White defeats Blue in season opener

White swept the Blue team in the annual opening meet Saturday for BYU swim and dive to start the 2016-17 season.

“It’s fun to see our alumni come back and this caps a week of events,” BYU coach John Brooks said of the Blue/White and Alumni meet. “It was a challenge and was good to see our team be competitive, cheering each other along. We had some of the athletes we really need to have step up in events where we are shallow.”

In the combined scoring, the White team defeated the Blue team, 243-202.  The White men’s team won 138-98, while the White women’s team won 113-106. However, the Blue team won the overall week-long challenge matches by 31 points.

Multiple winners in Saturday's meet were junior Preston Jenkins, freshman Darrin Lam, freshman Casey Cunningham, sophomore Kelly Hatanaka and freshman Tiare Coker.

Jenkins won the 100 backstroke, 200 free and 200 individual medley for the men along with Lam in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.  Cunningham won the 200 and 500 free for the women along with teammates Hatanaka in the 200 back and 200 IM, and Coker in the 100 free and 100 butterfly.

Sandi Menhennett Smith of St. George was a the oldest alumni participating in the meet, having been a member of the 1983-86 BYU swimming teams.

The Cougars are next in action this Thursday evening when they host the Utah/BYU Relays.