Press Release Courtesy Pacific Athletics:
STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will open the 2017-18 season this weekend as the men’s team will host California on Friday before joining the women’s team at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday. Friday’s dual meet will begin at 12:00 pm.
“Cal has been ranked among the top two teams in the country for the last few years. Our focus is on NCAA’s and we will have to swim against the best in order to prepare ourselves for that,” said head coach Peter Richardson.
The women’s team returns a majority of last season’s squad as they only welcome six newcomers. Heading this year’s recruiting class is Kathleen Gani, she will be joined by Alexis Albanese, Kendall Bromley, Skylar Elkington, Savannah Fitzgerald and Elina Rosario.
Richardson will look to Kenna Ramey, Taylor Hosmer, Lauren Atkins and Brigid McNally to lead this year’s women’s team. Ramey matched her third-ranked all-time finish in the 50 Free with a time of 22.91, while also holding spots among the top-10 all-time in the 100 Free (50.77) and the 100 Fly (52.57). Ramey was also a member of the record-tying 1:31.73 finish in the 200 Free Relay team, which included fellow returners, Becca Aguilar and Cai Hong Singh.
Hosmer had team-bests in the 200 Free (1:49.28) and the 500 Free (4:51.20) last season. Those marks also placing her name on Pacific’s top-10 list as well as her finish in the 200 Fly (2:01.64). Atkins and McNally will highlight the distance program as they both recorded top-five finishes last season in the 500 Free, 1,000 Free and 1650 Free.
The men’s team has added 15 newcomers to this year’s team to replace nine seniors who have exhausted their eligibility. Mason Miller, a transfer out of University at Buffalo will be one to watch this season as his current times in the 100 Fly, 100 Free, and 50 Free rank among the best -ever at Pacific.
“This year’s men’s team is the fastest and deepest the program has ever had,” added Richardson.
Top returners include Yahav Shahaf, Miles MacKenzie, Stewart Harrison and Makoa Haneberg. Shahaf, in his sophomore year, finished in the top 40 in both the 100 Breast and the 50 Free at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. He also set new program records in the 50 Free (19.61), 100 Breast (52.62) and the 200 Breast (1:58.26).
MacKenzie is a member of the program’s top 200 Free, 400 Free and 800 Free relay teams. Individually, McKenzie ranks second all-time in the 200 Free (1:36.19), third in the 100 Free (44.08), and fourth in both the 50 Free (20.18) and the 500 Free (4:46.44).
Heneberg holds the program record in the 100 Back (47.50) and Stewart Harrison set the best-ever time in the 100 Fly (47.64), both of which were set during the 2016-17 season.
Recently hired to head the Pacific diving program is Hannah Prigge. Prigge was a two-time NCAA diving qualifier and set a number of program records while competing for the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Divers for this season will include Albanese, Isabelle Huynh, Irene Kuang, Lillian Sam, Devin Wofford and Lucas Hastie. Hastie will be serving double duty this season as he is also a member of the Pacific Men’s Water Polo team.
The Tigers will start their home season at the end of this month with the annual Pacific Invitational, which is set for Friday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m.
Make sure to follow Pacific swimming on Twitter with the username @PacTigersH2O and on Instagram at pacificswimteam.