At the beginning of the season, coach Barbara Jahn was optimistic about where this swimming and diving team could go.
The Aggies, fresh off a Big West Conference team title, entered the newly formed Mountain Sports Pacific Federation with high hopes of what they could do; yet Jahn wouldn’t go so far as to name UC Davis the favorites.
“It’s a brand new conference with some new schools and I think it’s going to be harder for any one team to dominate,” Jahn said before the season. “Where will we end up? I have no idea.”
The Aggies ended up on top.
The UC Davis swimming and diving team claimed the title behind a dominating performance at the championships.
The Aggies never relinquished the lead and accumulated 726 points to win their second straight conference championship since becoming an official member of Division I.
As one can expect, the swimmers, and the coaches, feel pretty good about themselves right now.
“I am very proud of them. To bring home a result like this after a tough defeat last month shows true toughness,” Jahn said.
Senior Linda Hermann shared the sentiment of Jahn. Hermann was glad to end her UC Davis swimming career on such a high note.
“I am just so blessed to have been given this opportunity. [My teammates] are like a second family to me,” Hermann said.
The Aggies set six school records en route to the team title.
UC Santa Barbara finished nearly 100 points behind the dominating Aggies with Cal Poly finishing a distant third.
In the 400 freestyle relay, the final event of the day, Kayleigh Foley, Hermann, Heidi Kucera and Ashley Chandler combined to win the event and set a UC Davis record with an NCAA “B” Consideration Standard time of 3:20.66.
UC Davis finished this season the same way they finished last season – on top. The seniors will go to the Allington Memorial Senior Meet next weekend.
UC Davis has been dominant in swimming and diving since its move to Division I. While the Aggies will lose some key seniors, they will be in good shape to make another run at the MPSF Championship in 2012.
RON HOOPER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
