DAY TWO RESULTS | WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL
HOUSTON (Feb. 23) – Blaise Wittenauer-Lee of Seattle University women’s swimming won the 200 IM at Thursday’s Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships. Wittenauer-Lee won the conference title in the event for the second straight year and broke her own school record at the University of Houston.
“It was a great day,” said Coach Craig Nisgor. “It was great to see everyone compete. Blaise was dominant. It was incredible to see all the times we put up today.”
Wittenauer-Lee, looking to take her third individual WAC title, trailed Rebecca Hakansson of Grand Canyon going into the final turn. The Redhawk senior cranked it up on the last leg, swimming a 28.80 to touch the wall first, nearly a second ahead of Hakansson.
Madi Lydig broke her own school record in the 500 freestyle, tallying a 4:54.87 and finishing fourth. She set the program record in the race with a 4:55.88 at last year’s WAC Championships. Northern Arizona’s Kimmy Richter won the event Thursday with a 4:51.24 showing.
Paige Treff was another record-breaker Thursday, topping her own mark in the 50 freestyle. She placed sixth in the race, just .42 seconds off the lead. Treff swam a then-record 23.49 at last year’s WAC Championships.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the Redhawks broke the program record with a 1:34.76 performance. The group of Wittenauer-Lee, Maddie Dickman, Sidney Pinger, and Treff combined to place sixth Thursday. Wittenauer-Lee’s leadoff time was the second-fastest in school history.
Pinger recorded a personal-best time of 5:06.44 in the 500 freestyle, while Annika Perry’s 2:06.55 in the 200 IM was also a career-best showing.
SU is in seventh place through two days. Tomorrow’s action will feature the finals in the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, and 400 medley relay events.