
1. Daniel Ramirez, Oklahoma Baptist, 1:51.38
2. Frank Tapia, Olivet Nazarene, 1:51.78
3. Joel Ax, SCAD, 1:51.81
4. Igor Dozortsey, Cumberland, 1:52.75
5. Geoffroy Gauneau, West Virginia Tech, 1:53.25
100 Butterfly Women:
1. Christine Tixier, Biola, 56.29
2. Charlotte Parent, Cumberland, 58.58
3. Michelle Billeaud, Brenau, 57.92
4. Laura Galarza, Oklahoma Baptist, 58.10
5. Francine Meyer, West Virginia Tech, 58.22
200 Butterfly Women:
1. Christian Tixier, Biola, 2:07.46
2. Baliee Blankemeier, Concordia, 2:04.20
3. Heidi Zuniga, Azusa Pacific, 2:07.96
4. Mikala Nelson, Concordia, 2:08.19
IM:
Camilo Orrego Mendosa from Emmanuel hold two number 4 rankings in both IM events. Mendosa is dropping huge amounts of time as he strives for best times and school records. Making appearances in other events, but truly shining in the IM, Charlotte Parent from Cumberland is in a solid position to climb the ranks.
200 IM Men:
1. Hunter Sa-Nguansap, Concordia, 1:51.42
2. Joel Ax, SCAD, 1:53.13
3. Marc Tuhall, Cumberland, 1:53.27
4. Camillo Orrego Mendoza, Emmanuel, 1:54.01
5. Ryan Frayne, Saint Andrews, 1:55.25
400 IM Men:
1. Hunter Sa-Nguansap, Concordia, 3:58.91
2. Joel Ax, SCAD, 4:01.11
3. Joseph Brinkman, Cumberland, 4:04.63
4. Camillo Orrego Mendoza, Emmanuel, 4:04.65
5. Ryan Frayne, Saint Andrews, 4:05.42
200 IM Women:
1. Charlotte Parent, Cumberland, 2:06.40
2. Lisa Tixier, Biola, 2:07.03
3. Laura Stephenson, Lindsey Wilson, 2:08.82
4. Bailee Blankemeier, Concordia, 2:09.06
5. Kendra Monnin, West Virginia Tech, 2:10.43
400 IM Women:
1. Lisa Tixier, Biola, 4:29.37
2. Christine Tixier, Biola, 4:30.27
3. Charlotte Parent, Cumberland, 4:32.26
4. Courtney Hayward, Brenau, 4:33.71
5. Bailee Blankemeier, Concordia, 4:37.44
Relays:
Once again, Saint Andrews is proving over and over again that they have what it takes to dominate in the relay portion of the meets. With only two months left until NAIA Championships, Saint Andrews appears in the top rankings of almost every relay event on both the men’s and women’s side. It will take quite a performance from another team to knock them from the top five rankings.
200 Freestyle Relay Men:
1. Saint Andrews, 1:23.49
2. Olivet Nazarene, 1:24.35
3. SCAD, 1:24.49
4. Concordia, 1:24.87
5. Oklahoma Baptist, 1:25.19
400 Freestyle Relay Men:
1. Olivet Nazarene, 3:03.73
2. SCAD, 3:06.59
3. Cumberland, 3:07.24
4. West Virginia Tech, 3:07.50
5. Saint Andrews, 3:07.71
800 Freestyle Relay Men:
1. Cumberland, 6:56.47
2. Olivet Nazarene, 6:56.68
3. West Virginia Tech, 6:59.37
4. Union, 7:00.98
5. Oklahoma Baptist, 7:01.50
200 Medley Relay Men:
1. Saint Andrews, 1:32.47
2. Olivet Nazarene, 1:34.55
3. Concordia, 1:34.20
4. SCAD, 1:35.05
5. Cumberland, 1:37.79
400 Medley Relay Men:
1. Olivet Nazarene, 3:23.27
2. Saint Andrews, 3:26.17
3. Cumberland, 3:27.41
4. Oklahoma Baptist, 3:27.68
5. Wayland Baptist, 3:29.53
200 Freestyle Relay Women:
1. Biola, 1:37.41
2. Oklahoma Baptist, 1:38.00
3. Cumberland, 1:38.08
4. Concordia, 1:39.49
400 Freestyle Relay Women:
1. Cumberland, 3:32.88
2. Biola, 3:33.41
4. Lindenwood-Belleville, 3:34.01
5. Oklahoma Baptist, 3:34.88
800 Freestyle Relay Women:
1. Cumberland, 7:46.57
2. Biola, 7:50.90
3. SCAD, 7:52.47
4. Concordia, 7:54.36
200 Medley Relay Women:
1. Biola, 1:47.23
2. Brenau, 1:49.27
3. Cumberland, 1:49.94
4. Union, 1:50.23
400 Medley Relay Women:
1. Biola, 3:57.87
2. Cumberland, 3:58.63
3. Brenau, 3:58.88
4. Union, 4:01.20
5. Concordia, 4:02.68
Coming Up Next In NAIA:
Competition is now underway after the conclusion of training trips. With December training paying off, swimmers are coming in full force. This week you will see competition between Emmanuel College and Limestone College on January 24. They will be swimming outside the NAIA division, and are sure to display some fast swimming against formidable competition. Swimming twice this weekend, the young Lindenwood-Bellville team swims at the Lindenwood Quad on the January 23 and at the Principia College Invitational on the 24th. A lot more is happening this weekend and teams are gearing up with NAIA Championships at the forefront of their minds.
Azuza Pacific is no longer an NAIA school. they are now NCAA Division II.
Thanks, Eric. Azusa Pacific has been removed from the article.