FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona swimming & diving team waited a while for their first home dual meet of the season and they punctuated Senior Day with a 182-118 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday with another complete team effort that they are getting accustomed to. The Lumberjacks claimed the win in the opening relay and coasted to a win past their Western Athletic Conference rival, providing Alex Huff, Alexis Juergens and Caitlin Wright with a successful Senior Day.

"The relay was big from the start and then our distance girls did a great job," said head coach Andy Johns. "New Mexico State came back and won a couple of events, but we answered with Urte (Kazakeviciute) winning the breaststroke and Alina (Staffeldt) winning the fly and that got us back. At the break though we were in a meet, they had just won the diving event, but our breaststrokers and distance team swept and that was the meet right there."

The Lumberjacks won 10 of the 16 events and while it may have been Senior Day, a pair of underclassmen shined the brightest as sophomore Urte Kazakeviciute and freshman Roni Houck each won two events.

The quartet of sophomore Jori Lindquist, Kazakeviciute, freshman Alina Staffeldt and Juergens got the meet off on a high note by winning the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:58.16. The win allowed NAU to take an early lead in the meet and the Aggies were never able to climb in front. Juniors Kendall Brown and Eva Pold followed with a one-two finish in the 800 freestyle with Brown dominating her way to the victory with a time of 9:17.52, besting all of her competitors by at least 10 seconds.

After New Mexico State responded with wins in the 200 free and 100 back to close the NAU gap to 40-34, Kazakeviciute swung the momentum back to the 'Jacks with her first win of the day in the 100 breast, posting a time of 1:13.10. Staffeldt then won the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:19.52 and Houck notched an impressive win in the 50 free with a time of 26.99 sending NAU into the first break with three straight victories.

Houck was not done as she paced everyone in the 100 free out of the break with a time of 59.60. However, the Aggies stayed within striking distance with a win in the 200 backstroke coupled with their win on the 3-meter springboard until the Lumberjacks locked down the win with a pair of one-two-three sweeps.

First in the 200 breast, Kazakeviciute, freshman Melanie Harris and junior Monica Pruett swept the top three spots, while freshman Kimmy Richter led the charge in the 400 free. Behind Richter, Pold and Wright finished second and third respectively as NAU effectively clinched the meet. Juergens and Staffeldt then went one-two in the 100 fly and junior Chelsea Jackson picked up the victory on the 1-meter board with a score of 276.67 before the Aggies closed out the day with wins in the final two events.

On the diving boards, all four of NAU's healthy divers scored points in at least one of the two events. Aside from Jackson's victory on 1-meter, junior Carlye Townsend was the team's top finisher on 3-meter, placing second with a score of 251.77. In both diving events, NAU held three of the top four spots.

"Our seniors did great and whether they're winning events or scoring points, they're still a really important part of what we're doing," Johns said. "They're the leaders of this team and it was nice to send them out with a win on their Senior Day. It was also great to see our freshman stepping up and contributing. Overall we were pretty good and in spots we were really good."

The victory was NAU's fourth straight victory over New Mexico State and the Lumberjacks have now won 11 straight dual meets at home.

"It felt so good to be home and in a familiar environment," Houck said. "It's the seniors' last year and I wanted to help make this meet special for them. This whole year, I want to give them a good final year. They mean so much to me to put into words. I've learned so much from them."

NAU will compete in Las Vegas, Nev. next Saturday through Monday, Dec. 13-15, at the UNLV Invite. The team's next dual meet will be at San Diego on Dec. 20.