Completed Event: Women's Swimming and Diving at Oakland Golden Grizzly Classic on December 3, 2025 , , 2nd of 5
W Swimming
at Oakland Golden Grizzly Classic
2nd of 5
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes remain in 4th place at WAC Championships
2/20/2021 8:00:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Diving portion to determine conference champion
WAC Championship Central
ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Grand Canyon women's swimming team completed its portion of the WAC Championships in fourth place with 444 points. The WAC champion will be determined after next week's diving portion of the championship in Flagstaff, Arizona.
"This is a truly amazing group of women," head coach Steve Schaffer said. "The 9 of them were the sum total of our Women's WAC Championship Swimming
team. They went through a lot to make it through the season with no guarantee that there would even be a meet and performed better than any group of women I have coached at a championship meet."
Northern Arizona leads the championship with 572.5 points, followed by New Mexico State (564), Northern Colorado (497.5) and the Lopes in fourth.
GCU freshman Madeline Vindiola notched a bronze medal in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 17 minutes 4.53 seconds. The time ranks fourth in the GCU record book. Junior Kristina Miletic also scored points for the Lopes, finishing in eighth place.
In the 200 backstroke, GCU junior Robyn Edwards finished runner-up with a time of 1:58.31. She shaved nearly two seconds off her time at last year's championship. Lopes junior Hannah Barker finished sixth in the same event.
GCU placed second and third, respectively, in the 100 freestyle. Lopes junior Emily Muteti continued her strong championship by finishing runner-up with a time of 49.98. Junior Claire Banic placed third and sophomore Kaitlyn Carr finished eighth.
The meet ended with the Lopes notching a school-record and bronze medal in the 400 freestyle relay. The team of Muteti, Carr, Vindiola and Banic raced to a time of 3:23.06. The previous mark was set by at the 2017 WAC Championships by Samiha Mohsen, Jade Howard, Jovanna Koens and Estela Davis Ortiz (323.11).
The Lopes did not have anyone compete in the 200 breaststroke or 200 butterfly.
Day 3 recap
Muteti won the 100-yard butterfly Friday to headline Day 3 of the WAC Championships at Dixie State.
Muteti's win helped the Lopes to 311 points and a fourth-place team standing with championship Saturday looming. Defending champion Northern Arizona leads with 399 points, followed by New Mexico State (371) and Northern Colorado (338).
Muteti's 100 butterfly time of 53.90 seconds sets a new GCU Division I record. The mark only trails Mychala Lynch, who raced to a 53.78 time at the 2012 RMAC Championships when GCU was at the D-II level. Carr finished 11th overall to claim points for the Lopes.
The day also included Miletic advancing to the 400 IM finals. Miletic finished in eighth place.
In the 200 freestyle, Vindiola recorded a fifth-place finish with a time of 1:51.78.
The 100 backstroke proved to be a big scoring event for the Lopes. Banic finished fifth with a time of 55.99. Edwards finished sixth, Rittenbach took ninth and Barker finished 11th.
The night concluded with the Lopes finishing third in the 400 medley relay. The team of Edwards, Muteti, Carr and Banic finished with a time of 3:45.18, just .04 seconds behind runner-up New Mexico State.
Saturday's schedule includes the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 400 free relay.
Day 2 recap
The second day of the WAC Championships started with GCU women's swimming setting a school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay Thursday and claiming a first-place finish at Dixie State, where the second-place Lopes (185 points) stayed close to leader Northern Arizona (192) and ahead of third-place Northern Colorado (182).
The Lopes entered the 200 freestyle relay with the fifth-best seed time of 1:33.49 seconds. The lineup of Muteti, Carr, Rittenbach and Banic shattered that mark in Thursday's final with a time of 1:31.55. The previous school record was set at the 2014 WAC Championships with a mark of 1:32.14. Runner-up Northern Colorado trailed GCU by more than a half-second (1:31.92).
The Lopes also scored points in the 50 freestyle with Banic and Muteti finishing second and third, respectively. Northern Colorado's Madelyn Moore won the event (22.53), with Banic (22.78) and Muteti (22.95) next. Carr finished 10th with a time of 23.66 that was good for second in the "B" final.
In the 500 freestyle, GCU Vindiola finished fourth with a time of 4:55.89. Miletic won the "B" final for ninth overall with a time of 4:59.77.
Lopes Pescara took 12th in the 200 individual medley, where Barker also competed with the top time in the "C" final.
Friday's finals session will incluce the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 400 medley relay.
Day 1 recap
GCU kicked off the WAC Championships by winning the 200 medley relay on Wednesday at Dixie State, ending the first day of the four-day competition in a first-place tie with Northern Arizona.
Despite entering with the third-best seed time, the Lopes raced to a finish of 1:41.29 seconds. The GCU quartet of Rittenbach, Muteti, Carr and Banic edged Northern Colorado (1:41.48), Northern Arizona (1:41.95) and New Mexico State (1:41.99).
The 800 freestyle relay team of Rittenbach, Miletic, Edwards and Vindiola finished third with a time of 7:29.64. NAU won the event with a time of 7:23.72 while New Mexico State (7:25.34) was the runner-up.
