CALDWELL, Idaho – A victory by the College of Idaho 200-yard freestyle relay team broke a deadlock after the tenth event, propelling the Yotes to a 105-96 victory over the University of Puget Sound in the men's swimming opener inside the J.A. Albertson Aquatics Center.
The quartet of
Andrew Clifford,
Matthew Kahlig,
Mitch Hawley and
Dylan Osborne hit the NAIA "A" standard with their victory in 1:28.35 – their eighth-straight dual meet victory, dating back to the 2016-17 season.
Jake Klassen and Hawley each made their return to the pool after returning from their two-year church missions and didn't skip a beat. Klassen hit the NAIA "A" cut with his win in the 400-yard IM (4:19.68) and added a "B" mark with a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (53.61), while Hawley won the 100-yard freestyle (49.64) with a "B" standard.
Also in the 100-fly, both Osborne (53.24) and
Ian Locke (53.42) hit "B" marks with their second and third-place finishes, with Locke adding a win in the 100-yard backstroke (58.39).
C of I also got a "B" cut from freshman Alex Chournos in the 400-yard IM (4:24.55).
The Division III Loggers won six events – as Brett Kolb claimed the 500-yard freestyle (4:58.87) and the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:14.80), with Eli Champagne winning the 100-yard butterfly (52.76) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:50.57).
The Yotes return to action next weekend, meeting Biola and Soka in dual meets on Friday in Oakland, Calif., before the Saturday morning Bay Area Invitational.
