NAU vs Utah Tech (Women)
- January 26-27, 2024
- Flagstaff, Ariz.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: NAU Athletics
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 27, 2024) – The Northern Arizona Swimming and Diving team closed out a two-day meet with a sweep of WAC-opponent Utah Tech by a score of 190-87.
“Today was another great day of racing,” head coach Andy Johns said. “We had some outstanding times and we’re in a great spot [going into the WAC Championships]. I’m proud of everyone and it’s a great way to send off our seniors.”
The meet began with the Lumberjack team of Annie Carlton, Cydnie Perkins, Elsa Musselman and Sarah Dorrheim breaking the previous pool record in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3:43.48. The previous record was set by Boise State on Jan. 24, 2020, with a time 3:44.17.
In the 1,000-yard freestyle, Casey Craffey set the pool record with a time of 10:03.32, shaving 10 seconds off the previous pool record set by Kirsten Jacobsen from Arizona, who owned the previous time of 10:13.32. Craffey would also set a pool record with her split at the 500-yard mark, recording a time of 4:56.76. She would then go on to break her own 500-yard freestyle pool record with a time of 4:55.25. The previous record was held by NAU’s Monique King with a time of 4:57.65, set on Nov. 16, 2018.
Maddy Rey came in first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.98. In the 400-yard individual medley — another pool record previously set by NAU’s Niamh McDonagh on Nov. 16, 2018 with a time of 4:31.58 — would also be broken by Rey with a time of 4:30.91.
Utah Tech’s Eleonore Rembert won the 50-yard backstroke and would break NAU’s pool record with a time of 25.91. Rembert would also go on to win the 100-yard backstroke.
Caylah Jago came in first in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 55.11.
Elsa Musselman won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.75. Musselman would also come in first place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.46. Musselman would also break the pool record in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:05.21, breaking Boise State’s Kaitlyn McCoy’s time of 2:05.83 set on Jan. 25, 2020.
To close out the weekend and the last swimming event at Wall Aquatic Center this season, the Lumberjack relay team of Annie Carlton, Bena Koehn, Sarah Dorrheim and Sophie Velitchkov broke the pool record in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:34.47. The previous record was held by NAU set on Nov. 16, 2018, with a time of 1:34.57.
The Lumberjack diving team also showcased a synchronized exhibition today.
Up next for the Lumberjacks, diving will be back at Wall Aquatic Center as they host the Lumberjack Diving Invite from Feb. 8-10. Both squads will be back together again for the WAC Championships in Pharr, Texas from Feb. 28-March 2.
Courtesy: Utah Tech Athletics
Utah Tech combined to break three more school records, one pool record, and claimed four event victories on day two of the Trailblazers’ two-team dual meet at Northern Arizona on Saturday at the NAU Wall Aquatic Center.
Senior Skyler Lyon accounted for two of the event wins by sweeping both the 50 and 100-yard breaststroke races. Lyon shattered the 50 breast school record by more than a second and a half with a winning time of 29.21, then posted the seventh-fastest 100 breast time in program history with a 1:02.64 (altitude adjusted). She would later clock a season-best time in the 200 IM with a fourth-place 2:10.73 (altitude adjusted).
Fellow senior Eleonore Rembert followed suit with a pair of victories of her own, first in the 50 backstroke with an NAU pool record time of 25.91. Rembert would later claim victory in the 100 back with a season-best 54.78 (altitude adjusted).
Two more school records fell on Saturday, including freshman Cera Mallory besting the 1,000 free record by more than seven seconds with a runner-up time of 10:06.78 (altitude adjusted). Mallory also posted the second-fastest 500 free time in Utah Tech history with a third-place 4:57.36 (altitude adjusted).
Sophomore Tavia Stemmons etched her name atop the school’s 50 fly record list as she sprinted to a runner-up time of 26.22. In fact, a trio of Trailblazer swimmers jumped into the top-three all-time in that event as senior Danyael Cuison clocked the second-fastest time in program history (26.28) to place third overall, and freshman Abigail Hill finished fifth with the third-fastest mark (26.53). Hill would also place second in the 100 fly (56.47 (altitude adjusted).
In addition, Utah Tech recorded runner-up showings in both relays, as the team of Rembert, Lyon, Hill and junior Mandy Farnum combined for the fourth-fastest 400 medley relay time in school history at 3:44.97 (altitude adjusted).
Then in the final event of the meet, Rembert, Stemmons, sophomore Natalia Zmierczak and Farnum swam to place second finish in the 200 free (1:36.80).
“This was a great day for our team – we are so proud of their effort and their racing against a great opponent,” said Utah Tech Head Coach Shawn King. “We are feeling excited for the progress that we have made as a team through this point in the season. The ladies have done a great job preparing themselves to compete at the highest level and feel that their work will continue to show next month at the WAC championship meet.”
Utah Tech will close out the 2023-24 regular season on Friday, Feb. 16, when the Trailblazers travel to Las Vegas to swim at the UNLV First Chance Invite.