Completed Event: Men's Swimming and Diving versus Arizona Christian on December 13, 2025 ,
M Swimming
vs Arizona Christian
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Women Continue to Lead at RMAC's; Men Remain in Second
2/17/2012 10:40:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
The battle for RMAC supremacy will go into the final day at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Swimming Championships in San Antonio, Tex.
The women head into the final day with a 644-622 lead over Incarnate Word. The men will begin the final day in the pool trailing Incarnate Word, 676-621.
“Simply the most amazing finals session I have ever been privileged to coach,” said head coach Steve Schaffer. “We won 11 of 12 events and set RMAC records in all 11 wins. Words simply cannot describe what we achieved tonight. I suspect we will look back at this night as the first time where both our men and our women really learned what it takes to win championships. I am so proud of these swimmers!”
GCU swimmers wrote their names into the RMAC record books in many places this evening.
On the women’s side of the ledger, Mychala Lynch set a RMAC and school record with a winning 100 fly time of 53.78. Catherine Polito won the 200 free with a RMAC best 1:51.95. Aime Osterberg continued to have a solid meet winning the 100 breast with a school and meet record 1:04.43. Stacey Wymer led the backstrokers with a meet and school record 56.36.
Polito, Faith Heinz, Victoria Heron and Samantha Magnani closed out the women’s night with a crushing 7:29.85 to win the 800 free relay. Their time bested the second-place team by over eight seconds. It also knocked off the school record by almost nine seconds and was seven seconds faster than the previous best in the RMAC.
The men were not out done on this night, producing many record swims of their own.
Brian Morrison got things going with a win in the 400 IM with a RMAC best time of 3:55.31. Buddy Turner continued with his winning ways, setting the conference best time in the 100 fly (47.95). Michael Branning outpaced the field with a RMAC best 1:39.35 in the 200 free. Eetu Karvonen produced his best 100 breast swim to date, setting a school and meet record in his winning time of 53.45. Kyle Shores and Everton Kida went one-two, respectively, in the 100 back. Shores’ time of 49.13 and Kida’s 49.43 are now the fastest recorded school and meet marks.
“Eetu’s 100 breast time, 53.45, would have qualified for the D-I NCAA Championships last year and would have placed third at the SEC Championships this weekend,” said Schaffer. “Buddy Turner and Mychala Lynch are just shy of times that would make the D-I NCAA’s and will likely be that fast when they rest for our NCAA meets.”
Artem Tretiakov, Tom Wahlers, Branning and Turner ended the night in exciting fashion, winning the 800 free relay with a 6:37.27. The time shattered the old school mark by nearly six seconds.
“The women's 800 Free relay made their A cut and locked up Faith Heinz's spot on the NCAA Championship team, making it 10 women and 11 men now headed to NCAA’s,” added Schaffer. “The men's 800 Free relay was an epic come from behind win, putting us in position to sweep the relays on the men's side - and both relays made a serious statement about what wanting to win means.”
The meet wraps-up tomorrow in what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the RMAC Championships. Live video and live stats, as well as full results from day three, can be viewed here.
“The women's meet will be a thriller today,” said Schaffer. “We have a 22 point lead after last night and it looks like it will come down to who has the best night at finals and ultimately who wins the last event - the 400 Free relay. It's going to be another wild night.”
“Our men did some serious damage to UIW last night and only trail by 55 points,” added Schaffer. “With the final men's diving event today and the number of swims UIW will score, it will be very difficult to make it any closer, but you can be sure our guys are going to compete to make it as close as possible.”
The women head into the final day with a 644-622 lead over Incarnate Word. The men will begin the final day in the pool trailing Incarnate Word, 676-621.
“Simply the most amazing finals session I have ever been privileged to coach,” said head coach Steve Schaffer. “We won 11 of 12 events and set RMAC records in all 11 wins. Words simply cannot describe what we achieved tonight. I suspect we will look back at this night as the first time where both our men and our women really learned what it takes to win championships. I am so proud of these swimmers!”
GCU swimmers wrote their names into the RMAC record books in many places this evening.
On the women’s side of the ledger, Mychala Lynch set a RMAC and school record with a winning 100 fly time of 53.78. Catherine Polito won the 200 free with a RMAC best 1:51.95. Aime Osterberg continued to have a solid meet winning the 100 breast with a school and meet record 1:04.43. Stacey Wymer led the backstrokers with a meet and school record 56.36.
Polito, Faith Heinz, Victoria Heron and Samantha Magnani closed out the women’s night with a crushing 7:29.85 to win the 800 free relay. Their time bested the second-place team by over eight seconds. It also knocked off the school record by almost nine seconds and was seven seconds faster than the previous best in the RMAC.
The men were not out done on this night, producing many record swims of their own.
Brian Morrison got things going with a win in the 400 IM with a RMAC best time of 3:55.31. Buddy Turner continued with his winning ways, setting the conference best time in the 100 fly (47.95). Michael Branning outpaced the field with a RMAC best 1:39.35 in the 200 free. Eetu Karvonen produced his best 100 breast swim to date, setting a school and meet record in his winning time of 53.45. Kyle Shores and Everton Kida went one-two, respectively, in the 100 back. Shores’ time of 49.13 and Kida’s 49.43 are now the fastest recorded school and meet marks.
“Eetu’s 100 breast time, 53.45, would have qualified for the D-I NCAA Championships last year and would have placed third at the SEC Championships this weekend,” said Schaffer. “Buddy Turner and Mychala Lynch are just shy of times that would make the D-I NCAA’s and will likely be that fast when they rest for our NCAA meets.”
Artem Tretiakov, Tom Wahlers, Branning and Turner ended the night in exciting fashion, winning the 800 free relay with a 6:37.27. The time shattered the old school mark by nearly six seconds.
“The women's 800 Free relay made their A cut and locked up Faith Heinz's spot on the NCAA Championship team, making it 10 women and 11 men now headed to NCAA’s,” added Schaffer. “The men's 800 Free relay was an epic come from behind win, putting us in position to sweep the relays on the men's side - and both relays made a serious statement about what wanting to win means.”
The meet wraps-up tomorrow in what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the RMAC Championships. Live video and live stats, as well as full results from day three, can be viewed here.
“The women's meet will be a thriller today,” said Schaffer. “We have a 22 point lead after last night and it looks like it will come down to who has the best night at finals and ultimately who wins the last event - the 400 Free relay. It's going to be another wild night.”
“Our men did some serious damage to UIW last night and only trail by 55 points,” added Schaffer. “With the final men's diving event today and the number of swims UIW will score, it will be very difficult to make it any closer, but you can be sure our guys are going to compete to make it as close as possible.”
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