After he returned to campus following a long four days at the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference Championships this week, head coach
Byron Davis took a moment to reflect on how far Master's aquatics has come over the last year.
The program's growth isn't only demonstrated by the sheer number of athletes it will send to NAIA nationals next month, but also by the well-rounded nature of the traveling party.
Master's will be represented in Knoxville, Tennessee, by two individuals (one man and one woman), eight relays, and a diver.
"We've come so far even just from last year alone," Davis said. "Adding to the men's team and having predominantly freshman on the team and all of those freshmen going to nationals for the first time is exciting."
The arrival of four accomplished male swimmers before the season and the emergence of
Lezly Plahn and
Xavier Gutierrez as dual stars during this week's conference finals have infused TMU aquatics with even more momentum than it possessed after its women's team made a strong showing at nationals during the program's inaugural season last year.
Plahn hit her third NAIA "A" standard on Saturday when she finished the 100-yard freestyle in 54.41 seconds. She secured "A" cuts in the 50 free and 100 backstroke earlier this week.
Plahn, a junior, said she didn't expect to qualify in the 100 backstroke because she hadn't competed in the event since her freshman year of high school.
"Coach said, 'You have individual events or relays every day expect for this one. You could do the backstroke or the butterfly.' And I said I'd way rather do the backstroke," Plahn said. "He threw me in there to see how fast I could go, and I ended up getting it. "
Plahn would be the program's second woman in as many years to swim three individual events at nationals. She said the 50 free is her favorite.
"Because it's the quickest and you have to go all-out," she said.
Plahn was part of TMU's 400-free relay that qualified for nationals on Saturday in 3 minutes, 55.79 seconds. She was joined by
Madison Eaton,
Simone Williams and
Faith Cancik, whom Davis credited for swimming an exceptional anchor leg.
"Everyone stepped up and played their role," said Davis, whose women's team will send 200-free, 200-medley, 400-free and 400-medley relays to Knoxville, where they'll be joined by Mustang diver
Courtney Simpson. In addition to the group that swam the 400-free relay Saturday,
Alisal Perez,
Selma Matiashowski and
Yasmine Corel have also factored into TMU's relay success.
For the men, freshman
Xavier Gutierrez hit the NAIA "A" standard in the 100 butterfly on Friday. Like Plahn, the event was not part of Gutierrez's original plan this season, but at Davis' suggestion, he took on the challenge.
Gutierrez has also hit the "B" standard in the 50 and 100 freestyles this season, and because he was a member of TMU's nationals-bound 200-free, 200-medley, 400-free and 400-medley relays, he can add one of his "B" cuts as a bonus event.
Mazen Hussien,
Raymie Matiashowski and
Brandon Watson, all freshmen, are the other members of TMU's men's relays. The groundbreaking foursome will be the first men to represent Master's at swim nationals.
