2019 A3 Performance Invitational
- November 20-24, 2019
- Grand Junction, CO
- DAY 1 RESULTS
- DAY 2 RESULTS
Courtesy: Colorado Mesa Athletics
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University Swimming & Diving teams had another impressive day as they combined to win nine of the ten Thursday events while racking up 35 total national qualifying performances and another relay meet record to cap Day 2 of the A3 Performance Invitational, which continued here at the El Pomar Natatorium.
The Maverick men have won each of the seven events at the meet thus far, including all three relays with meet record times, and have opened a 243 point lead over second place Colorado School of Mines. The Mavs also racked up 24 more national qualifying marks on the day and have scored 636 points through eight contested events. Mines has 393 to easily out-pace the rest of the 5-team field.
Meanwhile, the Maverick women also claimed four victories and on the day and now have 519 points, good for a 228-point cushion over Mines, which is in second place with 291. Dixie State is third with 264 while Western is fourth in the 7-team field with 223.
Momentum is certainly in the Mavs’ favor as Lane Austin, Mahmoud Elgayar, Pedro Terres Illescas and Zander Minano won the day-ending 400-yard medley relay in three minutes, 16.19 seconds, 2.4 quicker than last year’s former meet record of 3:18.59. Thursday’s time also went well under the NCAA qualifying standard of 3:16.98.
Austin’s 100 backstroke split of 48.81 also surpassed the NCAA “B” standard.
Earlier, Elgayar won the 200 individual medley in 1:50.93 to join freshman teammate Ethan Fox (1:51.50) in setting NCAA “B” cut times. Both had also done that in the morning prelims. The Mavs also placed six of the top seven swimmers in the event, which along with the 1-meter diving, contested during the afternoon, was the CMU’s most complete domination.
On the diving board, Ammar Hassan won with 577.60 points as four different Mavs went over the national qualifying standard of 440. Noah Macomber finished second with 469.80 points after tallying 487.85 in the preliminary rounds.
Meanwhile, Chandler Livingston set his first NCAA marks of the season scoring 450.85 points to take third in the finals. Tanner Belliston also surpassed the necessary national qualifying standard with 441.10 points to finish fourth.
In the evening’s first event, the 500 free, sophomore Jackson Wuthrich won for the second straight day as he touched in 4:33.54 to lead a 1-2-3 Maverick sweep. The sophomore had won the 1,000 free on Wednesday.
Torsten Rau (4:34.12) and Logan Ellis (4:34.70) were right behind in the 500 with provisional national qualifying times as well.
Minano also claimed an individual win as he sprinted to the 50 free title in 20.56 seconds, just 0.02 off his better NCAA qualifying time of 20.54 in the morning preliminary session. Austin finished second in 20.69 after leading all qualifiers with a NCAA “B” cut time of 20.40 in the morning. George Durin also recorded an NCAA time of 20.74 in the prelims before taking sixth in the finals.
On the women’s side, the biggest highlight of the entire night came from Mines’ Mia Wood, who obliterated her own meet record while crushing a 3-year old pool record in the 500 free. She won the event by more than 14 seconds in 4:51.11, which was more than five seconds quicker than the former pool record of 4:56.11. Wood also bettered her own meet record of 4:56.77 and was more than four seconds quicker than the NCAA Automatic qualifying standard.
The race was quite fast overall as five other women in the championship final set NCAA “B” cut times, including Maverick sophomore Abbey Selin, who finished third in 5:07.75 after going slightly faster (5:06.85) in the morning preliminaries. Fellow CMU sophomore Robyn Naze also set an NCAA “B” Cut time of 5:09.06 to easily win the consolation heat and place ninth overall.
Maverick freshman Davy Brown then claimed the 200 IM in 2:05.90 to set her second of three total provisional qualifying time on the day. The Aspen product had been the top qualifier in 2:06.34. Candice Rosen (2:07.80) and Grace Payton (2:08.31) finished third and fourth, respectively.
Fellow Maverick freshman Bret Congdon then joined Brown in the winner’s circle and on the national qualifying list in the 50 free. She won the final in 23.91 as the Mavs took each of the top four places. Meanwhile, Lauren White finished second in the finals at 24.06 after setting a NCAA “B” cut time of 23.88 in the morning.
Natalie Saul (24.06) and Maddie Pressler (24.08) were right behind White in the finals.
Later, senior Brittany Dixon won the 3-meter diving competition with 478.20 points as the Mavs took each of the top four places. Sophomore Jolynn Harris also set her first NCAA qualifying mark as a Mav in the prelims, scoring 435.70 points before finishing second to Dixon in the finals with 397.45. Ali Lange (391.65) and Natalya Dahlke (376.25) finished third and fourth, respectively.
