ASC men's, women's swimmers combine for six new school records on day one of Mesa State Invitational
Machado, Berumen lead Grizzly men with new modern era marks Saturday
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Adams State men’s and women’s swimming teams were led by a first-place finish from freshman Kelly Erickson (Federal Way, Wash.), a third-place finish from freshman Jennell Higgs (Socorro, N.M.), and five new records on day one of the Mesa State Invitational on Saturday at El Pomar Natatorium.
Host Mesa State leads the men’s, women’s and combined field, while Colorado Mines is second in all three. The Mavericks own a combined team score of 1,265 points, thanks to a 576 point performance from the women and a 689 point day from the men. The Orediggers, whose men have amassed 583 while the women has earned 439, own a combined score of 1,022.
Metro State is third in the combined with 673 (352 women/321 men), followed by Colorado College in fourth with 561 combined (259 women/302 men) and the Grizzlies with 215 combined (174 women/41 men).
Higgs and Erickson had stellar days, each recording a pair of individual program records for the Grizzlies.
In the 50 yard butterfly, Erickson recorded an impressive victory with a time of 27.98 seconds, 39/100ths of a second ahead of event runner-up Sarah Hagerstrom of Mesa State. Even more impressive was that she accomplished the feat after hitting her hand on the bulkhead, a moveable pool wall, in the cooldown tank and finished the race with blood streaming down her hand.
Erickson also etched her name into the top spot of the ASC record books with a time of 1:18.11 in the 100 yard breaststroke. The time was 1.17 seconds quicker than the previous mark and good for a fifth-place finish in the event.
In the 200 yard butterfly, Higgs' third-place went more than two full seconds under the previous ASC mark in the event with a time of 2 minutes and 18.24 seconds.
Earlier in the day, Higgs smashed the Grizzlies’ pervious top mark in the 200 yard backstroke, touching trhe all in 2:19.83, taking fifth place with a time seven seconds faster than the standing record.
Erickson and Higgs were joined by freshmen Jennie Thorson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Amanda Angelovich (Longmont, Colo.) later in the day for the 200 yard medley relay, in which the Grizzlies placed fourth with a time of 2:03.47, the second fastest ASC stime of the season in the event.
The Grizzly men also got in on the record setting action, as freshmen Jared Machado (Castle Rock, Colo.) and Max Berumen (Lafayette, Ind.) set ASC modern era men's swimming records.
Machado actually clocked the top two modern era Grizzly times in the 50 yard butterfly, as he earned a spot in the event's final by placing 13th with a time of 28.33 seconds in the morning prelims, and came back in the evening to clock a time of 28.03, good for 12th place, in the finals.
Though he didn't make the finals in the event, Berumen recorded a time of 53.65 seconds in the 100 yard freestyle prelims, beating his own previous modern era mark in the event.
Machado and Berumen teamed up with fellow freshman Taylor Rousell (Port Orchard, Wash.) as well as junior Kenny Babcock (Colorado Springs, Colo.) to record the men’s best finish of the day in the 200 yard medley relay. ASC placed fourth in the day’s final event with a time of 2:06.35.
The final day of competition at Mesa State gets underway Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Fans who can’t make it to El Pomar Natatorium can catch the action on the web via live broadcast at AmericaOne (formerly B2 TV). Information regarding single-event viewing passes can be found here.
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