DAY FOUR RESULTS | WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL
HOUSTON (Feb. 25) – Blaise Wittenauer-Lee of Seattle University women’s swimming won Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Female Swimmer of the Year Saturday night, capping off a fantastic performance by the senior. She won the 200 breaststroke in another record-breaking swim, picking up her third individual WAC title of the week at University of Houston.
"It was a very impressive weekend with 14 school records," said Coach Craig Nisgor. "To have two ladies make their 'B' cuts was great. The fire got lit and it was great to see the performances. It was amazing."
Wittenauer-Lee established herself as one of the top swimmers in program history and staked her claim as one of the best in WAC annals. In the 200 breaststroke, she shattered the previous conference mark, set in 2003, with a 2:09.85. The native of Portland, Oregon won the finals by nearly four seconds, blew away her previous SU record and improved her NCAA ‘B’ cut.
In the last two years, Wittenauer-Lee has won five individual WAC crowns, having taken each of the last two titles in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and this year’s 200 IM gold medal. She becomes the first Redhawk to win WAC Female Swimmer of the Year and appears to be in position to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
"I think it's amazing," said Nisgor. "She's put in the work and she had goals and it's well-deserved. All the coaches in the league came up to me this week and told me how impressed they were with her performances."
Madi Lydig took runner-up honors in the 200 backstroke Saturday. She swam a school-record 1:58.82 for second place and an NCAA ‘B’ cut. Jayna Van Stone took 18th place with a 2:04.80, the third-fastest time in program history.
The 400 freestyle relay squad of Wittenauer-Lee, Paige Treff, Van Stone, and Kristin Hoffman teamed up to set a school record. Their 3:26.85 performance established a new Redhawk record and took seventh Saturday. Wittenauer-Lee set the school record with her leadoff leg in the event, topping Treff's effort from earlier in the night in the 100 freestyle.
In the 200 butterfly, four Redhawks placed in the top 20. Kaitlyn Overstreet led the way in prelims, just missing her own school record with a 2:04.38 showing. In the finals, she finished seventh. Emily Gough posted the second-best time in SU history with a 2:04.54, good for 11th place Saturday. Maddie Rapp put up the ninth-fastest time in program annals with a 2:08.12, taking 19th place. Kate Sabourin placed 20th with a 2:09.36, setting a 10th-best time.
Treff's brief school-record setting effort in the 100 freestyle led a strong performance by Seattle U in the event. She logged a 51.22, breaking a seven-year old SU mark for the moment and finishing 10th in the finals. Kristin Hoffman’s 52.20 took 18th, while Maddie Dickman swam a career-best 53.16, touching 22nd.
In the 1650 freestyle, Emma Foster and Emily Breyer took 16th and 17th place, respectively. Foster tallied a 17:36.47 and Breyer notched a 18:08.80 time.
Annika Perry placed 19th in the 200 breaststroke Saturday, putting up a 2:22.86 time.
The Redhawks finished eighth in the team scoring portion of the meet. Northern Arizona won the team title.