Feb. 16, 2008

Results

LONG BEACH-Sophomore Jacqueline vanDriessche became the first Alaska Nanook swimmer this week to earn All-Conference honors at the Pacific Collegiate Swim Coaches Conference Championships Friday, taking eighth in the 100 backstroke and helping boost the Blue and Gold past Fresno Pacific in the standings.

In addition to vanDriessche, freshmen Mariya Pavlovskaya and Kinsey Laine each gave Alaska a point boost by winnning their respective heats in the finals of the 400 individual medley. Their combined efforts scored 29 points: the most Alaska has scored in an individual event this week.

Three Nanooks made it to the finals of the 100 butterfly, led by Kathryn Niemi, who finished in 22nd place after entering the event ranked 58th. Rookies Abbey Jackson and Heidi Tilicki finished 30th and 31st, respectively.

Nanook junior Sam Zinsli achieved another NCAA "B" time standard with a time of 1:57.10 resulting in an 11th place finish in the 200 freestyle: an event she took 16th in at last season's meet.

Courtney Miller shaved nearly two full seconds off of her time in the 100 breaststroke to place 28th in the event.Seeded 40th coming into the event, Miller turned in a blistering 1:15.48 in the final: a big drop from her prelim time of 1:17.01.

Niemi, Jackson, and Amanda Hartman would also reach the finals of the 100 back, finishing in 24th, 27th, and 29th place respectively.

vanDriessche, Pavlovskaya, Niemi and Zinsli would then team up to take eighth place in the 400-medley relay, snagging 44 points for the Nanooks in the process. Alaska finished Day Three with 267 total points, compared to the 226 they had at this stage last year.

Head coach Scott Lemley, however, still feels the best is yet to come for the Nanooks."Tomorrow are the girls' best events," he said. "Our expectations are high."