Air Force Academy

Oct. 16, 2009

STOCKTON, Calif. - With solid contributions from both their newcomers and veterans, the Air Force men's and women's swimming teams completed the first day of action at the season-opening Pacific Invitational, being held at Chris Kjeldsen Pool. The men are currently in first place in the team standings with 473 points, while the women sit in fourth place with 148.5 points.

On the women's side, the Falcons' top finish came in the 400 freestyle relay, where the team of Haley Holcombe (Fr., Snellville, Ga.), Alison Ceranski (So., Marinette, Wis.), Lauren Delaney (So., Panama Beach, Fla.) and Cassie Fletcher (So., Durham, N.C.) took third place with a time of 1:52.30.

Holcombe was also Air Force's top individual finisher, taking eighth place in the 400 IM with a mark of 4:42.46. Junior Kaeli Kluesner (Denver, Colo.) added another top-10 finish in the event, placing ninth, while freshman Rachel Roberts (Eagle River, Alaska) scored a top-10 finish in the 1650 freestyle, taking ninth place with a mark of 18:12.07.

Roberts was also the Falcons' top finisher in the 200 free, placing 26th, while Ceranski paced Air Force in the 50 free, taking 12th place with a mark of 24.89. Meanwhile, Katrina Castellanos (Fr., Roseville, Calif.) turned in the Falcons' top performance in the 100 breaststroke, finishing 14th with a time of 1:09.62.

The Air Force men recorded a slew of top-five showings in the first seven events, including runner-up finishes in both of the day's relays. The 200 medley relay teams of Paul Young (Fr., Lakeville, Minn.), Josh Hammervold (Jr., Sugar Land, Texas), Chris Morin (Sr., Crown Point, Ind.) and Robert Dawson (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) took second with a mark of 1:36.01, while the Falcons also took second in the 400 free relay, as Morin, Jon Jones (Fr., Highlands Ranch, Calif.), Eric Robinson (Jr., Lakewood, Colo.) and Dawson clocked a time of 3:09.00.

Dawson registered a mark of 21.85 in the 50 free to take second place in the event, while Hammervold was Air Force's top finisher in the 100 breaststroke, taking second with a time of 59.65. In the fifth individual event of the opening day, the 400 IM, junior Tom Hansen (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) was the Falcons' top performer, placing third with a mark of 4:13.68, while newcomer J.H. Vivadelli (Richmond, Va.) added a fifth-place showing in the event.

The final day of competition at the Pacific Invitational is slated to start tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. (PT).