TMU Aquatics jumps back into the pool competitively after a month layoff

In its first meet in over a month, TMU Swimming & Diving still managed to claim a few individual victories and in-season best times on Saturday at The Wyatt Balman Invitational, hosted by Soka University.
 
"The team had a solid mid-season meet," Master's Director of Aquatics and Head Coach Gabe Woodward said. "We swam tired so a number of our times were a little off, while at the same time we swam a number of new in-season best times.
 
"The highlights of the meet were JT Sears winning in both the 200 fly and 500 free and Xavier Gutierrez winning the 200 free."
 
Sears posted race-best times of 4:54.67 in the men's 500-yard freestyle and 2:00.79 in the men's 200-yard butterfly, while Gutierrez swam a meet-best 1:48.70 in the men's 200-yard freestyle.
 
Nilton Dos Santos de Oliveira finished right behind Gutierrez in the 200-yard free (1:49.50) to place second, while posting another second-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (53.29 seconds). He also finished third in the men's 50-yard free (49.05 seconds) with Gutierrez finishing two spots behind in fifth (49.84 seconds).
 
David Kugler finished second in the men's 200-yard backstroke (2:15.87) and fourth in the 200-yard IM (2:03.55). Marcus McCormic (1:01.86 – men's 100-yard back) and Ryan Tanis (5:10.24 – men's 500-yard free) each placed fourth in their respective events.
 
"Ryan Tanis swam a solid 5:10 for his first 500 swim in a couple years," Woodward added.
 
The men's 200-yard free relay of Sears, Dos Santos de Oliveira, Tanis and Gutierrez placed third in a time of 1:30.24.
 
"On the women's side Delaney Philips dropped 13 seconds and her 500 free from her last swim which was very encouraging," Woodward said. "Allyn-Ashley Bennett dropped a couple seconds in her 500 free as well."
 
Bennett's times of 5:39.20 in the women's 500-yard free and 2:32.58 in the women's 200-yard IM earned her sixth place in both events. Lezly Plahn placed third in the women's 50-yard free (25.95 seconds) and fifth in the women's 100-yard free (56.68 seconds).
 
"Makayla Power continues to impress as she improves coming from a water polo background," Woodward highlighted.

As a team, the men placed second out of five teams with 341 points, while the women finished fifth of seven with 281 points. Combined, TMU accumulated the third-most points (622) of the seven competing institutions.
 
The Mustangs are set to compete on Friday and Saturday at the 2021 Collegiate Winter Invitational, hosted by the University of La Verne at East Los Angeles CC in Monterey Park.