Thanks to the continuing improvement of this year’s newcomers as well as veteran leadership, the Seattle University women’s swim team earned its first dual meet victory of the 2013-14 season, defeating Whitworth University, 161-99, Saturday afternoon at the Whitworth Aquatic Center.
Blaise Wittenauer-Lee (Portland, Ore.) won two individual events and swam the second leg in both Redhawk relay victories, starting with the 400 medley relay as she joined Carlee Bock (Bellingham, Wash.), Jane Liggett (Portland, Ore.), and Nicole Doi (Pleasanton, Calif.) to a winning time of 3:59.29. After a three-second victory in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.88) and a win in the 500 freestyle (5:12.74), she helped Bock, Doi, and Melissa Randolf (Everett, Wash.) finish first in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:38.57.
Emma Foster (Clancy, Mont.) also put together a strong performance, winning the 1000 freestyle in 10:48.09 and finishing second in the 500 freestyle in 5:14.36, season-best times in both events for Foster. Fellow freshman Kristin Hoffman (Mercer Island, Wash.) led a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 freestyle with a winning mark of 2:00.39, followed by Doi in 2:01.24 and Annika Perry (Reno, Nev.) in 2:01.97.
Doi would pick up an event victory of her own, finishing first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 54.42 seconds. Liggett dominated the 200 butterfly, touching the wall over five seconds before her nearest competitor with a time of 2:12.66. Kate Sabourin (Santa Rosa, Calif.) did the same in the 400 individual medley, posting a mark of 4:41.70 for a five-second victory.
Bock came close to a victory in the 100 backstroke, finishing second by just 17/100ths of a second with a time of 59.43 seconds. Randolf was 1/10th of a second off victory in two events, as she finished second in both the 50 freestyle (25.32) and the 100 butterfly (1:00.56). But the closest call came in the 200 backstroke, as Perry touched the wall 4/100ths of a second behind the winner with a time of 2:29.30.
Seattle University (1-5) heads to Colorado Springs, Colo., next weekend for meets against Air Force, North Dakota, and Northern Colorado Friday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. Mountain time, and Saturday, Jan. 18, at 11 a.m. local time. The Redhawks will return home for their final official dual meet of the season against Simon Fraser (Jan. 25) before getting ready for the WAC Championships Feb. 26-March 1.