Results

LA MIRADA, Calif. – Cal State East Bay broke two school records and recorded four NCAA national provisional qualifying times on day one of the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference (PCSC) Championships at the Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatic Center. The Pioneers are in fifth place after the opening day with just 12 points second through fifth.

Website: 2014 PCSC Championships

Rachel Shimizu and Hannah Cutts were the lone Pioneer individual competitors on Wednesday as both swam in the final of the 1,000-yard freestyle. The teammates finished within .11 seconds of each other as Shimizu, who trailed from the start, out touched Cutts at the wall to take fourth overall.

Shimizu's time of 10:28.45 is a new school record by over a full second. Shimizu and Cutts (10:28.56) became the first two swimmers in Pioneer history to break 10 minutes, 30 seconds in the event. Both finished under the NCAA "B" cut time of 10:33.10.

"Night one of the Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference Championships was led off with huge lifetime-best times by sophomore training partners," praised East Bay Head Coach Ben Loorz. "Swimming across the pool from each other, the East Bay swimmers proved that they do indeed train side-by-side, with only a one-tenth separation at the finish."

Cal State East Bay finished runner-up in both the 200 medley and 800 free relays. The Pioneers surpassed their top two finishes from a season ago with three relay events remaining.

Kamaehu Alboro, Makila Schuck, Caitlin DeNise, and Madison Hauanio combined to finish the 200 medley relay in 1:43.43. The Pioneers were one of three teams to finish within a half-second of each other as Alaska Fairbanks (1:43.06) won and UC San Diego (1:43.56) took third. The East Bay time is a program record by more than four full seconds and well under the NCAA "B" cut time of 1:47.17.

"Their time is currently the fifth fastest in the NCAA. DeNise's and Hauanio's respective legs were the fastest of the entire field. Equally exciting, the top three teams, including East Bay, swam under the old PCSC Conference record," said Loorz following the conclusion of the first of four days of competition.

Brittany Rojo, Hauanio, Noelle Farrar, and Shimizu capped off the day earning a second place finish in the 800 free relay in a time of 7:37.35. The time was more than 11 seconds under the NCAA "B" cut mark and within two seconds of the program record.

"East Bay's depth was on display in the final event of the evening, the 800 Freestyle Relay, in which four Pioneer swimmers once again combined for the silver medal," said Loorz. "The speed in both short and long events, plus the great depth, displayed by the Pioneers this evening gives me reason to look forward to moving up in the team standings tomorrow."

UC San Diego leads with 253 points after day one action. Pepperdine (175), Alaska Fairbaks (172), Azusa Pacific (170) and East Bay (163) round out the top five in the women's team standings.

The PCSC Championships resume at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13, with the 500-yard freestyle.