Results (PDF)

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The first meet at Pioneer Pool of the New Year was a successful one for the Cal State East Bay swim team, which defeated Azusa Pacific in a head-to-head dual by a score of 129-76.

It was the first home meet for the #24 ranked Pioneers since October, and the squad celebrated with a decisive victory, winning eight of the eleven races against an APU squad that finished just behind them in the final standings of last year's Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships.

The morning started with the sun shining and the Pioneers racing to a win in the opening event, the 200 Medley Relay. The foursome of Vivy Hua, Victoria Zukeran, Tatum Roepke, and Allie Klinger posted a time of 1:51.83, more than two seconds ahead of the Cougars. 

APU's Karina Parker won the longest event of the day, the 1000 Freestyle. She finished nearly five seconds ahead of Peyton Wayment, who settled for a runner-up finish as East Bay's top finisher.

The Cougars also claimed victory in the 200 Free, as Serene Augustain led the Pioneers with a third place finish. She was just ahead of teammate Maddie Hulse in fourth place.

Allie Klinger out-sprinted the rest of the field in the 50 Freestyle to take first place with a time of 24.66. Roepke and Lauren Ostrander also swam well to give CSUEB three of the top four finishers.

Ryleigh Weight turned in a strong effort to secure victory in the 400 Individual Medley, completing all four strokes in 4:41.63. She beat fellow senior Laurel Carpenter by two seconds as the Pioneers boasted the top two swimmers in that race.

APU's Elodie Poo Cheong picked up her second win of the day in the 100 Butterfly, out-touching Zukeran by less than a second. But that was the last time East Bay would lose a race. Klinger followed by earning her second victory of the morning as well, touching the wall first in the 100 Free in an extremely close finish. Klinger was victorious by just one-tenth of a second with a time of 53.97.

The Pioneers had the top three finishers in the 100 Backstroke, led by Hua in 1:00.17. Augustain followed that by dominating the field in the 500 Freestyle, out-pacing the second place finisher by more than six seconds. 

In the final individual event of the day, freshman Rebecca Bay notched CSUEB's fourth straight victory. She narrowly captured first place in the 100 Breaststroke, turning in a time of 1:10.05.

The Pioneers wrapped up the meet by taking first in the 200 Freestyle Relay, but the last race of the day also had the closest finish. The East Bay quartet of Hua, Augustain, Ostrander, and Zukeran posted a time of 1:41.15, beating APU by just 0.05 seconds. 

The schedule continues for the Pioneers with two more home meets next weekend as they welcome in a pair of Division I opponents. CSUEB hosts San Jose State next Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. before celebrating "Senior Day" prior to Saturday's 2 p.m. dual against Nevada.