Men’s and women’s swim started their road circuit in earnest on Oct. 27-28, competing in back-to-back meets hosted by Mills College in Oakland, Calif. In a quad meet between Biola, Mills, College of Idaho and Cal State East Bay on Oct. 27, the women’s team won two of their three head-to-head contests while the men fell to Idaho in their lone matchup. At the Bay Area Invite the next day, the women finished second in a field of five and the men finished last out of three teams.
TIXIER STANDS OUT IN FIRST DAY
Superstar senior Lisa Tixier led the way on day one, to no one’s surprise. Tixier won two solo events, the 50-yard and 500-yard freestyles, with times of 24.44 and 5:12.19, respectively. Sophomore Emily Silzel also won the women’s 200-yard freestyle with a 1:55.69 time and the 100-yard free with a 53.69 time to give the Eagles a victory in every single women’s individual freestyle event of the day. Additionally, sophomore Rachel Stinchcomb, Silzel, junior Rebecca Brandt and Tixier combined to win the day’s first event, the women’s 200-yard medley relay. Stinchcomb also came in third in the 200-yard individual medley to round out a solid Friday afternoon show.
The men struggled in their blowout team loss to Idaho, but some individual events held silver linings. Freshman Jake Allen notched the first win of his Biola career with a 10:12.69 time in the 1,000-yard freestyle, while sophomore Raymond Kam built upon his impressive start with a victory in the men’s 100-yard breastroke on a time of 59.54. Other highlights included men’s relay teams each taking second in the 400-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley, as well as sophomore Andrew Benson and seniors Daniel Vale and Tom Franicevich finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle, respectively.
IDENTICAL RELAY FINISHES BOOST BOTH TEAMS
Both Eagles teams improved in day two against much more competition. Tixier notched two more individual victories, with a 2:09.56 time in the 200-yard butterfly and a 57.73 time in the 100-yard butterfly to take home wins in each. She also came second in the 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard breaststroke. Silzel finished as the runner-up in the shortest and longest freestyle events of the day, the 1,650-yard free and 50-yard free.
Kam had the lone victory on the men’s side on Oct. 28, with a 2:13.35 time in the 200-yard breaststroke to go along with a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly. Franicevich took second in the 50-yard freestyle with a quick 22.79 time. The men’s and women’s relay teams had identical top showings, finishing second each in the 400-yard medley and the 200-yard freestyle.
Swim will return to action in enemy territory next weekend in a match at Azusa Pacific University on Nov. 4. The head-to-head meet will not count as a Cornerstone Cup matchup.
