SWM: Relays propel Vaqueros into 3rd at WSC Finals

Kaili Faust and Emily Foster went 2-3 in the 50 breaststroke on Friday and SBCC’s relay teams took second and third on Day 2 of the WSC Women’s Swimming Championships at L.A. Valley.

Faust was clocked in 31.22, just five-hundreths behind the winner. Foster was third in 32.10.

The Vaqueros placed third in the first race of the day, the 200 medley relay, in a season-best 1:55.47. Autumn Lovett swam the 50-yard backstroke (30.46), Faust did the breaststroke (30.35), Rachelle Visser swam the butterfly (27.78) and Sarah Westmoreland was the freestyle anchor in 26.93.

Santa Barbara was second in the closing 800 free relay, losing by just 0.48 seconds to Bakersfield. Foster swam the first 200, followed by Schulz, Visser and Sienna van Alphen. Visser, a freshman from Holland, swam 1:57.70 on the third leg, the fastest split of anyone in the race by 2.34 seconds.

Bakersfield leads the meet with 415 points, followed by L.A. Valley (385), SBCC (333) and Cuesta (312). The Vaqueros started the day in fourth place, eight points behind Cuesta.

The Vaqueros had three of the top six finishers in the 200 IM with Visser taking third (2:17.08), Foster fifth (2:20.85) and Schulz sixth in a personal record of 2:23.73. Lovett swam a lifetime best of 29.99 to take sixth in the 50 backstroke.

“It was another great day for the Vaqueros,” said coach Chuckie Roth. “Sarah Westmoreland, Malin Wallmon, and Dakota Chamberlin all had outstanding performances in the 50 butterfly. Sienna van Alphen did a phenomenal job in the 200 free, taking fifth in 2:03.35.”

The three-day meet concludes on Saturday.