Blue Team Wins 25th Annual NAU Swimming & Diving Blue vs. Gold Meet

credit: NAU

DIVE IN! -- Danielle Borth shows the style that earned her wins in both the 1-meter and the 3-meter diving events, with a score of 283.88 for the 1-meter and 270.30 for the 3-meter. Northern Arizona University Swimming and Diving formed two teams, the Blue and the Gold, to practice among themselves in preparation for the regular season of swim meets this year.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — It came down to the final event, the 200 freestyle relay, and the Blue Team edged out the Gold Team by just over half a second to win the 25th annual NAU swimming and diving Blue vs. Gold Meet.

The final score was a close 53-51 in favor of Blue. The meet is made up of 12 events and pits the Lumberjacks against one another as a final preparation before the first regular season meet of the year.

The Gold Team won seven of the 12 events and had a strong lead midway through, but Blue took first and second in events eight and nine to narrow the gap.

“It was great to see our girls racing hard and having fun,” said head coach Andy Johns. “At this meet we learn a little more about each of them and also learn what we have to work on.

“[The best thing today] was seeing the enthusiasm and the encouragement they showed for each other, especially in the final relay.”

Tami Binek and Danielle Borth, both of the Gold Team, were both winners of two individual events on the day. Binek took first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 27.35 and also won the 100 freestyle in 1:00.17.

Borth swept the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events with a score of 283.88 on the 1-meter and 270.30 on the 3-meter.
 
An impressive four freshmen were individual winners at the meet. Vivian Landeck took first in the 200 freestyle, Kate Schafer won the 200 individual medley, Kristen Miernicki won the 150 backstroke, and Kim Kopra won the 150 breaststroke.

The Blue Team earned 14 points in the relays compared to zero for the Gold Team, as there are no points for second place. The team of Julie Ward, Renee Rother, Maria Hechanova and Ashley Kurtz won the 200 medley relay, while Rachael Foe, Miernicki, Claire Ferro and Becky Triemstra edged out the competition in the final event, the 200 freestyle relay.

Rother also won individually in the 150 butterfly as did Triemstra in the 400 freestyle.

Diving coach Nikki Huffman was impressed with the five of seven divers who were able to compete. “They did really well for early in the season,” said Huffman.

“Those that have been able to train every day did their hard dives and did a great job, and even the girls who haven’t been able to train as much did great. We still need to get more consistent and work in some harder dives, but overall they did really well.”