The Mavs then went 1-2 in the 400 medley relay to end the night with a big 74-point event. Brown, Samantha White, Rosen and Lauren White won in 3:47.35 while the “B” squad of Sarah Fillerup, Sydney Dolloff-Holt, Noel Scott and Pressler won their heat and finished second overall with a time of 3:51.85.
Brown’s 100 backstroke opening leg split of 56.47 seconds was also good for a NCAA provisional qualifying time.
Friday’s portion of the meet, which will include seven events for each gender, will begin with a 10 a.m. preliminary session with diving to follow. The finals session will begin at 5 p.m.
Courtesy: Colorado School of Mines Athletics
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Mia Wood smashed her own program and meet record to win the 500-free in an NCAA automatic qualifying time, Peyton Scherschel reset his Mines 50-free record, and the men’s 400-medley relay produced two program marks to highlight Day 2 of the A3 Performance Invitational at Colorado Mesa.
Wood laid down a quick 4:57.14 in the 500-free prelims, but slashed six seconds off that time to win in 4:51.11 in finals, stamping her ticket to NCAA Championships with her A standard time. Wood’s time was a Mines, meet, and pool record as she set the fastest time in NCAA Division II this year. Meghan Slowey added a fifth-place finish in 5:09.71, an NCAA B standard time, while three Orediggers made the B final as Olivia Lomax was 10th (5:14.33), Olivia Morley 12th (5:17.38), and Sam Henney 13th (5:19.16). April Wood swam in exhibition during prelims and laid down an NCAA B standard of 5:08.04.
In the 200-IM, Madeleine Oakley finished fifth in 2:09.39, with Nadia Smith (12th, 2:12.63) and Erin Taggart (14th, 2:13.03) making the B final. Maddie Finley led the Orediggers in the 50-free with a 24.36 time to place eighth. The 400-medley relay (Daphne Williams, Amanda Blickensderfer, Oakley, Mia Wood) was fourth in 3:57.45.
Scherschel highlighted the men’s day as he reset his program record in the 50-free during prelims. Scherschel swam a 20.53 in the morning (an NCAA B time) to shave a tenth off his school record of 20.62; he swam 20.74 in the evening to take third overall. Jerry Birnbaum also cracked 21 seconds in the final to place fifth in 20.84 as did Ian Kingsolver who was seventh at 20.90. Cobi Wood was 14th in 21.56.
The men’s 400-medley relay set a program record as Birnbaum, Scherschel, Burroughs, and Kingsolver put together a 3:18.50 to get under the meet record as well; they took nearly four seconds off the old Mines record of 3:22.24 set at the 2019 RMAC Championships. Birnbaum’s lead-off leg of 49.63 snapped Andrew Zerwick’s 2011 Mines record of 49.99.
In the men’s 500-free, freshman Josh Lee led the way with a fourth-place NCAA B time of 4:37.73 after a 4:40.09 prelims showing. He led out four Orediggers in the A final as Henry Oberley (4:42.34), Austin Rich (4:42.46), and Joe Peak (4:47.29) went 5-6-7 in the event. Chance Dodds (12th, 5:09.37) and Seamus Millett (14th, 5:24.32), while Cobi Wood swam a quick 4:42.92 in exhibition during prelims. Migus Wong was third in the 200-IM in a time of 1:52.77, with Charles Burroughs eighth overall in 1:56.32. Robert Clayton (11th, 1:57.50), Harry Smith (13th, 1:59.10), and Matthew Pollmiller (16th, 2:01.55) contested the B final.
Both Mines teams sit in second at the halfway point of the meet as the men have 393 points and the women 291.
Day 3 begins with 10 a.m. prelims on Friday, and finals will be at 6 p.m.
Courtesy: Dixie State Athletics
Dixie State broke three more school records and posted four NCAA “B” qualifying times during day two of the 2019 Colorado Mesa A3 Performance Invitational on Thursday at the CMU El Pomar Natatorium.
Through seven events of the four-day meet, DSU continues to stand in third place with 264 points, just 27 points behind second place Colorado School of Mines (291), while host CMU owns a commanding lead with 519 points overall.
Kelsea Wright accounted for two of DSU’s three school records and NCAA “B” times on the day, both of which came in the 500-yard freestyle. The sophomore first broke the record with an NCAA qualifying time of 5:04.10 (altitude adjusted) in the preliminaries, then bettered that result by nearly four seconds with a second-place event time of 5:00.30 (altitude adjusted).
Meanwhile, Maddie Corder also recorded an NCAA qualifying time with a sixth-place 5:04.71 (altitude adjusted; #4 all-time at DSU), and Portia Blackert followed in seventh place at 5:07.58 (altitude adjusted; #5 all-time at DSU).
