Denver Pioneers Top Air Force in Pink Meet

DENVER, Colorado, November 2. THE University of Denver women’s swimming and diving team cruised to a victory over the Air Force Academy on Saturday afternoon, topping the Falcons by a score of 139-104 in a breast cancer awareness “pink” meet.

Denver Press Release

The University of Denver women’s swimming and diving team defeated Air Force Saturday, 139-104 at El Pomar Natatorium. The Pioneers wore pink to raise awareness for breast and lung cancer.

“We’re always excited to pick up a win,” head coach Brian Schrader said. “I think Air Force brought a good challenge today and our girls responded event by event which was fun to watch.”

Winning nine out of 13 events, Denver put up leading times early on in the meet. The women swimmers opened by claiming the top spot in the 400 medley relay (3:50.53). Made up of freshmen Johanna Roas (Munich, Germany) and Amanda Sanders (Littleton, Colo.) and juniors Drew Matthews (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) and Samantha Corea (Vancouver, British Columbia), the relay team beat the second place Air Force group by three seconds.

Performing well for the third week in a row was junior Bridgette McNally (Lone Tree, Colo.). McNally won both the 200 freestyle (1:51.53) and the 200 backstroke (2:00.48). Also posting top times for the Pioneers were Zoe Huddleston (Rothschild, Wis.) who won the 50 freestyle (24.02), Matthews who claimed the 200 butterfly (2:09.58) and Roas who got first in the 100 freestyle (51:73). Corea, Roas, Huddleston and Matthews closed the meet on a high point, winning the 400 freestyle relay (3:29.48).

“The women are making each other better and in meets, and that’s really a good sign of building a great team,” Schrader said. “It was a fun win for us today and we just have to make sure we get a good three weeks of training in before we go to Iowa. But I’m excited to see what that will bring because I think we’ve been doing what we need to do.”

Women’s diving also did exceptionally well versus Air Force. In the first event of the meet, 3-meter diving, junior Dana Gau (Waukesha, Wis.) claimed the top score with a 248.25. Next, freshman Cat Badillo (Elizabeth, Colo.) won first place and broke a school record with her 1-meter diving score of 274.28.

“I was very proud of all three DU divers today,” head diving coach Channing Kimball said. “They are working hard to make corrections to their dives and score more points at each meet. It was very exciting to have Cat get another Zone cut and break the pool record on 1-meter.”

Denver swimming and diving closes the fall season at the University of Iowa Invite on Friday, Dec. 6 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Air Force Press Release

Air Force women’s swimming & diving dropped a 139-104 dual meet at Denver Saturday afternoon. Junior Kim Davis and freshman Genevieve Miller led the Falcons with a pair of wins.

Air Force had four first-place finishes and seven second place finishes in the 13-event meet. Davis won the 200 medley (2:03.98) and 200 breast (2:19.77), while also placing second in the 100 free (52.66). Miller won the 500 free (5:03.37) and 1650 free (17:17.34). The 1650 time is the ninth-fastest time in school history.

The Falcons also had second place swims from sophomore Maddy Huttner in the 200 IM (2:08.87), sophomore Jenna Tasic in the 200 fly (2:10.27) and senior Erin Bleyl in the 200 free (1:53.24).

The Falcons also placed second in both the 400 medley relay (Laughlin, Schlosberg, Aranda, Cesare – 3:53.23) and 400 free relay (Bleyl, Laughlin, Miller, Huttner – 3:32.16).

Sophomore Jessica Horn was the top Falcon diver, placing second in the 3-meter diving (239.78) and third in the 1-meter (244.58).

The Falcons lost a dual meet for the first time this season, falling to 8-1.

Air Force returns to action at the Hour of Power Relay at Colorado College on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

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