PEPPERDINE VS AZUSA PACIFIC
- January 24, 2026
- Malibu, Calif.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Pepperdine Athletics
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine Swim & Dive ended its regular season on a high note this afternoon with a win against Azusa Pacific, 167–122. The Waves won 12 of 14 events, with the meet belonging to the seniors who were celebrated throughout the day.
“Today we celebrated an end of an era for Pepperdine Swim & Dive,” said interim head coach Dan Marella. “We celebrated our Class of 2026, which holds 13 swimmers and divers. I could not be more proud of these strong and confident women.”
The day began with a ceremony at 10 a.m. that recognized the achievements and dedication of the 13 graduating seniors. The athletes were accompanied by family and friends on the pool deck.
Dive went first to start competition. Of the field of seven, the five Waves divers occupied the top five spots in each event’s standings. Freshman Jackie Johnson claimed the top spot in the one (283.80) and 3-meter (280.13). Vivian Vallely was the top senior in both events, earning both runner-up spots behind Johnson.
Swim started their dominance with a gold in the 200 medley relay. Senior Kylie Taylor led-off the group, followed by the freshmen trio of Ava Taylor, Aliyah Fan, and Maile Sullivan (1:46.37).
Next was the 1000 free, which Ansley Halbach took at 10:39.39. The top fourth-year in the event was Lexi Haymart, who stopped the timer at 11:13.00.
Aliyah Fan was the fastest swimmer for the blue and orange in the 200 free (1:56.91). The result was the same for her in the 100 fly (57.65) to pick up a gold in two different strokes.
The older Fan—Kiana, also picked up a first-place finish. She swam to success in the 200 breast (2:22.07).
On her own, senior Kylie Taylor emerged victorious in the 100 back (58.52).
In the 100 breast, Ava Taylor swam to first with a time of 1:06.53. Emme Spevak gave the Waves their sixth top finish in as many events. She clocked a 2:08.51 in the 200 fly.
The team’s two MPSF Female Athlete of the Week winners were next to put another tally in the win column. Maile Sullivan took the 100 free (52.83) and Sophia Blietz did the same in the 200 back (2:06.72).
Emma Guglielmello went far in the 500 free. The distance specialist recorded a time of 5:11.97. Saskia Jager was the top fourth-year in the event (5:15.48).
The last victory of the day came in the 400 free relay. Although the day was dedicated to the seniors, the Wave’s youth movement was on display as Maile Sullivan, Paige Easton, Aliyah Fan, and Ava Taylor took first (3:32.96). The senior entourage of Elliot Easton, Maddie McLeay, AJ Adams, and Anna Ryan took third.
Down in lane seven, the divers decided to take a crack at the event too. Ava Langheim, Amanda Wong, Delainey Pisaruk, and Vivian Vallely each took a lap in the pool to close out their careers at Raleigh Runnels in a memorable way. They went an unscored 200 yards in 2:12.02.
Prior to their final individual event at home each Pepperdine senior was recognized by the public address announcer. The athletes stood on their block and looked across the glistening water—the thunderous applause of their teammates, family, friends, and fans echoing out.
Pepperdine’s full results are accessible here.
NEXT UP
The Waves begin postseason competition a month from now in Edinburg, Texas. The MPSF Swimming & Diving Championships kick-off Feb. 25.
Courtesy: Azusa Pacific Athletics
MALIBU, Calif. – Azusa Pacific took to the starting blocks for the last time before the conference championships Saturday, competing in a dual meet at Pepperdine University.
Aleena Herrera came within a second of a season best in the 1000 freestyle, finishing second in the event with a time of 10:46.01. Angelica Benitez took second in the 200 freestyle, improving on her seed time by a full five seconds, hitting the wall in 1:58.37. The real highlight of the day came when Sydnee Wilson beat the entire field to the finish line in the 50 free, winning the spring in a time of 24.22 and earning nine points toward the team score.
Benitez and Herrera would provide the Cougars with their biggest boost of the day on the scoreboard, as the duo finished 1-2 in the 200 individual medley, with Benitez winning in a time of 2:08.64, two seconds ahead of Herrera. To close out the day, the quartet of Wilson, Mikaela Maemura, Herrera, and Ellie Sivesind hit the wall in the 4×100 freestyle relay in 3:37.62, good enough for second place on the day.
In all, the host Waves won 14 out of 16 events as well as the meet, though the Cougars kept the final score respectable, falling by a final of 167-122. In head-to-head meets this season, the Cougars finished the 2025-26 season with a record of 1-3.
Up Next: The Cougars now have two and a half weeks to round into shape for the PCSC conference championships. Azusa Pacific will look to defend its title at the same pool where it won last season. The action will take place at East Los Angeles College from February 11-14.
