2016 MPSF Championships Results - Day 1

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. -- A pair of third-place finishes in the first two relays of the week put the UC Davis women's swimming and diving team third among a tightly bunched group to conclude day one of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif., on Wednesday night.

UC Santa Barbara, which won the 200 medley relay and finished second in the 800 free relay, leads the way with 74 points, just ahead of defending champion Hawai'i, which won the 800 free relay en route to 70 points. The Aggies are third with 64 points, just two ahead of fourth-place Pacific and 10 up on fifth-place BYU. San Diego (30) and Cal Poly (26) round out the field.

The quartet of Aislinn Dresel, Hailey Ferko, Hilvy Cheung, and Courtney Schultz, opened the night with a season-best in the 200 medley relay, touching in a time of 1:41.76 to finish two-tenths behind Pacific and more than a second back of the Gauchos. The time, however, was three-tenths better than the Aggies' previous season best of 1:42.04 set at the Phill Hansel Invitational back on Nov. 20.

Swimming the 800 free relay for only the second time this season, the UC Davis team of Cheung, Mia Facey, Iris Brand, and Kirsten Brand, touched third in the event with a time of 7:19.64, finishing behind the Rainbow Wahine (7:14.75) and UCSB (7:16.57). The time bested the Aggies previous low of 7:27.87, also set at the Phill Hansel Invitational back in November.

Day two of competition begins on Thursday (Feb. 18) at 10 a.m. in Monterey Park with the prelims of the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free, with the finals of those events plus the 200 free relay, to follow at 6 p.m. The diving competition will also get underway at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena, Calif., with the 1-meter competition.

2016 MPSF SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Monterey Park, Calif. - East Los Angeles College
Feb. 17, 2016

(Winners plus UC Davis student-athletes)

TEAM SCORES (after day one - relay points only)
1. UC Santa Barbara - 74 points
2. Hawai'i - 70
3. UC Davis - 64
4. Pacific - 62
5. BYU - 54
6. San Diego - 30
7. Cal Poly - 26

WOMEN'S 200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY - 1. UC Santa Barbara "A" (Low, Hoppe, Stevens, Kreuzberger), 1:40.55; 3. UC Davis "A" (Aislinn Dresel, Hailey Ferko, Hilvy Cheung, Courtney Schultz), 1:41.76.

WOMEN'S 800-YARD FREE RELAY - 1. Hawai'i "A" (Webster, Oestringer, Djelic, Weidner), 7:14.75; 3. UC Davis "A" (Hilvy Cheung, Mia Facey, Iris Brand, Kirsten Brand), 7:19.64.