Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving versus Ottawa (Ariz.) on November 7, 2025 , Win , 265, to, 28
W Swimming
vs Ottawa (Ariz.)
W 265-28
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Wednesday, February 26
Houston, Texas
10 a.m.
Grand Canyon
at
WAC Championships
Photo by: Juan De Leon
Women finish 3rd at WAC meet
3/1/2020 5:44:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
GCU score 561 at conference showdown
HOUSTON — The Grand Canyon women's swimming and diving team placed third at the WAC Championships with 561 points on Saturday.
The Lopes finished right behind runner-up California Baptist (579 points) and Northern Arizona (677.5), which won its seventh championship in a row.
In 2019, the Lopes took seventh place at the WAC Championships. Before the season, the women made a goal to place in the top three, and did just that.
The Lopes had many season- and career-best swims, along with swimmers moving onto the GCU top-10 all-time list for several events.
There were three first-place finishes on Saturday for GCU as senior Talita Te Flan won the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16 minutes 48.66 seconds and broke the GCU all-time record. Junior Alyssa Christianson took home the gold in the 200 breaststroke with a record-breaking time of 2 minutes 16.31 seconds. Freshman diver Sara Lameiro Castellanos won her second gold medal of the meet in the platform dive, where she scored 231.15 points.
In the 200 backstroke, GCU sophomore Robyn Edwards had a career-best swim and moved to No. 3 in GCU history. She placed third in the WAC with a time of 2:11.
Lopes sophomore Emily Muteti swam a season-best time in the 100 freestyle (51.77) and junior Karolina Dyrda came right behind her with a career-best swim (52.71).
With a season-best time of 2:16.31, GCU junior Marina McInelly placed third in the 200 breaststroke.
The women's divers performed well and scored points for the Lopes in every dive. Freshman Ava Talorico finished fourth in the platform dive, junior Tasmin Stewart finished 11th, freshman Genna Pettit took 13th and sophomore Nicole Yeakley landed in 14th place.
Day 3 recap
The Lopes had one gold, one silver and three bronze finishes on Day 3 of the WAC Championships.
Castellanos won the 3-meter dive on Friday with 319.80 points.
In the 100 breaststroke, McInelly finished second place (1:01.90) and Christianson was in third (1:02.31). Freshman Cecelia Mayer took third place in the conference in the 100 butterfly in 54.22 seconds.
To end the day, GCU competed in the 400 medley relay and had another third-place finish. Sophomore Kyra Forrest, McInelly, Mayer and freshman Kelsey Andrusak swam the relay in 3:42.75.
Day 2 recap
On Thursday, Te Flan and Andrusak took third and fourth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle. Te Flan finished in 4:54.26 while Andrusak came in at 4:54.55.
Christianson finished fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:02.85). In the 50 freestyle, Muteti finished in fifth place (23.18).
GCU enters the final two days of the meet in fourth place with 151 points, trailing New Mexico State (158), Northern Arizona (178) and California Baptist (192).
The Lopes had two divers, Castellanos and Talorico, competing in Friday night finals. Stewart, sophomore Nicole Yeakley and freshman Genna Pettit all qualified for the B diving final.
Day 1 recap
In 1-meter diving, Lameiro Castellanos made the final cut and went on to place third in the WAC finals, scoring 263.60 points. In the B cut, Talorico placed 12th with a score of 230.85. Yeakley finished in 13th with 219.95 points while Pettit finished 15th with 215.65 points and Stewart placed 16th with 212.55 points.
The first event on Wednesday night was the 200-yard medley relay, where the Lopes women finished fourth with a time of 1:41.34, which ranks fifth all-time in the GCU women's record book.
The women were in the GCU top five for each individual's split. Freshman Briana Rittenbach swam a 26.53-second backstroke split, putting her at No. 5 for the 50 backstroke. Three of the Lopes earned top-three GCU times in their relay split swims: Christianson in the 50 breaststroke (28.15), freshman Cecelia Mayer in the 50 butterfly (24.16) and Muteti in the 50 freestyle in 22.50 seconds.
Wednesday's final swimming event was the 800 freestyle relay, where sophomore Robyn Edwards, Te Flan, sophomore Kristina Miletic and Andrusak finished in fifth place (7:28.19) against WAC opponents.
