NCAA Div. I: Arizona State Swamps British Columbia

By Jason Bellamy

TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 4. THE Arizona State University Sun Devils' men's swim team defeated the University of British Columbia 127-72, while the lady Devils disposed of their Canadian visitors by an almost identical score, 128-74 in dual meet action in Tempe today.

Men's Meet
Despite taking first-place points in only six of 11
events, Arizona State's No. 5 men's swimming team easily defeated the University of British Columbia 127-72, today at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. The meet does not count toward ASU's current 4-0 dual record.

In the first event of the day, ASU's 400-yard medley relay team of Ahmed Hussein, Russell MacDonald, Simon MacDonald and Nick Brunelli won easily in 3:21.98, however British Columbia responded by taking the top spot in three of the next four events.

The lone exception for ASU was in the 50y freestyle, where Justin Mathias (20.76), Bobby Zaabadich (20.85) and Mark Hill (20.97) swept the top three spots and Wiley Wallace (21.36) placed fifth.

The Sun Devils were equally dominant in the 100y free, this time seeing Brunelli (45.53) and Gavin Meadows (45.62) finish one-two, with Anders Lyrbring (46.70) and Gerrit Hillebrand (46.98) placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

ASU wasn't as lucky in the distance events. In the 1000y free, UBC's Mark Johnston finished nearly six seconds ahead of ASU's Mike Dowling (9:37.03) to win in 9:31.25, before taking the 500y free in 4:36.71.

In addition to the 400y free relay, in which Mathias, Lyrbring, Bo West and Meadows clocked in at 3:00.88, the Sun Devils also got individual wins from Russell MacDonald and Simon MacDonald (no relation). Simon MacDonald edged UBC's Kevin Johns in the 100y butterfly 49.64 to 50.51, before Russell MacDonald edged Brian Johns 57.62 to 57.89 in the 100y breaststroke.

Women's Meet
Arizona State's eighth-ranked women's swimming team
defeated the University of British Columbia in exhibition dual action at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center by the score of 128-74, today. The win does not count toward ASU's present 5-0 dual record.

The Sun Devils captured first-place points in seven of 11 events, including the 400-yard medley relay, in which Florencia Szigeti, Ágnes Kovács, Florence Mauro and Sarah Baham combined to touch the wall at 3:52.98.

Kovács and Baham each went on two win a pair of
individual events. In the 200y individual medley, Kovács cruised to an easy victory in 2:03.80. Although it was her slowest time of the year in that event, Kovács was nearly seven seconds faster than her nearest competitor, UBC's Kelly Doody. Kovács' other win came in the 100y breaststroke, where she and Riley Mants finished one-two in 1:02.50 and 1:05.98,
respectively.

Baham's individual wins were in the 50y freestyle, where she edged teammate Alicia Wheelock 24.35 to 24.68, and the 100y butterfly, which she won easily in 56.01.

In the 100y free, Szigeti and fellow freshman Kari Wilcox swept the top two spots with respective times of 52.38 and 53.64. Amanda Stanford was ASU's other individual winner on the day, claiming the 1000y free in 10:10.39.

British Columbia was led by Jessica Deglau, who won the 200y free in 1:49.88, before taking the title in the 500y free in 4:52.96.

Upcoming meets
Swimming and diving action resumes tomorrow at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, starting with the Sun Devil Invitational at 9:00 a.m., where the ASU women will contest teams from the University of Missouri, North Carolina State and Lake Forest College. At the
conclusion of that meet, the No. 5 ASU men will put their 4-0 record on the line against No. 12 Michigan.

Complete Meet Results

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