Cold fish swim at Championships

   Chapman's swimming and diving teams dipped into the water this week with their eyes fixed on a victory, but both teams ended the meet cross-eyed.

   The men's and women's teams competed at the 2012 Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference (PCSC) Championships last Wednesday to Saturday at the La Mirada Regional Aquatic Center. The Panthers performed well individually by breaking several school records, but the teams failed to achieve the same level of success as past years. The women finished ninth of thirteen teams and the men placed eighth of nine.

   Last year, the women broke four school records at the Championships. Fifteen of 20 total school records have been set in the final meet of the season.

   Junior Sami McLaughlin said the women knew they had a good chance of breaking records going into the meet.

   "We all individually focused on making our best time and figured it would work itself out in the end," she said.

   The women's team got off to a quick start Wednesday. The 200-yard medley relay team of freshmen Alex Carubis and Kirsten Spicer and juniors Amanda Morris and McLaughlin set a new time of 1:53.52. The 800-yard freestyle relay team also dropped a record, with sophomore Julie Case, along with Carubis, Morris and McLaughlin, finishing at 7:51.15 and shaving off nearly 15 seconds.

   The success continued throughout the weekend. Case set a new record for the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle. Carubis also broke her previously set 400-yard individual medley record by two seconds Friday, completing the race in 4:39.99.

   McLaughlin missed a new school record by one second in the 100-yard breaststroke.

   "I have been training for it all season and was pretty upset," McLaughlin said. "I'm happy that my best times have been in relays where we have been able to break records as a team. When you prove your best time in a relay race, it does more for the team than an individual record ever could."

   The men struggled, being disqualified from the 800-yard freestyle relay Wednesday after a member entered the water too early. The team lost 30 points in the disqualification.

   Freshman Lyle Sarembock ended his first season for the Panthers by breaking two school records for the men's team. Sarembock finished the 100-yard backstroke in 53.25 seconds and the 200-yard backstroke at 1:55.49.

   While the women compete in Division III of the NCAA, the men's team remains a club sport until next season when it can receive additional funding.

   Sophomore Ben Smith says the team is ready for the transition.

   "The whole team has stepped up because we know the competition we will be facing next year," Smith said.

   Junior Samantha Martin ended the season by qualifying for finals in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyles and set personal bests in both.

   "This was our last chance to see what we can do and go as hard as we can," Martin said. "We are all more than satisfied."

   Case was named Women's Division III Swimmer of the Year at the meet Saturday after cracking another record, this time for the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 17:24.94. Case will  represent Chapman at the NCAA Division III Championships March 21 in Indianapolis.