FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona swimming & diving team used their overall depth to snap a three-meet losing streak to New Mexico and in the process open the season with a victory in their home pool, 167.5-132.5, on Saturday. Freshman Niamh McDonagh was the lone Lumberjack to win multiple individual events and NAU won posted victories in both diving events to start the dual season on a high note.
 
"Our confidence in racing and our fitness are the two areas where we see the biggest difference since Blue-Gold," said head coach Andy Johns. "Moving forward, we have two tough meets next week, but we're on a really good path. Our freshmen were really good and we have such great leadership. It was a lot of fun today."
 
Although NAU and New Mexico split the 16-event meet right down the middle with both teams winning eight events, the 'Jacks managed to offset the Lobos' victories by stacking the top five scoring spots. Not including the final relay, NAU snagged three of the top five spots in the seven New Mexico individual event wins – including a set of two-three-four finishes.
 
After strong performances in NAU's Pentathlon and Blue vs. Gold meets, McDonagh carried over her success into her first collegiate dual meet recording wins in the 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. She also placed second in the 100 breast and swam the breaststroke leg of the Lumberjacks' winning 200 medley relay team to open the meet.
 
On the springboards, juniors Tatiana Kurach and Christina Torrente posted victories. Kurach led a Lumberjack one-two-three sweep on 1-meter with a winning, and career-best, score of 309.00 with Torrente and junior Raquel Gonzales following. Torrente then proceeded to take first on 3-meter with her own career-best score of 325.50. The three juniors all posted NCAA Zone qualifying scores on 1-meter, while Torrente also recorded a qualifying score on 3-meter.
 
"To go one-two-three on 1-meter was huge and in general, we had some shining moments," Huffman said. "I saw a lot of good stuff, and it goes to show that our practice and training is paying off."
 
NAU opened the meet with a narrow victory in the 200 medley relay with freshman Sarah O'Connor, McDonagh, senior Alina Staffeldt and senior Roni Houck edging out New Mexico's 'A' team by .22 seconds. The Lumberjacks' top relay got the team off on the right start with a winning time of 1:45.67.
 
New Mexico's Adriana Palomino won the 1,000 freestyle, but redshirt junior Monique King, freshman Sam Milewski and sophomore Erin Spielman countered by finishing in successive order after her. Palomino bounced right back to win the 200 free, which helped the Lobos close their deficit to 29-26, but the Lumberjacks bounced right back led by O'Connor in the 100 backstroke. O'Connor's winning time of 56.72 was followed by freshman Lauren Hazel and sophomore Fernanda Montiel in third and fourth respectively.
 
NAU led 43-31 through four events, and after New Mexico claimed the 100 breast, the 'Jacks went one-two-four in the 200 butterfly. Staffeldt won the first of two butterfly events with a time of 2:04.06, just beating junior Andrea Schmidt to the wall. Freshman Maddie Seidl placed fourth in her first dual race, before Houck placed second in the 50 free heading into the first break.
 
Kurach, Torrente and Gonzales' sweep of the top three spots pushed the Lumberjacks' advantage out to 87-63 – a lead that proved to be insurmountable. Houck touched the wall in 52.12 to win the 100 free out of the break and NAU's backstroke trio of O'Connor, Montiel and Hazel went two-three-four in the 200 back. McDonagh's first of two event wins came in a time of 2:23.99 in the 200 breast with junior Sarah Takach and senior Audrey Mann placing third and fourth respectively.
 
King, Milewski and senior Kimmy Richter once again offset Palomino's 500 free victory by taking the next three spots. Staffeldt and Schmidt then finished second and third respectively in the 100 fly going into the final break, where Torrente wrapped up her 3-meter victory.
 
McDonagh won the day's final individual event – the 200 IM – by more than a second with a time of 2:07.19. NAU concluded the meet with a second-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay and never led by fewer than 30 points in the last half of the meet.
 
The Lumberjacks are right back in the Aquatic and Tennis Complex with back-to-back meets next weekend. NAU will host Air Force next Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. The 'Jacks will then host Idaho at 11 a.m. the following morning in the meet honoring their six seniors.