By Cyanna Rosa
Los Angeles, CA - The University of La Verne Swim and Dive team had an impressive start to the SCIAC Championships, with every single relay split being a lifetime best in the two relay events held on the first night. The 800 free relay, in particular, was a standout event, with all members of the team improving by a substantial amount.
The women's team dropped an impressive 12.5 seconds from their seasseason-best while the men's A team dropped a remarkable 20.06 seconds. Asher Kocalis led off the men's A team with a lifetime best of 1:42.71, just .57 seconds behind the varsity record of 1:42.14 in the 200 freestyle. He was followed by Nathan West, who split a 1:54.62; Cody Lehotsky, who split a huge lifetime best of 1:45.53; and freshman Jake Gordon, who split a 1:52.73. Their total time of 7:15.69 earned them a 7th-place finish.
After the first day of the competition, the women's team is in 9th place with 42 points, just 8 points behind Whittier. The men's team is in 7th place with 42 points.
The SCIAC Championships continue on Thursday, and the University of La Verne Leopards are poised to make a splash with their impressive performance so far.