Oklahoma Baptist En Route to NAIA Title Sweep; Biola’s Christine Tixier in Position to Win Swimmer of Meet

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, March 7. THE Oklahoma Baptist Bison continued to dominate the NAIA Championships being held in their backyard in Oklahoma, while Biola’s Christine Tixier is on her way to an incredible individual title trifecta.

Oklahoma Baptist’s Laura Galarza, Emma Forbes-Milne, Lisa MacManus and Andres Antonissen kicked off the night with an NAIA mark in the women’s 200-yard free relay as they posted a 1:32.15. That effort eclipsed the 1:32.88 set by a similar OBU foursome of Forbes-Milne, Galarza, MacManus and Lexie Keller a year ago. Concordia’s MacKenzie Bailie, Tara Bletcher, Sarah Jamieson and Brooke Roy placed second in 1:35.94 with Olivet Nazarene’s Kelsey Weener, Sam Elam, Rachel Jirik and Holly Risinger finishing third in 1:37.03.

OBU took down another NAIA mark as the men’s squad of Logan Lassley, Daniel Robbins, Daniel Ramirez and Garland Sullivan posted the first sub-1:19 time in NAIA history in the men’s 200-yard free relay with a 1:18.43. That swim cleared OBU’s 1:19.50 from last year by Ramirez, Nick Schuttinger, Sullivan and Lassley. Olivet Nazarene’s Ty Jacobs, Jacob Anderson, Josh Lercel and Simon Pheasant placed second in 1:20.26. SCAD’s Pat Cardillo, Joel Ax, Ryan Searles and Mark Shvartsman wound up third in 1:21.49.

Brenau freshman Courtney Hayward won the women’s 400-yard IM title by more than a second with a 4:30.53 for the win. Fellow freshman, Tiffany Ray of Olivet Nazarene, touched second in 4:31.58, while OBU’s Janne Morales Medina wound up third in 4:33.21. OBU’s Tim Richard followed with a 3:54.49 to take home the men’s 400-yard IM title. Olivet Nazarene’s Aaron Buchanan picked up second in 3:57.87. SCAD’s Karl Hegwein snared third in 3:59.23.

Biola’s Christine Tixier claimed her second title of the meet with an NAIA-record time of 54.35 in the women’s 100-yard fly. That swim bettered her 2012 NAIA record of 54.60. Last night, Tixier snagged the 200 IM crown with a 2:04.48. OBU’s Lisa MacManus touched second in 55.79 with Brenau’s Michelle Billeaud finishing third in 56.73.

Oklahoma Baptist’s Daniel Ramirez crushed the NAIA record in the men’s 100-yard fly in the morning with a 46.73 before dropping it to a 46.13 in the finale. Coming into the day, Nick Schuttinger held the record with a 47.30 from a year ago. SCAD’s Mark Shvartsman finished second in 48.54 with OBU’s Garland Sullivan winding up third in 48.61.

Oklahoma Baptist’s Laura Galarza smoked the women’s 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.18, half-a-second off Alex Peters’ 2011 NAIA record of 1:49.58. Union’s Callie Harrigan finished second in 1:52.39, while OBU’s Lexie Keller posted a third-place time of 1:52.42.

SCAD’s Joel Ax clipped an NAIA record in the men’s 200-yard freestyle with a 1:36.71. That performance undercut Nick Schuttinger’s 2013 mark of 1:36.87 set as a relay leadoff. SCAD’s Pat Cardillo took second in 1:39.22 with OBU’s Javier Sossa claiming third in 1:39.82.

OBU’s Kerryn Mullin edged Olivet Nazarene’s Sydney Harris, 1:04.29 to 1:04.67, for the women’s 100-yard breaststroke crown. OBU’s Heidi Greener touched third overall in 1:05.23. OBU’s Gregory Penny then led an OBU podium sweep with a 54.03 in the men’s 100-yard breast. Victor da Franca (55.29) and Tim Richard (55.59) took second and third.

Oklahoma Baptist’s Lisa MacManus steamrolled the women’s 100-yard backstroke finale with a 54.69, while Brenau’s Talia Sola took second in 56.15. OBU’s Alena Titenkova touched third overall in 56.73.

In diving action, Kristen Brimage won the women’s three-meter event with a 222.50. Michelle McDonald took second with 212.70 points, while Michaela Patterson placed third with 176.10 points.

OBU’s Lisa MacManus, Kerryn Mullin, Laura Galarza and Lexie Keller took home the women’s 400-yard medley relay title in 3:46.28. Olivet Nazarene’s MacKenzie Anderson, Sydney Harris, Whitney Whitehead and Sam Elam clinched second in 3:55.50. Brenau’s Talia Sola, Mary Katherine Jabbia, Michelle Billeaud and Courtney Hayward earned third in 3:55.86.

Oklahoma Baptist’s Daniel Ramirez, Gregory Penny, Garland Sullivan and Logan Lassley picked up the men’s 400-yard medley relay title in 3:12.88. That swim obliterated the previous record of 3:15.27 set by Fresno Pacific in 2012. SCAD took second in 3:17.88 with Olivet Nazaren placing third in 3:21.79.

The OBU women pushed out to an extensive lead with 625 points, while SCAD held second with 351 points. Olivet Nazarene (291), Brenau (238) and Concordia (232) rounded out the top five. For the men, OBU is well ahead with 639 points. Olivet Nazarene (336), SCAD (331), Concordia (293) and SAU (198) stand second through fifth.

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