Grand Canyon Opens Home Schedule With Wins Over Arizona Christian, Ottawa & Simon Fraser

Grand Canyon vs Arizona Christian vs Ottawa (AZ) vs Simon Fraser

• November 2, 2024
• Phoenix, Arizona
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results
• Team Scores

Courtesy: GCU Athletics

Grand Canyon came out on top this weekend with dominant home wins in all five of the dual matchups Friday and Saturday.

A few members of the Lopes swam off events to get times on the season. Some stuck to their usual events as GCU won men’s and women’s dual meets against Arizona Christian and Ottawa (Arizona). The men also defeated Simon Fraser 198-117 in the closest competition.

GCU junior Paula Martinez Moreno had an impressive 100-yard butterfly time of 54.57 seconds, which was a half-second from the pool record at Fr Edward A. Reese Aquatic Center.

Lopes freshman Batu Servi had an impressive 500 freestyle, touching at a season-best 4 minutes 30.16 seconds, a time that ranks second in the WAC.

GCU senior Sam Jennings came back from injury with a strong 200 backstroke time of 1:47.02.

Sophomore teammate Jasu Ovaskainen had a butterfly time of 48.76 seconds, just under his season best.

Senior Maria Brunlehner continues to be an elite swimmer for the Lopes. On Friday, Brunlehner had a 100 freestyle time of 51.02 seconds, coming off illness to still win the race.

GCU junior Marta Guasp (5:07.59) had a strong 500 freestyle, along with sophomore Summer Dean (5:07.74).

Elisa Corradi, in her second season with the Lopes, had an impressive 100 butterfly time of 56.45 seconds, an event she does not normally swim.

Saturday’s action included a fast 50 freestyle from senior Atu Ambala at 21.11 seconds.

The women’s 200 freestyle from Guasp (1:53.11) and Martinez Moreno (1:53.68) were both significant times from the day. Martinez Moreno also had a strong 200 butterfly of 2:03.71.

GCU junior Eli Cohen posted an impressive split of 8.7 seconds in the 200 freestyle relay.

Mario Perez, a junior transfer, touched at 20.47 seconds to take first place for the Lopes.

In the 1,000 freestyle, Servi and freshman Easton Mousser took first and third place, respectively, with times of 9:29.23 and 9:29.74.

The Lopes will host Air Force next Friday and Saturday at Fr Edward A. Reese Aquatic Center.

This weekend’s team scores can be found here.

Courtesy: ACU Firestorm

Phoenix, AZ.- Just one week after shaking the rust off, the Firestorm women’s swim team competed against largely D1 and D2 swimmers at Brophy High School, and came away with improved times, and a multitude of provisional marks for NAIA rankings.

Head Coach Brad Hering said, “It was good to have swims against some very fast swimmers. Also, the weather was just right for better swims! I am very proud of this team for their character and team unity.”

Of the many national marks, three currently reside in the top ten for the NAIA. Sophomore Callie Drefs swam the 200-yard freestyle in 1:59.04, and now ranks 9^th in the nation.  Freshman Elle Moir continues to impress in her first college campaign swimming the 50 Freestyle in 25.20 to place her 10^th nationally.  Finally, senior Eva Garraux, as she begins her quest to become a repeat All-American flew through her 100 Butterfly in 59.98 which places here currently as 8^th in the nation.

In addition to these individual performances, three out of four relay teams are also now currently ranked in the NAIA top 10 as well, 200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, and the 200 Medley.

In a final reflection on the meet Coach Hering said, “We are approaching mid-season, and the best is yet to come! We are grateful for the privilege to swim, and we are trusting God for even better swims to come!”

Event Details

•  Location: Brophy College Prep HS (Phoenix, AZ)

NAIA Provisional Cuts

• 200 Freestyle – Callie Drefs – 1:59.04 (9^th NAIA)
• 100 Freestyle – Claire Eilers – 55.73 (30^th NAIA)
• 100 Breaststroke – Claire Eilers (19^th NAIA)
• 50 Freestyle – Elle Moir – 25.20 (10^th NAIA)
• 100 Butterfly – Eva Garraux 8th 100 fly – 59.98 (8^th NAIA)
• 500 Freestyle – Kateryna Kashyrina – 5:27 (23^rd NAIA)
• 200 Breaststroke – Audrey Washburn – 2:35.09 (30^th NAIA)
• 1000 Freestyle – Robin Abrams – 11:41.81 (32^nd NAIA)
• 400 IM – Robin Abrams – 5:14.46 (32^nd NAIA)
• 200 Freestyle Relay – Elle Moir, Abby Lair, Callie Drefs, Clair Eiler – 1:40.9 (8^th NAIA)
• 400 Freestyle Relay – Claire Eilers, Abby Lair, Eva Garraux, Callie Drefs – 3:43.16 (9^th NAIA)
• 200 Medley Relay – Callie Drefs, Audrey Washburn, Kateryna Kashyrina, Abby Lair – 1:55.8 (7^th NAIA)
• 400 Medley Relay – Callie Drefs, Claire Eilers, Eva Garraux, Abby Lair – 4:09.6 (11^th NAIA)

Next On the Schedule
Both swim teams will hit the road next weekend and compete at the Soka University Invitational on Saturday November 9^th.  Competition begins at 11:00am.

Courtesy: OUAZ Athletics

The OUAZ swim team finished tied for second in a five-team meet over the weekend. Other teams competing were Grand Canyon, Arizona State’s club team, Arizona Christian and SOKA of Southern California.

Jonathan Cowin and Reuben Dobson both scored gold and silver medals in men’s events. Kayden Brendel also scored a silver medal on the women’s side with a 1:00.81 time in the 100-yard butterfly.

Cowin, a junior from Wasilla, Alaska, scored a silver medal with a school record time of 4:16.69 in the 400-yard individual medley.  That time is a personal best and a provisional time for the NAIA National Championship meet in March.

Cowin scored his gold in the 100-yard backstroke with a 51.33 time. That was nearly two and a half seconds better than second place.  Fellow Spirit swimmer Josh Rummel finished fourth, securing two points for the team with a personal season-best 56.84.

Dobson received a gold medal for his 100-yard butterfly performance, finishing .38 seconds ahead of the field. There were 16 swimmers that finished in under one minute.

Dobson, who is a freshman, came in .05 (five hundredths) behind Joseph Moran of Grand Canyon.

The relay team also had a good meet, scoring a runner-up finish in the 200-yard medley relay, just three-quarters of a second behind Grand Canyon’s “A” team.