BYU women defeat GCU and NMSU, men edged by GCU

BYU vs. Grand Canyon/New Mexico State Results

PHOENIX – BYU women’s swim and dive defeated both Grand Canyon and New Mexico State, while the men’s team was edged out by Grand Canyon Saturday afternoon at the Southwest Valley Family YMCA in Phoenix.

The BYU women posted a score of 158.50-140.50 to top New Mexico State and won by a 173.50-125.50 tally over Grand Canyon. The final score in the men’s meet was 163.50-136.50 for Grand Canyon. 

“I’m honored that Grand Canyon University would swim fast and wear tech suits against BYU,” BYU head coach John Brooks said. “On the men’s side, all of our returned missionaries and freshmen are really getting into the swing of things and are swimming well. For our women’s team, Katie Smith, Zerlynn Tiang, Brenna Dickson and Kelly Hatanaka all had great meets as well.”

In the women’s 200-yard medley relay, a BYU team of Ashlee Spindler, Anna Dahl, Lillian Moore and Alexandria Sorensen posted a 1:47.62 for second place. A men’s team consisting of Jake Taylor, Stephen Richards, Rainer Ng and Payton Sorenson placed third in the event with a 1:31.04 finish.

Vanessa Moffatt tied for second in the women’s 1000 freestyle with a 10:41.21 finish, while Shawn Western, Luis Ventura and Dallin Johnson swept the men’s side of the event with finishes of 9:48.26, 9:48.28 and 9:49.18, respectively.

Ellie Thornbrue took first in the women’s 200 free with a 1:53.39, with Lauren Shaw Taylor registering a 1:54.18 for third place.

In the women’s 100 backstroke, Spindler took third place, finishing in 58.66, while Taylor and Preston Jenkins took second and third in the men’s event with finishes of 48.78 and 50.29.

In the men’s 100 breaststroke, Stephen Richards placed second with a time of 57.16. Ryan Sorensen posted a 58.37 time to take third in the event for the Cougars.

BYU swept the women’s 200 butterfly, with Dickson registering a 2:07.93 for first, Tiang posting a 2:07.97 for second and Moore finishing in 2:08.20 for third. On the men’s side, Ng posted a 1:50.07 to take first in the event. Seth Russell placed third for the Cougars with a time of 1:55.57.

Sorensen and Smith took first and third in the women’s 50 free with times of 24.30 and 24.67, respectively. In the men’s event, Sorenson took first place with a 20.41.

Thornbrue placed third in the women’s 100 free with a 53.43 finish, while Sorenson earned third for the Cougars in the men’s event with a 46.17.

In the men’s 200 back, Taylor posted a 1:49.02 finish, good enough for third place,

Hanna Skaggs finished the women’s 200 breaststroke in 2:25.82, which earned her third place in the event. Stephen Richards took first for the Cougars on the men’s side, posting a 2:03.78.

In the women’s 500 free, Hatanaka earned first place with a 5:01.78 finish, with Thornbrue posting a 5:05.05 for third. Ventura and Connor Anderson placed first and third in the men’s event, with finishes of 4:38.68 and 4:43.68, respectively.

Tiang swam to a 57.49 in the women’s 100 fly to take third for the Cougars. In the men’s event, Ng placed third with a 49.63.

Hatanaka finished the women’s 400 individual medley in 4:29.02, good enough for second place. Brayden Murphy took third place for the Cougars on the men’s side, posting a 4:10.44.

In the final race of the day, a BYU women’s team of Smith, Alora Foliaki, Taylor and Thornbrue took first place in the 400 free relay with a 3:33.00 finish. In the men’s event, a team comprised of Taylor, Sorenson, Jenkins and Connor Stirling finished in 3:01.80 to place second.

“After our training trip and a little time off, we were really geared up and prepared to battle,” BYU head diving coach Tyce Routson said. “Jordan Tuckfield has been working hard and got his cut for NCAA Zone Diving Championships on the 1-meter board. Ali Tippetts-Kottcamp won the 3-meter event for the women and put together a really high-scoring dive. We are now looking forward to preparing for the rest of the season.”

In the women’s 1-meter dive, Kaela Call placed third with a score of 247.25. Matt Denkers took second in the men’s event with a 317.20 result, followed by a third-place score for Kevin Dreesen with a 314.80. Tuckfield’s score of 301.55 was good enough to earn him his cut in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships later this year.

Tippetts-Kottcamp won the women’s 3-meter dive, posting a score of 278.25. In the men’s event, Dreesen took first for BYU with a 331.45, while Denkers finished in third with a 313.10.

BYU men’s and women’s swim and dive will take to the road to battle Denver and Minnesota next Friday and Saturday in Denver at the El Pomar Natatorium.