EDMOND, Okla.  Western Colorado swimming on Sunday morning finished out the three-day Oklahoma Christian (Univ.) Eagle Invite with a second-place team finish as well as with two school records.

The Mountaineers accumulated 693.5 points to finish ahead of third-place Ouachita Baptist University (621 pts.) and behind only the host Eagles (1,106.5 pts.) in the women's team rankings. The men's standings saw OCU at the top with 976 points, edging out Ouachita Baptist (948 pts.).

The Mountaineers' two school records were posted by freshman Morgan Nielsen, who opened the meet Friday evening with a third-place finish in the 1,000-yard freestyle in a Western record time of 10 minutes, 34.79 seconds. She kicked off the Sunday morning session with the other record, finishing second in the 1,650 free in a time of 17:46.61.

Nielsen also added fourth-place touches during the four-session meet in the 200 free (1:56.40) and the 500 free (5:11.99).

Ringing up a trio of third-place or better finishes was Makenna Lambert. The sophomore posted collegiate best times with a second place in the 200 free (1:55.28) and a third place in the 50 free (24.29) and added a third in the 100 free (52.70).

Registering a pair of fourth-place times in the breaststroke events was sophomore Leah Wagner, who was fourth in the 100 (1:06.42), in a collegiate-best time, and fourth in the 200 (2:23.60). Wagner also raced to sixth place in the 200 individual medley (2:12.51).

Joining Wagner in the top eight in the breaststroke events was junior Trinity Caudle who set a new collegiate best in the 100 with a fifth-place time of 1:06.76 and was seventh in the 200 (2:28.53).

Sophomore AvaMarie Hopewell set a new college best time in the 100 butterfly (59.33) with an eighth in the event, and was just off her Western bests in the 1,000 free (5th, 10:48.20) and the 500 free (6th, 5:13.18).

Senior LynDea Turner cracked the top eight in three events, touching in fourth in the 200 backstroke (2:09.61), sixth in the 100 back (1:00.02) and seventh in the 400 IM (4:45.26).

Four other Mountaineers added top-eight finishes in one event each: senior Emily Jauch in the 200 breaststroke (8th, 2:29.03, a collegiate best); sophomore Ella Fries in the 100 breaststroke (8th, 1:08.29); freshman Sophia Del Rosario in the 400 IM (8th, 4:45.56); and freshman Misha Littler in the 100 free (8th, 53.80).

The Mountaineer relays were sixth or higher in all four events, finishing with a high of fourth place in the 400 free relay (3:36.97) by the quartet of Lambert, Jordan Maruska, Nielsen and Little.

The Western Colorado divers were on a different path over the weekend, participating in the 1-meter and 3-meter events during the dual meet between host University of New Mexico and rival New Mexico State.

Alexandra Wallis recorded a score of 189.45 on the 1m to lead the trio of Mountaineers. Ashlynn Mixon was next with 133.05 with Andie Moon just behind with 131.03 points.

On the 3m, Mixon scored 127.43 points while Moon tallied 104.40 points.

NEXT UP
Western will host Colorado State University Pueblo in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual meet on Saturday, December 2 at Paul Wright Natatorium. The 1 p.m. Pack the House meet will also be the Mountaineers' Senior Recognition Meet.