Results

COMMERCE, Calif. – Cal State East Bay outlasted a field of 10 other collegiate programs to earn the 2013 La Verne Winter Invitational title on Sunday at the Brenda Villa Aquatic Center. The Pioneers racked up 2,134.5 points over the three day competition while setting multiple school records and achieving several NCAA provisional qualifying times.

As a team Cal State East Bay won seven events and recorded 21 podium finishes over the weekend. The Pioneers recorded two each within the meet's opening event, the 200-yard medley relay.

CSUEB finished first and third to lead wire-to-wire over the weekend. The winning team's time of 1:45.35 was a school record by over two full seconds and a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA national championships. In addition, Kamaehu Alboro set the school record with her 26.73 second 50-yard backstroke leg to lead off the relay. She would also go on to set the 100 backstroke school record in placing second with a time of 57.86.

"I was very pleased with our performances this past weekend. We had some breakout swims for people that have been 'in the works' for a while," said East Bay Head Coach Ben Loorz. "Our backstrokers were particularly outstanding as a group. Four different individuals have now held the 100 backstroke record in the last two weeks. That level of internal competitiveness is what allows us to go to a meet like the La Verne Winter Invite and win."

The Pioneers won four of five relays and achieved national provisional qualifying times in all five. The 400-yard medley relay capped off the meet and was led off by senior Caitlin DeNise. She broke Alboro's record set earlier in the day with a national "B" cut time of 57.45.

DeNise had a big weekend earned individual events wins in the 100 free (51.36) and 100 fly (56.27). She touched the wall simultaneously with teammate Brittany Rojo in the 100 fly as both shared the event win.

Another pair of Pioneers nearly shared an event win as Alyssa Tenney took the 200 individual medley (2:10.00) out touching teammate Madison Hauanio (2:10.02) at the wall. Tenney finished third in the 400 IM (4:34.80) dropping nearly seven seconds off her own school record mark.

Mariam Lowe finished with three podium individual finishes after taking third in the 500 free (5:10.59) and 100 back (58.40), along with a runner-up result in the 200 back (2:06.25). East Bay placed two team members on the podium in both distances of the breaststroke. Courtney Schwiesow took third in the 200 (2:26.54) and second in the 100 (1:06.94).

Concordia-Irvine took second (1,680) finishing over 450 points behind the champion Pioneers. Meet host La Verne took third (1,472) and Fresno Pacific fourth (1,320.5).

Cal State East Bay will remain in Southern California for the week before it faces UC San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Complete meet results can be found by downloading the Mobile Meet app and searching Collegiate Winter Invitational.