Pomona-Pitzer to Host SCIAC Swim/Dive Championships at South Gate
South Gate, Calif. - The 2011-12
SCIAC Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted
by Pomona-Pitzer will be held this Sunday-Tuesday at the South Gate
Pool, with preliminary rounds taking place on all three days
beginning at 10 a.m., and finals rounds at night beginning at 5
p.m.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is the defending SCIAC champion in both
men's and women's swimming and diving, and is favored to repeat
again this year after going undefeated in conference duals. While
the Stags/Athenas will be tough to catch for the team titles,
numerous swimmers from other SCIAC schools will also be vying for
both individual championships and qualifying times for the NCAA
Division III championships in Indianapolis.
On the women's side, CMS dominated the 2011 SCIAC Championships in
Belmont, California, largely due to its clean sweep in the five
relay competitions. Michele Kee had an impressive showing for the
Athenas by winning six events, the 200-yard IM, the 100-yard
butterfly, and the 100-yard freestyle in the individual
competitions, and the 200-yard freestyle, 400-yard medley and
400-yard freestyle relays.
The other top two individual competitors on the women's side who
are returning this year are Erin Bartholomew of Whittier and
Caroline Chang of Occidental. Bartholomew won three individual
events for the Poets, taking first in the 500-yard freestyle, the
400-yard individual medley and the 1650-yard freestyle. Chang swept
the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events for Occidental, while
teammates Juliet Suess (200-yard freestyle) and Jessica Robson
(3-meter diving) also won titles.
Lauren Zehner of Redlands is also a returning champion in the
200-yard butterfly, while Carmen Lundell won the one-meter diving
event for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
On the men's side, Redlands returns more individual champions than
CMS, but the Stags boast a deep line-up that still makes them the
front-runner. Tyler Harp of Redlands won three individual events
and two relays last year, coming in first in all three of the
freestyle sprints (50-yard, 100-yard, 200-yard) and contributing to
200-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay wins.
Collin Gladys of Redlands also won two individual events, taking
first place in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard individual
medley, while teammate Christopher DePew won the 400-yard
individual medley.
The breaststroke events were dominated by Vincent Pai of CMS, while
senior Max Scholten (Boulder, Colo.) of Pomona-Pitzer won close
races in the two backstroke events. Scholten also finished just .01
behind Harp in the 50-yard freestyle in an exciting finish with
three swimmers touching the wall virtually simultaneously (Sean
Fitzgerald of CMS was .08 behind). Jordan Lieberman of CMS took
first in the 200-yard butterfly.
Last year's men's diving champions were Tyler Aisner of Whittier in
the one-meter, and Andrew Fevery of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the
three-meter.
Log back on to www.sagehens.com later in the week for a SCIAC
Championship home page for more information about the 2012
championship, featuring a schedule of events, psych sheets, links
to last year's SCIAC Championship results, this year's top times,
and more.
