Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Fresno Pacific
Bulldogs Beat Sunbirds for Historic Win
10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Oct. 23, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - On a historic Friday afternoon, the Fresno State women's swimming and diving program won their first dual meet since the reinstatement of the team in 2008 by beating the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds 182-77 with impressive swims and dives.
Head Coach Jeanne Fleck, her coaching staff and the team were thrilled to secure their first victory in front of their friends, family and community that topped over 100 fans on a warm October afternoon in north Fresno.
"We were ready to swim and are really excited," Fleck said of the victory. "We swam better than I expected. We had so many season and lifetime best times. The divers did amazing, too. We had a lot of sweeps and our young ladies performed very well. It just feels awesome to get our first win. I can't stop smiling. It is a wonderful feeling."
In every event, at least one Fresno State swimmer or diver set a season-best time or mark. The Dogs won nine of the 14 events against Fresno Pacific. The 200 yard IM and 200 yard freestyle relay were counted as exhibition events.
Fresno State opened the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 400 yard medley relay and never looked back as Bulldog student-athletes proceeded to shatter their previous season-best marks with powerful strokes, crisp turns and a focus on fundamentals.
Rayanne Nguyen broke out for a sterling freshman performance with four victories, including the fly leg of the 400 yard medley relay, 200 yard freestyle (1:57.36), 200 yard butterfly (2:08.58) and 100 yard butterfly (58.94).
Two other Bulldogs won multiple events. On the swimming side, Britney Vogel (Fairfield, Calif.) placed first in both the 100 yard (1:06.16) and 200 yard (2:26.68) breaststroke. Vogel also competed on the winning 400 yard medley team. On the diving boards, Stacey Luke (Kenmore, Wash.) led the diving domination in the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions.
Of a key note, every member of the team contributed at least one point to truly define a "team victory."
Fleck credited both this year's squad and the inaugural roster for setting the stage for the resurgence of the program.
"I am so happy for the team and last year's team," Fleck said of this moment. "I want to give last year's team credit too because if we didn't have them, we wouldn't be where we are today. They helped recruit these young ladies and brought them in to make us better. I am very proud of both teams."
The passionate Bulldog fans in attendance helped raise the atmosphere of Fresno State's first dual meet in Fresno since the reinstatement.
"I have coached for 20 years and I don't think I have had this many people at a swim meet," Fleck said. "It was so nice to have student-athletes of other sports, families and friends here to support us. I think the hometown crowd was very beneficial and our kids enjoyed it."
Fleck expects the confidence from the swims and dives to help push the team as they prepare to meet the defending WAC champion Nevada Wolf Pack next Friday in Reno, Nev.
"To have our first win under our belt and the confidence from that is key," Fleck said of the meaning of winning and swimming well. "If we swim well like today, we will give Nevada a run for their money next week."
To view individual results, click on the "Final Stats" icon at the top of the page.
"We Are Your Team!" -- The Bulldog women's swimming and diving team returns to the water next Friday in the "Biggest Little City in the World" when Fresno State meets the Nevada Wolf Pack in Reno, Nev. For the latest Bulldog information, continue visiting www.gobulldogs.com.
Players Mentioned
