Record-Setting Day One For Falcon Swimming & Diving At MWC Championships

Record-Setting Day One For Falcon Swimming & Diving At MWC Championships
Falcons set school record in 800 free relay.

Freshman Hannah Cesare.

Feb. 23, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Air Force broke the school record in the women's 800 yard freestyle relay, highlighting day one action at the 2011 Mountain West Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at the OCCC Aquatic Center. The Falcon men's team sits in sixth place with 64 points and the women's team is in ninth with 42 points.

The BYU men and San Diego State women's swimming and diving teams lead the rankings with 121 and 99 points, respectively.

Shedding nearly 10 seconds off its previous season-best, the Falcon women's 800 free relay clocked a school-record time of 7:32.79. The all-freshman group of Erin Bleyl, Alivia Berg, Michelle Kuyper and Hannah Cesare beat the previous record of 7:33.48, set in 2002, by .69 seconds.

The Falcon women also swam well in the 200 medley relay, with a season-best time of 1:45.71. Samantha Laughlin, Katrina Castellanos, Haley Holcombe and Cassie Fletcher combined to improve on the previous season-best by nearly two seconds.

On the men's side, the Falcons placed third in the 800 free relay, clocking a season best and NCAA B-qualifying time of 6:34.15. The group of Benjamin Gunn, Paul Leonhardt, Tim Martinelli and Corydon Butler shaved over six seconds off the previous season best and less than two seconds from the school record.

The Falcons placed sixth in the 200 medley relay, clocking a season-best time of 1:29.47. Gunn, Cody Deacon, Leonhardt and Robert Dawson managed to shave .66 seconds off the previous season best and come within .79 seconds of the school record.

Air Force had a pair of consolation finalists in the men's 1m springboard diving. Freshman Alex Pecci placed fourth in the consolation finals with 253.35 points. Freshman Peter Cialkowski took eighth in the consolation finals with 211.45 points in the finals.

Day two action of the four-day event resumes tomorrow. Live stats will be available through the MWC website at http://www.themwc.com/champ/swim-champ-2011.html.

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