Feb. 25, 2005

Big West Day Three Results

LONG BEACH, Calif.- The Pacific Tigers men's swim team inched closer to a third Big West title in the last four years by securing first and second place finishes in five of the day's events and held onto their first place standing on Friday, Feb. 25. The Pacific women's swim team is still in second place, trailing UC Irvine by 50 points with one more day of events to go.

On the women's side, Freshman Ja-Neil Bragg (Manteca, Calif.) picked up yet another conference title with a school and meet record time of 4:15.94 in the 400 IM, just a mere 0.01 off the NCAA A cut time. It was her second title in as many days as she won the 200 IM on Thursday. Another freshman, Ziada Jardine (Cape Town, South Africia) earned a second place finish in the 100 Breast with a time of 1:03.74.

On top of placing a swimmer in first or second place in five of the day's events, the men also set three new school records. Freshman Krzsztof Zoldak (Oswiecim, Poland) continued his sensational freshman year by picking up another conference title, this time in the 400 IM with a new school and meet record time of 3:48.14. That time broke his previous school record time of 3:52.30, which he set at the UNLV Invite in December. Sophomore Kenny Yamamoto (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) finished right behind him in the 400 IM with a career best time of 3:57.34.

Zoldak wasn't finished though, as he teamed up with fellow freshman Wojciech Betlej (Mielec, Poland), and seniors Will McLaughlin (El Cajon, Calif.) and Vince Martinez (Castro Valley, Calif.) to set a school record in the 400 Medley Relay with a first place time of 3:15.92.

McLaughlin, despite finishing second in the 100 Fly, also broke his own school record with a time of 47.84 in the event. Finally, senior JP Russell (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) earned his first individual championship in the 200 Free with a team best and season best time of 1:37.66.

The Tigers will finish up the Big West Conference Championships tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 26, with events 29 through 42. The women will try to bounce back to capture their fourth straight title, while the men will look to keep hold of their first place standing and win the Big West for the third time in four years.