CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Sun Devil women's swimming squad opened their 2018-19 campaign on a high note, cruising past the Oregon State Beavers, 153-96, on Friday evening at the Osborn Aquatic Center.
The win marks the first on the season for ASU, securing a 10-0 all-time record against the Beavers in just the second road meeting between the two squads.
"I thought we did a fantastic job of racing after a very long day of travel to Corvallis," coach Bob Bowman said. "Our team energy was extremely positive and it made for a great environment tonight."
ASU started strong off the block from the beginning and never looked back, commencing the evening with a 1-3 finish in the 400 medley relay. The Sun Devils followed with sweeping finishes in five of the 12 individual events (excluding events in which ASU exhibitioned all swimmers), including in the 1000FR, 200FR, 200FL, 50FR and 100FR, and a top finish in all 14 events.
As a testament to the diverse talent on the squad, eight different swimmers posted top finishes in the meet, while Chloe Isleta (100BK, 200BK) and Silja Kansakoski (100BR, 200BR) marked the only two to officially touch first in multiple events.
"A number of women raced to win their events and we got a feel for who might be swimming which events as we move forward through the season," Bowman said.
Notably, freshman Ruby Martin notched her first win of her collegiate career in the 200FL while also posting a first-place time in the 100FL in which she exhibitioned. Martin also took the block in the 400 medley relay and exhibitioned in the 200FR relay.
Despite the youth of ASU's roster, senior leadership also plays a significant role in the team's growth over the last two seasons. Seniors Fanny Teijonsalo (50FR) and Marlies Ross (200FR) each won an event for ASU while the other three were all sophomores.
The Sun Devils have three weeks of training before their next task as both the men and women head to Tallahassee to face off against Florida State on October 26. The Seminoles finished last season ranked No. 21 on the men's side and unranked on the women's side, with updated rankings to come out Sunday.
The win marks the first on the season for ASU, securing a 10-0 all-time record against the Beavers in just the second road meeting between the two squads.
"I thought we did a fantastic job of racing after a very long day of travel to Corvallis," coach Bob Bowman said. "Our team energy was extremely positive and it made for a great environment tonight."
ASU started strong off the block from the beginning and never looked back, commencing the evening with a 1-3 finish in the 400 medley relay. The Sun Devils followed with sweeping finishes in five of the 12 individual events (excluding events in which ASU exhibitioned all swimmers), including in the 1000FR, 200FR, 200FL, 50FR and 100FR, and a top finish in all 14 events.
As a testament to the diverse talent on the squad, eight different swimmers posted top finishes in the meet, while Chloe Isleta (100BK, 200BK) and Silja Kansakoski (100BR, 200BR) marked the only two to officially touch first in multiple events.
"A number of women raced to win their events and we got a feel for who might be swimming which events as we move forward through the season," Bowman said.
Notably, freshman Ruby Martin notched her first win of her collegiate career in the 200FL while also posting a first-place time in the 100FL in which she exhibitioned. Martin also took the block in the 400 medley relay and exhibitioned in the 200FR relay.
Despite the youth of ASU's roster, senior leadership also plays a significant role in the team's growth over the last two seasons. Seniors Fanny Teijonsalo (50FR) and Marlies Ross (200FR) each won an event for ASU while the other three were all sophomores.
"Marlies Ross stepped up and gave us 4 quality races," Bowman said. "Having seniors step up is so important for the younger swimmers because it shows them senior leadership."
The Sun Devils have three weeks of training before their next task as both the men and women head to Tallahassee to face off against Florida State on October 26. The Seminoles finished last season ranked No. 21 on the men's side and unranked on the women's side, with updated rankings to come out Sunday.