PROVO, Utah – A big night from Jake Taylor and a huge come-from-behind victory for Kelly Hatanaka led both BYU men's and women's swim and dive to victories over UNLV Friday night.
The Cougar men swam to a 176-116 win, while the women's team posted a 155-145 victory over the Rebels at the Richards Building Pool.
“Both of our teams are getting faster and faster each week, which is a very good thing,” BYU head coach John Brooks said. “Hatanaka pulling off the close win was definitely a highlight, and the women's team is getting faster and faster each week. I was most impressed with the returned missionaries from our men's team that just keep getting better and better. Taylor, Connor Stirling and Payton Sorenson were all sub 20 relay splits, so that's very impressive as well."
In the women’s 200-yard medley relay, a team of Ashlee Spindler, Anna Dahl, Katie Smith and Alora Foliaki posted a 1:45.50 for second-place in the event. On the men’s side, a team of Taylor, Stephen Richards, Rainer Ng and Sorenson won the event with a time of 1:30.95.
Vanessa Moffatt and Hatanaka took first and second for the Cougars in the women’s 1000 freestyle, with times of 10:29.62 and 10:41.06 respectively. BYU swept the men’s event with Luis Ventura taking first in 9:46.73, Dallin Johnson placing second in 9:53.69 and Shawn Western finishing third with a 10:02.08.
Ellie Thornbrue won the women’s 200 free with a time of 1:53.12. Emily Harris also took third for the Cougars, finishing the event in 1:55.36. Preston Jenkins placed first for BYU on the men’s side in 1:42.07, while Seth Russell finished second with a 1:43.35.
In the women’s 100 backstroke, Spindler finished in 58.43, taking second for the Cougars. Taylor sped to a 48.40 first-place finish in the men’s event, while Cameron Lindsay took third for BYU in 52.79.
Dahl took second place for the Cougars with a 1:06.61 finish in the women’s 100 breaststroke, while Stephen Richards finished first for the men, posting a 57.79. Nathan Henderson finished third for the men with a time of 58.17.
Lillian Moore and Zerlynn Tiang finished first and second for BYU in the women’s 200 butterfly, finishing with times of 2:06.24 and 2:07:37 respectively. Ng finished the men’s 200 fly in 1:49.95 for first-place, with Nathan Rogers taking second in 1:57.34.
In the women’s 50 free, Alexandria Sorensen raced to a 24.00 finish, good enough for second place. Sorenson and Connor Stirling took second and third-place for the Cougars, finishing with times of 20.69 and 20.94.
Stirling and Sorenson went first and second for BYU in the men’s 100 free, with Stirling posting a 46.06 and Sorenson clocking a 46.10.
Hatanaka and Samantha Lingenbrink posted times of 2:06.64 and 2:07.01 in the women’s 200 back, good enough for second and third-place. Taylor and Jenkins won first and third for the Cougars in the men’s event, posting times of 1:51.66 and 1:53.50 respectively.
Skaggs finished in second-place for BYU in the women’s 200 breaststroke, posting a time of 2:23.59. Richards took second for the men, racing to a 2:07.63 finish.
In the women’s 500 free, Moffatt raced to a first-place finish in 5:07.46. Harris placed third for the Cougars in 5:14.89. BYU swept the men’s race, with Ventura finishing first in 4:43.16, Johnson placing second in 4:51.35 and David Harlan swimming to third with a 4:52.79.
BYU completed a sweep of the women’s 100 fly as Tiang posted a 56.43 for first, Thornbrue clocked 56.91 for second and Smith marked a 57.30 for third. Ng won the event for the men with a 49.49 first-place finish.
Hatanaka put together a huge come-from-behind 2:07.87 finish in the women’s 200 individual medley to knock off a UNLV swimmer for first-place. Riley Merrill took third for the Cougars, posting a 2:08.98.
In the final event of the day, a team comprised of Sorensen, Smith, Foliaki and Thornbrue placed second in the women’s 200 free relay, posting a 1:34.91. On the men’s side, Stirling, Taylor, Jenkins and Sorenson earned first-place with a 1:21.63 finish.
“A lot of standout performances from our divers today,” BYU head diving coach Tyce Routson said. “I am very happy with how they did. Kaela Call was pivotal in winning one board. She qualified for NCAA zones on 1-meter, and she is a few points away from qualifying for 3-meters. Kevin Dreesen threw some big dives that Olympians are throwing from 3-meters. Jordan Tuckfield is also a few short points away from qualifying for NCAA zones at 3-meters. So I am very happy with their performances.”
In the women’s 1-meter dive, Call registered a first-place finish for the Cougars with a 274.90 while Ali Tippetts-Kottcamp placed third with a score of 252.35. Dreesen won the men’s event, posting a 335.35, with Matt Denkers finishing in third-place with a score of 295.15.
BYU took second and third in the women’s 3-meter dive, with Kaela Call placing second with af 276.80 and Kottcamp taking third at 267.85. Dreesen earned second place in the men’s dive with a 339.80, followed by Tuckfield in third with a 316.45.
BYU swim and dive will return to the Richards Building Pool Saturday morning as the men’s team takes on Colorado Mesa and the women’s team faces UC Davis. The meet starts at 11 a.m. MST and admission is free for all fans. Results will be posted immediately after the meet on the men’s and women’s schedule pages.