Posted: Oct 23, 2023
LMU Lions Compete in First-Ever MPSF Open Water Championships
Lions Compete in First-Ever MPSF Open Water Championships
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The LMU women's swim team competed in the inaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Open Water Swimming Championships on Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.
The meet was a 5K swim around six large buoys in Long Beach's Marine Stadium. The weather was perfect, and the water conditions were calm, ideal for an open-water swim.
The Lions showed decently, considering this was the first time many athletes competed in this style of race.
Bella Flaminio was the top finisher for the Lions, scoring 12 points and finishing the course in 1:06:18.
True freshman Erin Kau also put up four points for the Lions as she finished the course in 1:07:03.
"I'm extremely proud of our team members who stepped up to join our open water group. They were willing to learn new skills and train for a race which none of them had done before. I'm very happy with the results and their achievements," said assistant coach Erik Matheson.
A whole cadre of Lions finished just off the scoreboard, with Mackenzie Kawashiri, Natalie Hogenboom, Ryann Dorris and Grace O'Connell coming in one after another.
LMU also put up 23 points in the 2000-meter relay portion of the championship, with Hogenboom, Flaminio, Kau and Kawashiri finishing in 28:32:00.
LMU will be back in action on Friday, November 3 for a dual meet against Pepperdine at the Burns Aquatic Center. The races will begin at 2:30 p.m. (PT).