Both teams place fourth, Suess leads Coaching Staff of the Year

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. – In the first year under head coach Juliet Suess, the Chapman University swim & dive teams have broken over three dozen school records and both placed fourth at the SCIAC Swimming & Diving Championships. Suess led the SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year for women's swimming & diving as selected by the conference coaches after a strong showing all season.

The High Tops nearly overcame Occidental for third on the final day but ended up just half of a point behind in fourth place. CMS won the team title and the Panthers finished with 359.5 points – just behind Oxy's 360 points. The Low Tops had their best-ever program finish at the championship meet, taking fourth with 315 points. CMS also won the team title for the Low Tops.

Kiana Tanizaki-Hudson made her first individual appearance on the podium after taking third in the 200 fly. She swam a 2:07.15 to take third in the championship final but finished with a school record time of 2:06.35 in the prelims.

Reid Omilian stood on the podium once again with a school record score on the 3-meter board to take second place after placing third in the 1-meter. He scored a 520.35 to climb into second place. Jake Randazzo placed fifth.

Cole Kershner also set another record as he finished off the most successful meet of his career. His finals time of 45.85 lowered his own school record and placed him fifth in the championship final.

Sophia Ryu won the 200 breast consolation final for the High Tops with a time 2:28.62. Bryce Grover took the 200 back consolation final victory with a 1:55.10

Caroline Kuhndahl took 13th in the 200 back. Avery Hall led a pair of Chapman swimmers in the 100 free consolation final in 11th and Simon Jacobs took 16th in the 200 breast. Jason Kim's 1:54.90 led Chapman with an 11th place finish in the 200 fly.

The High Tops 400 medley relay finished the meet off with a fourth place finish and the Low Tops took seventh in their final relay.

The championship meet came to a close with the fourth-place finishes for both teams. The Coaching Staff of the Year award is the first major SCIAC award for the Chapman swimming & diving program.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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