Cougars cap off weekend at Colorado Mesa Invite

Colorado Mesa Invite Day 2

Final Results

FInal Scores

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.– Jake Taylor and Ellie Thornbrue led the Cougars in a strong weekend performance as BYU swim and dive capped off a two-day event at the El Pomar Natatorium in the Colorado Mesa Invite.

“Our team really swam well today and I liked the effort they gave,” BYU head coach John Brooks said. “Overall, I think our team is getting better and better with each meet. Each week we are working on things, and it’s paying off. We are improving from last year individually and as a team as well.”

The meet was an Invitational setup, but BYU traveled its entire squad to compete against the other teams. In overall dual meet scores for the men’s side, Air Force edged BYU 218-175 but the Cougars were able to top Colorado Mesa 305-87. The women’s team was able to defeat Colorado State 221.50-171.50, and outscored Colorado Mesa 321-72.

In the women’s 100-yard individual medley, Lillian Moore took first for the Cougars with a time of 59.28. Jake Taylor finished the men’s event in 50.53, good enough for first.

The Cougars took first place in the women’s 200 freestyle relay, with a team of Ellie Thornbrue, Alora Foliaki, Katie Smith and Alexandria Sorensen finishing in 1:36.92. The men also took first in the event, with Jake Taylor, Preston Jenkins, Connor Stirling and Payton Sorenson leading the way to a 1:21.95 finish.

BYU swept the women’s 200 buttefly event, with Moore finishing first with a 2:06.70 time, Vanessa Moffatt taking second with a time of 2:07.34 and Ellie Thornbrue finishing third in 2:08.38. Rainer Ng took first in the 200 fly, posting a 1:49.59.

The women’s team swept another event in the 500 free, with Kelly Hatanaka finishing in 5:09.55, good enough for first. Thornbrue finished in 5:10.64 for second, and Moffatt came in third at 5:12.62. Luis Ventura finished the men’s event in 4:40.00, good enough for second place.

In the men’s 200 backstroke, Taylor posted a 1:48.97 finish in the men’s event, good enough for first. Preston Jenkins came in a close third, clocking a time of 1:51.01.

BYU swept its third event of the day in the women’s 100 fly, with Thornbrue taking first at 57.40, Zerlynn Tiang taking second at 57.61 and Moore placing third with a 57.91 finish. Ng took first in the men’s event, posting a time of 49.32

In the women’s 400 free relay, BYU placed first, with a team of Thornbrue, Smith, Dickson and Foliaki posting a 3:31.06. On the men’s side, a team of Taylor, Jenkins, Sorenson and Stirling finished in 3:00.64, good enough for second in the event.

"Everyone showed great potential for the upcoming season," BYU head diving coach Tyce Routson said. "I was happy to see the men take first and second on both boards. The women's team also showed a lot of promise, tightly finishing in the top five."

In the men’s one-meter dive, Kevin Dreesen placed first, with a score of 333.00. Fellow BYU diver Trayton Speth took second in the event with a 260.30.

Ali Tippetts-Kottcamp placed second in the women’s three-meter dive, coming in with a score of 233.10, while freshman Kaela Call tied for third with a 203.05 finish in the event.

The men’s team will face its next competition at the Pacific Invite Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24 at the Kjeldsen pool in Stockton, California. Friday’s events will begin at 7 p.m. PDT. Saturday’s events will kick off at 10 a.m. PDT. The next meet for the women’s side will be against Boise State at the Richards Building Pool on Saturday, Oct. 31.