In the 200 IM, senior Hannah Hansen shattered her previous school record by more than one second with a second place 2:04.92 (altitude adjusted), which also was an NCAA “B” qualifying mark. The senior also posted the third-fastest time in program history in that event at 2:06.89 (altitude adjusted) in the preliminary heats earlier in the day.
In addition, Miriam Gonzalez and Claire Kieffer tied for sixth place in the 50 free at 24.25, while the pair along with McKenzie Chesler and Kyrie Sutherland placed fifth-overall in the 400 medley relay at 3:58.97 (altitude adjusted; #6 all-time at DSU). In all, 11 top-10 all-time school marks were recorded on Thursday.
Day three of the CMU A3 Performance Invitational will begin Friday at 10 a.m., with the 400 IM preliminary heats.
Courtesy: Western Colorado Athletics
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Western Colorado swimming and diving hit the half way mark of the CMU A3 Invite as they finish day two of four of team scoring on Thursday night.
The Mountaineers currently sit in fourth place in the competition as No. 11 ranked Colorado Mesa starts to run away in the first place position. Western Colorado has earned 223 point over the two-day span, just 41 points away from Dixie State who sits in third with 264 points. Colorado Mesa leads with 519 points.
At the end of day one, the Mountaineers sat in fourth with 120 points.
The highlight of the meet so far, came when Arden Tesch smashed the Western Colorado 500 yard freestyle record by almost five seconds. Tesch swam a time of 5:08.56 in the finals to place her fourth overall. The previous record was 5:13.40 set by Frances Ivers back in 2015.
The top finish for the Mountaineers came from the 400 yard medley relay team as they earned a third place finish in a time of 3:55.55. On the team for the Mountaineers was Savannah Tice, Jordyn Richey, Rylee Denney, and Addison O’Donnell.
The Mountaineers are back in action on Friday morning as they look to improve their rank at the CMU A3 Invite. Check back in to GoMountaineers.com at the end for the meet for a full recap.
Courtesy: Western Colorado Athletics
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Western Colorado swimming and diving hit the half way mark of the CMU A3 Invite as they finish day two of four of team scoring on Thursday night.
The Mountaineers currently sit in fourth place in the competition as No. 11 ranked Colorado Mesa starts to run away in the first place position. Western Colorado has earned 223 point over the two-day span, just 41 points away from Dixie State who sits in third with 264 points. Colorado Mesa leads with 519 points.
At the end of day one, the Mountaineers sat in fourth with 120 points.
The highlight of the meet so far, came when Arden Tesch smashed the Western Colorado 500 yard freestyle record by almost five seconds. Tesch swam a time of 5:08.56 in the finals to place her fourth overall. The previous record was 5:13.40 set by Frances Ivers back in 2015.
The top finish for the Mountaineers came from the 400 yard medley relay team as they earned a third place finish in a time of 3:55.55. On the team for the Mountaineers was Savannah Tice, Jordyn Richey, Rylee Denney, and Addison O’Donnell.
The Mountaineers are back in action on Friday morning as they look to improve their rank at the CMU A3 Invite. Check back in to GoMountaineers.com at the end for the meet for a full recap.
Courtesy: CSU-Pueblo
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (November 21, 2019) – Behind a record-setting performance from Phoebe Pontious, Colorado State University-Pueblo Swimming & Diving remained in fifth place at the A3 Performance Invite at the El Pomar Natatorium.
Pontious (Sr., Caledonia, Mich.) entered the day with the school record of 24.46 in the 50 Free. In her prelim swim, Pontious matched this record to qualify for the finals. She returned to win the B final. Her time of 24.29 set a new school, breaking her old mark by .17 seconds. She took ninth overall in the event.
There was a span of six hours where Pontious lost her school record in the 50 Free. Selina Wang (Fr., Taipei, Taiwan) achieved a school record of 24.45 in the prelims.
Julia Whitfield (So., Wichita, Kan.) just missed out on the finals in the 50 Free. She finished 17th with a time of 24.67, .02 seconds off the pace for the finals.
Mckenna Hauber (Fr., Gillette, Wyo.) took 11th in the 500 Free. She posted a career-best 5:15.14.
Sarah Steele (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) placed seventh in the three-meter dive. Steele scored 275.20 points. She added 12 points to the team score.
Jillian Abrian (Fr., Ladera Ranch, Calif.) posted the Pack’s best time in the 200 IM. Abrian’s time of 2:18.91 earned her 29th place.
The Pack also took seventh in the 400 medley relay. The team of Hauber, Pontious, Kate Miller (Jr. Draper, Utah), and Bristyn Croswhite (Jr., Tempe, Ariz.)
CSU-Pueblo has 142 points overall. The A3 Performance Invite continues Friday at 10 a.m.
Go Nicoleeeeeeeee