Results (PDF)

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's swim team kicked off the 2016-17 season in exciting fashion Friday with a double duel meet against University of the Pacific and Mills College on a beautiful afternoon at Pioneer Pool. Pacific, a Division I program, defeated East Bay head-to-head, while the Pioneers topped Mills.

The season-opening meet was a positive first step by Cal State East Bay, as they managed to take home four first-place finishes in the 14-event meet.

"I am extremely proud of the effort put forth by our women tonight," said head coach Shane Pelton. "Before the meet, all I asked from them was to race. Don't worry about the clock, just race. That's exactly what they did and the results showed how competitive of a team we have this season."

Senior Madison Hauanio, the school record holder in the 400 IM, took home first place in the 200 freestyle for East Bay's first victory of the day. She touched the wall in 1:54.69, just ahead of three Tiger swimmers. Hauanio snagged a second place finish in the 100 freestyle, as well, and her time of 52.66 was less than two-tenths behind the winner. The Hawaii native also anchored the 200 medley melay and led off the 400 freestyle relay, both of which notched second place finishes.

Junior Morgan McClure also impressed in her season debut, posting victories in the 200 backstroke (58.65) and the 200 IM (2:07.32). McClure was just out-touched in the 200 backstroke, settling for a runner-up finish. She closed out the evening by anchoring the 400 freestyle relay, finishing second in 3:35.88.

CSUEB's fourth individual win of the day came from freshman newcomer Victoria Zukeran. She took first place in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:11.23, two and a half seconds better than teammate Madison Faulkner in second place. Zukeran was also the team's second finisher in the 200 IM, placing fourth overall in 2:13.49.

"We swam some very tough competition and came away with some individual wins and great performances," Pelton noted. "Captain Morgan McClure and senior Madison Hauanio really stepped up and posted some very fast times with only three weeks of training thus far. Tori Zukeran came into her first college swim meet and came away with a few greats swims, including an individual win in the 200 fly." 

Junior Claire Beaty took second place in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.68), as well as the 200 breaststroke (2:26.45). She is the program record holder in both events. Beaty also swam the second leg for the 200 medley relay team.

Sophomore Vivy Hua, coming off an outstanding freshman campaign, swam the third leg of that relay, as well as the second leg of the 400 freestyle relay. Individually, she tallied a second place finish in the 100 butterfly (58.82), just ahead of Zukeran. She was the Pioneers' top swimmer in the 50 freestyle, touching the wall in fourth place overall in 24.62.

Senior Mariam Lowe took home second place in the 100 backstroke (58.86), just behind McClure. She also swam the third leg of the 200 medley relay, which finished in 1:10.83. Lowe didn't compete in the 200 back this afternoon, the event in which she holds the school record.

"All in all, I couldn't be more excited for what the future holds the rest of this season and for the program going forward," Pelton concluded. "I couldn't have asked for a better opening effort from these women in my first meet as their head coach."

Cal State East Bay has been one of the better Division II programs in the West in recent years with strong finishes at the last four Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships, but it's been two years since CSUEB qualified for NCAA Championships. This season, the Pioneers boast an experienced and deep roster under first-year head coach Pelton. It will be exciting to see whether this team can make the necessary progress over the course of the fall and winter to hit the qualifying times.

Next up, the Pioneers have a week off before swimming in another duel meet against Biola and College of Idaho on Friday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. at Mills College in Oakland.