Swimming and Diving posts first SCIAC win of 2010

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2010) – The Occidental College women’s swimming and diving team earned its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference dual-meet victory of the season this afternoon when they kicked their way past Whittier College with a 124-112 win.

The women entered the swim meet today with a slight advantage as Sarah Sharpe and Marisa Pulcrano placed 1-2 on the three-meter diving boards Friday afternoon after placing second and third, respectively, on the one-meter board. Sharpe posted the highest scores of the meet on her first one-meter dive, with scores of 8.0, 7.5 and 7.0 on her inward dive. On the three-meter board she posted a pair of 7.0’s and a 7.5 on her reverse dive.

Pulcrano’s competition culminated with a 7.0 and two 6.5’s on her final dive from three meters, a back 11/2 somersault with a half twist. That dive followed up a back dive, half twist, that earned her a 7.0, 6.5 and 6.0. Her other high score of the day came on her first dive of the meet on the one-meter, an inward dive.

While the divers did their part, the swimmers then executed what they set out to do despite injuries and illnesses between the lanes. The Tigers kept an optimistic outlook and a positive attitude as many athletes swam off events to help the team earn the win.

Izzy Mayer, once again, swam the most yards on the afternoon, earning valuable third place points in the 1000 freestyle, which teammate Mili Kale won in a time of 11:54.90, which was well ahead of second place. Kale also won the 500 free, lowering her season best to 5:49.12 with Mayer finishing fifth.

Alena Morris and Sara Damore placed 1-2 in the 100 butterfly and Morris also won the 200 IM in a time of 2:25.19. Also earning first place finishes for the Tigers today were Sara Mendoza (200 free – 2:08.64) and Lauren Howarth, who swam the closest race of the meet. The 50 free was as exciting as it gets when Howarth out-touched Whittier’s Sara Wolff by a fingernail, winning by a tenth of a second, in 26.48 with Wolff touching the wall at 26.49. Howarth also won the 100 free in 1:16.01, 42 hundredths ahead of Whittier’s Jenna Ririe (1:16.43).

Danielle Garcia, Audrey Akcasu and Leanne Rotman also scored crucial points for the Tigers in multiple events today.

The women’s 200 medley relay team won the opening swimming event in 2:02.98 with Damore, Garcia, Akcasu and Howarth joining forces.

Occidental will jump back into the pool next weekend when they hit the road and travel to Claremont, Calif. to compete against the Athenas. Diving begins at 10:30 a.m. followed by swimming events at 11:00 a.m.