GCU concludes final team meet on road

Saturday, February 1

Las Vegas, Nev.

Grand Canyon

117

177

UNLV

Photo by: Jayden Todd

2/1/2025 7:09:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

Lopes individual wins not enough in team losses at UNLV

By: Nathan Peters

LAS VEGAS - The Grand Canyon swimming and diving teams faced off with strong UNLV squads on the road Saturday, falling in close meets.

GCU saw standout performances from multiple swimmers, led by senior Alex Volkov, who took first place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 47.84 seconds. Volkov also helped the Lopes' 400-yard freestyle relay team to a first-place finish in 2 minutes, 58.19 seconds alongside junior Mario Perez, junior Eli Cohen and sophomore Guillermo Carrey.

The Lopes' 400-yard medley relay of Volkov, graduate Harper Houk, senior Jasu Ovaskainen and sophomore Guillermo Carrey finished second with a time of 3:13.63.

Ovaskainen took first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 47.99 seconds.

Carrey and Perez secured first and second, respecitvely, in the 50 freestyle at 20.21 and 20.35 seconds.

GCU sophomore Joe Stephenson contributed a second-place finish in the 200 butterfly at 1:51.13.

On the women's side, Marta Guasp led the Lopes with a win in the 200 backstroke, touching at 2:01.07, and another first-place finish in the 200 individual medley at 2:05.97.

GCU senior Aleksandra Wegrzynowska placed third in the 500 freestyle (5:06.50) and in the 200 butterfly (2:05.20).

Senior teammate Maria Chatzi added valuable points, finishing second in the 200 individual medley (2:06.07) and fourth in the 50 freestyle (23.71).

GCU graduate Raphaela Nakashima and freshman teammate Beth Young showcased their strength in the breaststroke races. Nakashima won the 100 breaststroke (1:01.86), while Young followed in third at 1:03.38. Young later placed second in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:17.54 finish.

Junior Paula Martinez Moreno won the 100 butterfly in 53.84 seconds.

In diving, GCU sophomore Lacey Neighbor took fourth in the 1-meter event (236.70) and finished second at 3 meters (258.75). Lopes freshman Omar Elsayed earned third in 1-meter diving (247.65) and fourth at 3 meters (340.50).

The GCU women's team will head to Greeley, Colorado, next Saturday for its regular-season finale with the men beginning to prepare for the WAC Championships from Feb 26 to March 1 in Houston.