Los Angeles, Calif.- The Pacific swim team started off the MPSF Championship with a bang on the first day of the four-day meet. Pacific broke the MPSF Championship meet record in the men's 800 Free Relay and also took second in the men's and women's 200 Medley Relays. "We swam amazing," said Head Coach Peter Richardson after the men set multiple school records. "We are out swimming the competition."
Pacific's team of Miles MacKenzie, Georan Meendering, Brandon Presswood, and Curtis Klein put a stunning cap on the strong first day when they swam a 6:28.52 in the 800 Free Relay. The previous best time at the MPSF Championships had been 6:28.53, set by UNLV in 2013. Pacific blew their seed time out of the water, finishing 16 seconds better than the seed of 6:44.08.
The time was also the best in school history by seven seconds. Pacific's previous best in the 800 Free Relay was 6:35.3. Additionally, MacKenzie's leg time of the relay was 1:35.7, just .6 seconds off the best 200 Free time in Pacific history, a mark held by Brad Schumacher. The 800 Free Relay mark puts Pacific 13th in the nation despite fielding just one senior.
The impressive 800 Free Relay showing wasn't the only highlight for the Tigers, either. In the men's 200 Medley Relay, the team of Makoa Haneberg, Yahav Shahaff, Jared Vu, and Mitchell Ongstad swam a 1:26.80, good for second place and the 20th-best time in the nation. The time was also a new Pacific record, besting the old record of 1:29.2.
On the women's side, the Tigers also took second. Haley Preston, Kenna Ramey, Cristina Mardones, and Vaiva Gimbutyte put up a 1:41.56, one second off the lead.
In the women's 800 Free, Pacific finished in 7:22.62, shaving seven seconds off their seed time. That team consisted of Mardones, Preston, Whitney Jorgensen, and Jana Burkard.
The MPSF Championships will continue tomorrow starting at 10:00 am. Tomorrows events will include the prelims for the 500 Free, 200 IM, and 50 Free, as well as the 200 Free Relay.
Make sure to follow Pacific swimming on Twitter with the username @PacTigersH2O and on Instagram at pacificswimteam.