Edwards had a personal-record split time in the 200 freestyle (1:53.49) and Andrusak's split was seventh best in GCU history (1:50.49).
For more on GCU swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_Swimming.
The Lopes finished right behind runner-up California Baptist (579 points) and Northern Arizona (677.5), which won its seventh championship in a row.
In 2019, the Lopes took seventh place at the WAC Championships. Before the season, the women made a goal to place in the top three, and did just that.
The Lopes had many season- and career-best swims, along with swimmers moving onto the GCU top-10 all-time list for several events.
There were three first-place finishes on Saturday for GCU as senior Talita Te Flan won the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16 minutes 48.66 seconds and broke the GCU all-time record. Junior Alyssa Christianson took home the gold in the 200 breaststroke with a record-breaking time of 2 minutes 16.31 seconds. Freshman diver Sara Lameiro Castellanos won her second gold medal of the meet in the platform dive, where she scored 231.15 points.
In the 200 backstroke, GCU sophomore Robyn Edwards had a career-best swim and moved to No. 3 in GCU history. She placed third in the WAC with a time of 2:11.
Lopes sophomore Emily Muteti swam a season-best time in the 100 freestyle (51.77) and junior Karolina Dyrda came right behind her with a career-best swim (52.71).
With a season-best time of 2:16.31, GCU junior Marina McInelly placed third in the 200 breaststroke.
The women's divers performed well and scored points for the Lopes in every dive. Freshman Ava Talorico finished fourth in the platform dive, junior Tasmin Stewart finished 11th, freshman Genna Pettit took 13th and sophomore Nicole Yeakley landed in 14th place.
Day 3 recap
The Lopes had one gold, one silver and three bronze finishes on Day 3 of the WAC Championships.
Castellanos won the 3-meter dive on Friday with 319.80 points.
In the 100 breaststroke, McInelly finished second place (1:01.90) and Christianson was in third (1:02.31). Freshman Cecelia Mayer took third place in the conference in the 100 butterfly in 54.22 seconds.
To end the day, GCU competed in the 400 medley relay and had another third-place finish. Sophomore Kyra Forrest, McInelly, Mayer and freshman Kelsey Andrusak swam the relay in 3:42.75.
Day 2 recap
On Thursday, Te Flan and Andrusak took third and fourth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle. Te Flan finished in 4:54.26 while Andrusak came in at 4:54.55.
Christianson finished fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:02.85). In the 50 freestyle, Muteti finished in fifth place (23.18).
GCU enters the final two days of the meet in fourth place with 151 points, trailing New Mexico State (158), Northern Arizona (178) and California Baptist (192).
The Lopes had two divers, Castellanos and Talorico, competing in Friday night finals. Stewart, sophomore Nicole Yeakley and freshman Genna Pettit all qualified for the B diving final.
Day 1 recap
In 1-meter diving, Lameiro Castellanos made the final cut and went on to place third in the WAC finals, scoring 263.60 points. In the B cut, Talorico placed 12th with a score of 230.85. Yeakley finished in 13th with 219.95 points while Pettit finished 15th with 215.65 points and Stewart placed 16th with 212.55 points.
The first event on Wednesday night was the 200-yard medley relay, where the Lopes women finished fourth with a time of 1:41.34, which ranks fifth all-time in the GCU women's record book.
The women were in the GCU top five for each individual's split. Freshman Briana Rittenbach swam a 26.53-second backstroke split, putting her at No. 5 for the 50 backstroke. Three of the Lopes earned top-three GCU times in their relay split swims: Christianson in the 50 breaststroke (28.15), freshman Cecelia Mayer in the 50 butterfly (24.16) and Muteti in the 50 freestyle in 22.50 seconds.
Wednesday's final swimming event was the 800 freestyle relay, where sophomore Robyn Edwards, Te Flan, sophomore Kristina Miletic and Andrusak finished in fifth place (7:28.19) against WAC opponents.
Edwards had a personal-record split time in the 200 freestyle (1:53.49) and Andrusak's split was seventh best in GCU history (1:50.49).
For more on GCU swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_Swimming.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
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