Relay teams show command, Nikolaev receives automatic NCAA Championships bid.

Friday, November 17

Evanston, Ill.

TBD

Grand Canyon

Northwestern TYR Invitational Day 1

Photo by: Deb Schaffer

Relay teams show command, Nikolaev receives automatic NCAA Championships bid.

11/17/2017 11:45:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

The Lopes men's team in third, while to women's team sits in fourth, going into day two of the Northwestern TYR Invitational and Lumberjack Diving Invitational

By: Nathan Okonek

The Grand Canyon men's and women's swimming and diving team successfully completed day one of the Northwestern TYR Invitational in Evanston, Ill. and Lumberjack Diving Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz.

The men's swim team is currently in third place with a score of 251, trailing Michigan State (292.5) and host Northwestern (276.5) for the top two spots. The women are sitting in fourth place with a score of 192, having Northwestern (370), Michigan State (274) and Ohio (216) leading the pack.

After day one in Illinois, head coach Steve Schaffer is pleased with his team's showing.

"We are off to a very good start," Schaffer said. "We are really showing some surprisingly good speed after just 10 weeks of training.

Training seems to be going well for the Lopes, as Friday afternoon was a record setting day for GCU. The men's 200-yard freestyle relay team consisting of Mazen El Kasmash, Youssef El Kamash, Mark Nikolaev and Daniil Antipov took first place, setting a new team record and a new pool record at The Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris Aquatics Center with a time of 1:18.26. Additionally, in the 400-yard freestyle relay, Mazen El Kasmash, Bogdan Plavin, Mark Nikolaev and Daniil Antipov took first place, which also set a new team record and a new pool record with a time of 3:07.48.

While earning NCAA Provisional Qualifying times in both relays, the 400-yard medley relay team missed the NCAA Championships Automatic Qualifier time by just 0.02 seconds.

"That stung a little," Schaffer said. "but we will be going for the 200-yard medley relay automatic cut tomorrow."

Mazen El Kasmash (19.80), Antipov (20.06) and Plavin (20.07), finished top three in the 50-yard freestyle, earning the trio NCAA "B" Cuts.

In addition to Nikolaev's contribution in both relay finishes, the junior from Seltso, Russia had a head turning time in the 100-yard backstroke split, leading off for the Lopes in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 44.99. Not only is this time a new pool record, but an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship on March 21 through March 24 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Pietro Hufnagel Toscani took fourth place in the 3-meter dive event in Flagstaff with a score of 656.40, while Nick Benson finished in seventh place with a score of 541.80.

The women's swim team held their own on day one in a very competitive pool of teams.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Roaia Mashaly, Salma Zaitoun, Diana Jaruseviciute and Samiha Mohsen finished first with a time of 1:32.92. While Jaruseviciute and Mohsen both tied for third place in the 50-yard freestyle with times of 23.02, Mohsen also set a new Grand Canyon team record in her split in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 22.40.

Estela Davis Ortiz continues to add on to her impressive senior season, placing second in the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 25.39.

With the men in third place and women in fourth, the Lopes look to move up in the standings on day two of the Northwestern TYR Invitational and Lumberjack Diving Invitational starting at 9:00 a.m. CT (8:00 a.m MT) with the finals starting at 5:00 p.m. CT (4:00 p.m. MT).

For live results and stats for the Northwestern TYR Invitational, you can go to http://results.teamunify.com/isnasa/ to follow this weekend's meet.