GCU off to great start at Finis Collegiate Invitational

Friday, December 11

Long Beach, CA

Results

Grand Canyon

Finis Collegiate Invitational

GCU off to great start at Finis Collegiate Invitational

12/12/2009 3:27:13 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Grand Canyon opened the four-day Finis Collegiate Invitational with a number of records and NCAA 'B' Cut times.

Friday's opening night was a non-scoring event, but the times kept were official and very impressive.

Senior Alexis Glessner (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain/N. Colorado) just missed an NCAA qualifying 'A' cut time in the 1650 Freestyle. she swam a 'B' cut time of 17:38.30 and with a 1000 split of 10:35.79 added another 'B' cut time for NCAAs. Glessner took 41 seconds off her previous team-record in the 1650.

Sophomore Brooke Bellah (pictured, Phoenix, Ariz./Christian) swam a new team record

of 53.16 in the 50 Freestyle, which was also an NCAA 'B' cut.

Freshman Riley Smith (Phoenix, Ariz./Christian) set a new team record in the 200 Butterfly (2:11.88), also a lifetime best and just missed a 'B' cut by one second.

A number of other swimmers had personal best times. GCU had four lifetime bests in the 1650 Freestyle, along with Glessner, DeAnna Anderson (Arvada, Colo./Faith Christian) had a career best time of 18:56.93, 36 seconds better than any previous swim. Freshman Mallory Freeman (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler) took 1:21 off her best time with a 20:15.63 and sophomore Amy Hammann (Glendale, Ariz./Washington) took 57 seconds off her top swim wiht a 29:09.59.

Continuing her great comeback, freshman Tori Heron (Glendale, Ariz./Sandra Day O'Connor) improved her 100 Freestyle time with a 53.16, only .8 off her lifetime best. All the other 100 Freestyle swims were lifetime bests, turned in by freshman Karlee Grundeis (Bakersfield, Calif./East Bakersfield), junior Cherie Przybyl (St. Charles, Ill./Bartlett/Wheaton), freshman Julie Redaway (Braine L'Alleud, Belgium/Ste. Gertrude Nivelles), freshman Yvette Ball (El Centro, Calif./Central Union) and freshman Misha Teague (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial).

Grundeis had hte best time of the latter group, clocking in at 54.36, followed by Przybyl (55.38), Redaway (55.45), Ball (57.78) and Teague (1:03.67).

Junior Rhian Whitmarsh (Gilbert, Ariz./Higley/Chandler-Gilbert) added a lifetime best in the 200 Breaststroke (2:43.09) and 100 Breaststroke (1:12.76).