GCU takes 3rd in National Invitational Championship

Monday, March 10

Federal Way, Wash.

Grand Canyon

NCAA Zone E Diving Championships

Photo by: Deb Schaffer

3/16/2025 11:48:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

Dramatic ending gives Lopes men edge over Utah

By: Nathan Peters

OCALA, Fla. – The Grand Canyon swimming and diving team delivered a strong performance at the 2025 CSCAA National Invitational Championship, securing multiple high finishes.

The men's team placed third overall, with the final standings coming down to the last relay event. Entering the race, GCU trailed Utah by 2.5 points and needed to finish three places ahead to move ahead in the standings. In a dramatic finish, Ohio State edged out Utah by just 0.01 seconds, allowing GCU to take third place by half a point.

Earlier in the meet, the GCU men won the 200-yard medley relay but were later disqualified for a false start, resulting in a 40-point loss. Had the relay stood, the team would have finished second in the final standings.

In the 200-yard freestyle relay, GCU's team of Mario Perez, Alex Volkov, Eli Cohen, and Guillermo Carrey placed second with a time of 1:17.58, finishing just behind Queens University Charlotte. Perez led off with a 19.02-second split.

Individually, Volkov finished second in the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 21.62. Daniel Volkov also reached the A-final, finishing 10th overall in 22.42.

Perez took third place in the 50 freestyle with a time of 19.75 seconds while Carrey placed fourth with a time of 19.82. Perez also took seventh in the 200 butterfly final with a time of 1:47.02.

Carrey went on to take fourth in the 100 freestyle with a mark of 43.07 seconds.

Sophomore Jasu Ovaskainen had a strong week. He placed fourth in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:47.62. Ovaskainen then placed third in the 100 medley with a time of 48.58. The Finland native placed sixth with a mark of 46.87 in the 100 yard butterfly.

Freshman Easton Mousser had a strong performance in the 500-yard freestyle, placing seventh in the A-final with a time of 4:24.64. In addition, Mousser set the team record and got a DI B' cut placing fourth in the 1650 Free with a time of 15:18.26.

The women's team placed 10th overall, marking a strong showing. Their 200-yard freestyle relay team of Maria Brunlehner, Maria Chatzi, Kailee Patters, and Paula Martinez finished 11th with a time of 1:33.11.

Martinez placed fifth in the women's 200 butterfly with a time of 46.87 seconds.

Brunlehner also went 22.62 in the 50 freestyle to claim fifth while securing third in the 100 freestyle with a 49.35 mark.

Freshman Beth Young broke her own school record and went 27.91 in the 50 yard breaststroke to finish third place.

In individual events, Marta Guasp swam a 26.45 in the 50-yard backstroke.

Graduate Harper Houk claimed eighth in the 50 breaststroke clocking in at 24.97. Houk then placed seventh in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:58.55.

GCU secured several additional top-16 finishes throughout the meet. Joseph Stephenson placed 12th in the men's 100-yard butterfly with a time of 48.89, while John Warriner finished 13th in 49.63.

In the men's 100-yard individual medley, Asher Havenhill finished 11th in 50.93, and Yigit Eksioglu placed 12th with a 51.30.

On the women's side, Elisa Corradi placed 13th in the women's 100-yard individual medley with a time of 58.04.

The Grand Canyon diving team delivered strong performances at the Zone E Diving Championships.

On the men's side, Omar Elsayed placed third in the platform diving event with a score of 328.55, adding valuable points for the team. Bryce Porter also contributed, finishing eighth with a score of 240.40.

Elsayed also competed in the 3-meter diving event, securing eighth place with a score of 304.20. In the 1-meter competition, he finished 15th with a score of 230.40.

For the women, Lacey Neighbor placed 28th in the 1-meter diving event with a score of 214.20, while Shiori Bak finished 16th in the platform diving event with a score of 155.05.

Full results can be found here.