Pepperdine divers will compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships from Feb. 12-14
The Pepperdine Waves swimming and diving team had a Senior Day victory on Jan. 27.
The squad beat the Azusa Pacific Cougars 196-99 at Pepperdine’s Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool. Senior swimmers Ellie Hendren and Tay Thomas, and diver Anna Johnson were celebrated during the contest.
Waves head coach Ellie Monobe in a statement said she is proud that the Waves garnered a Senior Day triumph.
“I think this team swims with a lot of heart and it was seen in how our seniors swam today,” she said. “All in all, these women are on track for a very exciting finish as we head into the postseason.”
Hendren swam a season-best 10:48.70 in the 1000 free, and Thomas won the 200 fly in 2:09.42. She didn’t place in the 100 fly, but it was the “grittiest” performance of her career in the event, noted Monobe. Johnson finished in third place in the 1-meter diving competition and placed fourth in the 3-meter diving competition.
The Waves had seven other first-place finishes in swimming events including sophomore Lexi Haymart finishing the 1000 free in 10:46.86, and sophomore AJ Adams completing the 200 free in 1:55.15 and the 500 free in 5:09.82. Sophomore Kylie Taylor topped the 100 back in 58.09. Junior Alexandra Browne completed the 50 free in 24.25, and in the 100 free, sophomore Anna Ryan finished first in 53.57. Sophomore Lindsay Hemming finished the 200 back in 2.07.93, and sophomore Ari Yeh finished the 100 fly in 59.56.
Taylor, Browne, and freshmen Sydney Abild and Layla Busquets placed first in the 200 medley relay. Pepperdine also had eight second-place finishes.
The Waves had top-four placements in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competitions. Sophomore Delainey Pisaruk scored 234.10 points in the 1-meter. Sophomore Amanda Wong tallied 231.15; junior Lexie Martin scored 224.85; and Johnson scored 220.20 in the same event. Martin tallied 247.28 points; Wong scored 243.08; Johnson rang up 226.65; and Pisaruk scored 216.83 in the 3-meter.
Pepperdine participated in the non-scored UCSB Invite on Feb. 3. The event featured swimmers from UCSB and Pacific also. Junior swimmer Jessica Calderoni’s times of 2:13.33 in the 200 IM and 24.84 in the 50 free were the top performances for the Waves at the competition.
Monobe said Pepperdine was successful.
“Improvement was seen across the field after racing some tough conference opponents, which reinforces the hard work that these athletes have put in this season,” she said.
The Waves divers will compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships in Mission Viejo from Feb. 12-14.