GREG BARNETT
Sports Editor
Following a win in its first dual meet of the season against Cal State Northridge, the women’s swimming and diving team fell short by a score of 157-143 against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday afternoon.
“We’re always disappointed in a loss,” Head Coach Nick Rodionoff said. “It’s a meet we could have won, but January is just about getting ready for conference.”
The Waves and Mustangs split the 16 events with eight victories each. Pepperdine took first place in six swimming events and both diving events.
Senior Ali McLeod was the only Wave to capture two swimming events with victories in the 100-yard backstroke (59.48) and 100-yard butterfly (57.31).
Three other Waves took first-place honors. Freshman Kayleen Hicks took the 200-yard backstroke (2:26.39), senior Loriann Mark captured the 500-yard freestyle (5:09.50) and sophomore Dani Kimmel won the 100-yard backstroke (1:06.88).
“It’s one of my better times this season, and I feel I’m on track to do well at conference,” Kimmel said.
The relay team of freshman Franny Cyphers, junior Haley Wilson, McLeod and Kimmel claimed the final swimming event for the Waves by winning the 200-yard medley relay (1:50.27).
In the diving section of the meet, junior Amanda Pond took first place in both the 1-meter dive and 3-meter dive with scores of 217.95 and 219, respectively.
Pond said the three-hour bus ride and waiting for the end of the meet to dive didn’t help her performance but she was happy with her finish.
“The boards were really old and slippery,” she said. “I didn’t feel comfortable doing my reverse and a half on the 1-meter.”
The meet against the Mustangs was Pepperdine’s final dual meet of the season. The Waves will travel to Long Beach for the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference championships from Feb. 13-16. Pond said she thinks she has the experience and the confidence to compete and place well at conference.
“We’ve got three weeks to prepare and need to start practicing like it’s a meet everytime to get in the right mentality,” she said.
01-31-2008