Sophomore Andrea Ward earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Athlete of the Week honors after an outstanding showing at last weekend’s Arena Invitational in Long Beach.
The swimmer helped the Gaucho women to a seventh-place finish in the field of 21 teams.
Ward had several outstanding individual swims. She posted a career-best time of 16:49.38 in the 1650 freestyle and took fourth place in the event. In the 100 butterfly, she posted an NCAA ‘B’ cut with her time of 54.07 while taking seventh in the event. Ward also took 11th in the 500 free with a time of 4:53.84.
The sophomore swam in each of the Gauchos’ relays, helping her team to a top-eight finish in each. In the 800 free relay she took sixth (7:27.29), in the 400 free relay she took seventh (3:25.05), and in the 200 free (1:33.36), 200 medley (1:42.96) and 400 medley relay (1:33.36), she placed eighth.
Ward currently owns the league’s top times this season in the 500 free, 1650 free, 100 butterfly, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay.
UCSB will be back in action at the Texas Invitational from Dec. 1-3 in Austin, Texas.
