The Seattle University women's swim team kicked off the 2011-12 season by participating in the first day of an invitational meet Friday night featuring host Boise State and New Mexico at the Boise West YMCA Pool.
Kevlyn Richards (Gig Harbor, Wash.) nearly pulled off a victory in the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall with a time of 1:05.91, just 7/10ths of a second after Heather Harper of Boise State. Alexis Morehouse (Vancouver, Wash.) was close behind Richards in third place, finishing with a time of 1:06.02.
Rachel Leighter (Eugene, Ore.) also earned a second-place finish, posting a time of 2:11.94 in the 200 backstroke while passing New Mexico's Amber Amr in the final 50 yards. In the final event of the evening, the 400 freestyle relay, the quartet of Hanna Basler (El Cajon, Calif.), Melissa Randolf (Everett, Wash.), Tina Nguyen (Hillsboro, Ore.), and Nicole Doi (Pleasanton, Calif.) finished in fourth place with a time of 3:40.68.
In the opening event of the meet, Basler, Richards, Tessa Franke (Santa Monica, Calif.), and Doi finished fifth in the 400 medley relay with a time of 4:03.96. Casey Hoffman (Federal Way, Wash.) finished ninth in the 500 freestyle in a time of 5:20.03, followed by Bethany Gehrke (Lynnwood, Wash.) in 10th place in 5:21.60.
Nguyen was the top Redhawk in the 50 freestyle, finishing ninth overall with a time of 25.70 seconds, just ahead of Doi in 10th place in 25.72 seconds and Randolf in 11th place in 25.77 seconds. Ellyn Rivers (Elgin, Texas) finished in 10th place in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:16.28.
Freshman Mackenzie Gant (Richland, Wash.) was the team's leading swimmer in two events, finishing 11th in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.23 and 12th in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:15.79, 1/100th of a second ahead of Morehouse.
Boise State leads the team standings, winning every swimming event on its way to collecting 426 points. New Mexico won the one-meter diving event and is second with 325 points, followed by Seattle University with 168 points.
The three teams will conclude the two-day invitational Saturday, Oct. 15, beginning at 11 a.m. local time. The Redhawks will return home and welcome UC Davis and Idaho to the Connolly Center Pool for the home opener next Saturday, Oct. 22, starting at 12 noon.