MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine finished in third place with 1,025 points at this week’s Pacific Coast Swimming Conference Championships in Long Beach. Head coach Nick Rodionoff was named PCSC Coach of the Year in recognition of his team's efforts and senior Amanda Pond (Wayland, Mass./Wayland HS) was voted Diver of the Year.

Pond is the fourth Pepperdine diver since 1989 to win the conference's highest diving honor, joining a group that includes Bridget Kenehan (1989), Deanna Fenno (1992) and Michelle Barker (2002). Rodioff was previously named conference Coach of the Year in 2002. 

Saturday, the Waves were led by freshman Madison Krall’s (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo Centennial HS) runner-up showing in the 1,650 freestyle as they scored 242 points during the fourth and final day of competition to finish behind champion UC San Diego (1,403 points) and silver-medalist Loyola Marymount (1,381).

Krall finished the mile-long race in 17 minutes and 14.15 seconds, which was a personal record by more than 25 seconds. Her mark from tonight also stands as the second fastest in school history behind Jennifer Antimarino’s 1997 standard of 17:12.96.

 

Juniors Brianna Blanchard (Agoura, Calif./La Reina HS) and Marissa McDaniel (Oak Harbor, Wash./Oak Harbor HS) scored in this event as well with their season best times of 18:00.71 and 18:38.21.

 

Pepperdine continued to post strong showings in two other events, placing two swimmers in the top 10 of the 200 backstroke and five among the top 15 in the 200 breaststroke.

 

Freshman Rachel Cotè (Honolulu, Hawai’i/Punahou HS), Friday’s winner in the 100 back, led the Waves in the 200 back with her fifth-place time of 2:05.88 and junior Ali Chester (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly HS) was 10th with a season best mark of 2:07.99.

 

The Waves totaled 79 points in the 200 breaststroke thanks to the hard-charging efforts of junior Dani Kimmel (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake HS), sophomore Kayleen Hicks (Chico, Calif./Chico HS), freshman Joanne Perry (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin School) and seniors Sara Kallman (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy) and Alyson Loyd (Orange, Calif./Chapman University).

 

Kimmel touched the wall first among all the Waves with her fourth-place time of 2:22.97. Hicks also reached the ‘A’ finals and placed seventh in 2:25.13.

 

Perry reached the consolation finals, where she posted an 11th place and season best mark of 2:29.72. Kallman was four spots behind Perry with a 2:31.19 and Loyd came in 23rd place at 2:35.86.

 

Senior Michelle Fadley (Malibu, Calif./Northwood HS) and sophomore Francesca Cyphers (Lake Oswego, Ore./St. Mary's Academy) concluded the Waves’ individual performances with their 14th and 17th place times of 2:12.59 and 2:11.36 in the 200 butterfly. Cyphers’ mark was a season best and the fastest of all the ‘C’ finalists.

 

Pepperdine completed its four-day stay at the Belmont Olympic pool by finishing fourth in the 400 freestyle relay. Led by Hicks’ leadoff and personal split of 54.42, the team of Krall, Kimmel and Cotè combined to post a season best time of 3:35.31.

 

Pepperdine’s 2009 swimming and diving season is now complete, but be sure to regularly log onto www.pepperdinesports.com for any offseason news or updates on the Waves.