Michael Wagner

Women's Swimming & Diving February 19, 2021 Katie Rapp, NAU Athletic Communications

Hope Williams Breaks NAU School Record in 100 Breast on Day 3 of 2021 WAC Championships

ST. GEORGE, Utah (February 19, 2021) – Three-time reigning 100 breaststroke WAC Champion, Hope Williams, broke Northern Arizona's top time school record for the event, posting a first-place finish with a time of 1:01.14.

Williams continues to have the best 100 breaststroke time for the Lumberjacks and now even holds the record time in the Human Performance Center at Dixie State. Previously, Williams tabbed the top-time during the 2019 WAC Championships with 1:01.16. Tonight, Williams outperformed her prior time, finishing at the top of the podium at 1:01.14.

With the win, the Lumberjacks remain on top of the scoreboard, tallying 399 points going into the fourth day of the 2021 WAC Championships.

"Today was a good day for us," head coach Andy Johns said. "New Mexico State caught our attention during warmups this morning. We started the night out 22 points ahead of them and now we are at 28 points. They had two extra swims and we outscored them."

Along with the senior's outstanding performance in the pool, the Lumberjacks received multiple top-four finishes throughout the night and recorded many lifetime best times.

Freshman Annie Carlton secured her first individual gold medal as a Lumberjack in the 200 freestyle and new lifetime best of 1:50.34. Senior Maddie Seidl also posted a new record best time of 54:88 in the 100 fly, finishing in second. Haley Mayhew recorded a collegiate best in the 100 breast (1:04.60), beating her previous time of 1:05.58.

Natalie Dinch and Sam Seiber were two of the seniors who had their lifetime best swims. For Dinch, her lifetime best was found in the B finals of the 200 freestyle, hitting the wall at 1:54.95. Dinch shaved off almost two seconds of her previous collegiate best of 1:56.46. Seiber, in the C finals of the 100 breaststroke, placed first in her race at 1:04.41, Prior to tonight's race, Seiber's collegiate best time in the event was 1:04.57.

"For those two seniors, it's as big of a deal as it is for Hope and Maddie, for them personally and for the team," Johns said.

Along with the two seniors, three freshmen found their lifetime bests as well. Maddy Rey, in the 400 IM, posted a silver-winning time of 4:22.90. Caylah Jago, swimming alongside Seidl in the 100 fly, finished fourth at 55.27. Kendall Carlson, in the 100 fly, went sixth in the B final, finishing 56.82.

"Lifetime bests are the things that everybody feeds off of and gets excited about," Johns said.

Even more encouraging for the Lumberjacks to earn their eighth straight consecutive WAC Championship title, freshman Francesca Criscione has shown consistency in her events over the past few days, recording three top finishes. Yesterday, the newcomer earned her first individual gold medal in the 800 free, and on the first day of WAC, pushed NAU to win its first relay of the four-day championships series. Tonight, Criscione placed third in the 400 IM with a final time of 4:23.81.

Wrapping up the third day of the meet, Northern Arizona posted a first-place finish in the 400 medley relay. With the quartet of Sophie Velitchkov, Williams, Seidl, and Annie Carlton, the team quickly pulled ahead of the original front runner, New Mexico State, finishing with a gold-winning time of 3:42.82.

"Hopefully we ride that momentum we had finishing with the relay win into tomorrow morning," Johns said.

In the morning, NAU will complete the preliminary round of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breaststroke and 200 fly to place into the 6 p.m. night finals. Before the session officially begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow evening, swimmers will compete in the mile, with the C finals beginning at 4 p.m. After the other events in the final round, the championship weekend will wrap up with the 400 freestyle relay.

2021 WAC Championship Day 3 Scores

Northern Arizona: 399
New Mexico State: 371
Northern Colorado: 338
Grand Canyon: 311
California Baptist: 253
Idaho: 213
Dixie State: 182
Seattle University: 117