GCU and NAU are tied for first place with 72 points each after the opening day with New Mexico State and Northern Colorado tied for third place with 64 points each.
ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Grand Canyon women's swimming team completed its portion of the WAC Championships in fourth place with 444 points. The WAC champion will be determined after next week's diving portion of the championship in Flagstaff, Arizona.
"This is a truly amazing group of women," head coach Steve Schaffer said. "The 9 of them were the sum total of our Women's WAC Championship Swimming
team. They went through a lot to make it through the season with no guarantee that there would even be a meet and performed better than any group of women I have coached at a championship meet."
Northern Arizona leads the championship with 572.5 points, followed by New Mexico State (564), Northern Colorado (497.5) and the Lopes in fourth.
GCU freshman Madeline Vindiola notched a bronze medal in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 17 minutes 4.53 seconds. The time ranks fourth in the GCU record book. Junior Kristina Miletic also scored points for the Lopes, finishing in eighth place.
In the 200 backstroke, GCU junior Robyn Edwards finished runner-up with a time of 1:58.31. She shaved nearly two seconds off her time at last year's championship. Lopes junior Hannah Barker finished sixth in the same event.
GCU placed second and third, respectively, in the 100 freestyle. Lopes junior Emily Muteti continued her strong championship by finishing runner-up with a time of 49.98. Junior Claire Banic placed third and sophomore Kaitlyn Carr finished eighth.
The meet ended with the Lopes notching a school-record and bronze medal in the 400 freestyle relay. The team of Muteti, Carr, Vindiola and Banic raced to a time of 3:23.06. The previous mark was set by at the 2017 WAC Championships by Samiha Mohsen, Jade Howard, Jovanna Koens and Estela Davis Ortiz (323.11).
The Lopes did not have anyone compete in the 200 breaststroke or 200 butterfly.
Day 3 recap
Muteti won the 100-yard butterfly Friday to headline Day 3 of the WAC Championships at Dixie State.
Muteti's win helped the Lopes to 311 points and a fourth-place team standing with championship Saturday looming. Defending champion Northern Arizona leads with 399 points, followed by New Mexico State (371) and Northern Colorado (338).
Muteti's 100 butterfly time of 53.90 seconds sets a new GCU Division I record. The mark only trails Mychala Lynch, who raced to a 53.78 time at the 2012 RMAC Championships when GCU was at the D-II level. Carr finished 11th overall to claim points for the Lopes.
The day also included Miletic advancing to the 400 IM finals. Miletic finished in eighth place.
In the 200 freestyle, Vindiola recorded a fifth-place finish with a time of 1:51.78.
The 100 backstroke proved to be a big scoring event for the Lopes. Banic finished fifth with a time of 55.99. Edwards finished sixth, Rittenbach took ninth and Barker finished 11th.
The night concluded with the Lopes finishing third in the 400 medley relay. The team of Edwards, Muteti, Carr and Banic finished with a time of 3:45.18, just .04 seconds behind runner-up New Mexico State.
Saturday's schedule includes the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 400 free relay.
Day 2 recap
The second day of the WAC Championships started with GCU women's swimming setting a school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay Thursday and claiming a first-place finish at Dixie State, where the second-place Lopes (185 points) stayed close to leader Northern Arizona (192) and ahead of third-place Northern Colorado (182).
The Lopes entered the 200 freestyle relay with the fifth-best seed time of 1:33.49 seconds. The lineup of Muteti, Carr, Rittenbach and Banic shattered that mark in Thursday's final with a time of 1:31.55. The previous school record was set at the 2014 WAC Championships with a mark of 1:32.14. Runner-up Northern Colorado trailed GCU by more than a half-second (1:31.92).
The Lopes also scored points in the 50 freestyle with Banic and Muteti finishing second and third, respectively. Northern Colorado's Madelyn Moore won the event (22.53), with Banic (22.78) and Muteti (22.95) next. Carr finished 10th with a time of 23.66 that was good for second in the "B" final.
In the 500 freestyle, GCU Vindiola finished fourth with a time of 4:55.89. Miletic won the "B" final for ninth overall with a time of 4:59.77.
Lopes Pescara took 12th in the 200 individual medley, where Barker also competed with the top time in the "C" final.
Friday's finals session will incluce the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 400 medley relay.
Day 1 recap
GCU kicked off the WAC Championships by winning the 200 medley relay on Wednesday at Dixie State, ending the first day of the four-day competition in a first-place tie with Northern Arizona.
Despite entering with the third-best seed time, the Lopes raced to a finish of 1:41.29 seconds. The GCU quartet of Rittenbach, Muteti, Carr and Banic edged Northern Colorado (1:41.48), Northern Arizona (1:41.95) and New Mexico State (1:41.99).
The 800 freestyle relay team of Rittenbach, Miletic, Edwards and Vindiola finished third with a time of 7:29.64. NAU won the event with a time of 7:23.72 while New Mexico State (7:25.34) was the runner-up.
GCU and NAU are tied for first place with 72 points each after the opening day with New Mexico State and Northern Colorado tied for third place with 64 points each.
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