Spring Break
Oregon State out swims Washington State by a fingertip
Beavers defeat Cougars in final home meet by a single point as junior Anna Crandall wins her fifth-career dual in the 200 free
Andy Simpson
Issue date: 2/2/09 Section: Sports
Beaver fans filled Stevens Natatorium Saturday to see the last home swim meet of the season against the Washington State Cougars.
The meet started with an Oregon State victory in the 200-yard medley relay. Jenni Dole, Signe Larson, Saori Haruguchi and Anna Crandall placed first with a time of 1:44.73.
Several new records were set, including one by Haruguchi, who set a new season record by winning the winning the 100 backstroke in 55.43. It was also her 13th-career dual win. Karri-Ann Benthin beat her previous personal record in the 1,000 freestyle by almost three seconds with a time of 11:17.12. Kayla Rawlings took first in the 200-yard butterfly, more than a second ahead of the second place finisher. Crandall and Brittany Iverson took first and second place, respectively, in the 200 freestyle. It was Crandall's fifth-career dual win in the event, and Iverson touched for second just one one-hundredths of a second before WSU freshman Emma Neely.
It was a bittersweet meet for the seniors, as it was the last home meet of the season.
"They weren't my first recruiting class but they were my second recruiting class," head coach Larry Liebowitz said. "They were the biggest recruiting class in the fact that we still have seven members here. It is a tribute to both their willingness to work hard and their loyalty to swimming."
Rawlings had mixed feelings about the meet.
"It's very bittersweet. It's sad in a way but also it was a fun meet and it's very special for us," she said. "And it was icing on the cake to win it."
Benny Beaver himself even made an appearance to cheer on the team from an inflatable raft on the sidelines, taking pictures with everyone from coaches to young fans alike.
Going into the final event, the Beavers were ahead 129.5 to 115.5. The 400-yard free relay started and the tension built with second place being fought for between OSU and WSU. The crowd created an almost deafening roar just as the Beavers touched ahead of the Cougars for third place with a time of 3:32.04. The crowd waited in silent anticipation as the officials tallied the total. The final score came down to an OSU victory, with the Beavers scoring 131.5 and the Cougars coming out one point behind at 130.5.
"Oregon State definitely stepped up and had an exceptional day across the board, going season-best times," Washington State head coach Erica Quam said. "They swam a lot faster than they have in season from what we've seen. So they certainly were ready for the competition. We had some good swims but we needed to have some really great swims to end up ahead on this one and we were a step short on a few events today."
Liebowitz was proud his the team's performance.
"It makes you nervous when it comes down to such a close race, but I think our women really fought very hard today and earned this win," he said.
The Beavers will hit the road for a meet against Boise State in Boise on Saturday, Feb. 7 before the heading to the Pacific-10 conference championship on Feb. 25.
Andy Simpson, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
The meet started with an Oregon State victory in the 200-yard medley relay. Jenni Dole, Signe Larson, Saori Haruguchi and Anna Crandall placed first with a time of 1:44.73.
Several new records were set, including one by Haruguchi, who set a new season record by winning the winning the 100 backstroke in 55.43. It was also her 13th-career dual win. Karri-Ann Benthin beat her previous personal record in the 1,000 freestyle by almost three seconds with a time of 11:17.12. Kayla Rawlings took first in the 200-yard butterfly, more than a second ahead of the second place finisher. Crandall and Brittany Iverson took first and second place, respectively, in the 200 freestyle. It was Crandall's fifth-career dual win in the event, and Iverson touched for second just one one-hundredths of a second before WSU freshman Emma Neely.
It was a bittersweet meet for the seniors, as it was the last home meet of the season.
"They weren't my first recruiting class but they were my second recruiting class," head coach Larry Liebowitz said. "They were the biggest recruiting class in the fact that we still have seven members here. It is a tribute to both their willingness to work hard and their loyalty to swimming."
Rawlings had mixed feelings about the meet.
"It's very bittersweet. It's sad in a way but also it was a fun meet and it's very special for us," she said. "And it was icing on the cake to win it."
Benny Beaver himself even made an appearance to cheer on the team from an inflatable raft on the sidelines, taking pictures with everyone from coaches to young fans alike.
Going into the final event, the Beavers were ahead 129.5 to 115.5. The 400-yard free relay started and the tension built with second place being fought for between OSU and WSU. The crowd created an almost deafening roar just as the Beavers touched ahead of the Cougars for third place with a time of 3:32.04. The crowd waited in silent anticipation as the officials tallied the total. The final score came down to an OSU victory, with the Beavers scoring 131.5 and the Cougars coming out one point behind at 130.5.
"Oregon State definitely stepped up and had an exceptional day across the board, going season-best times," Washington State head coach Erica Quam said. "They swam a lot faster than they have in season from what we've seen. So they certainly were ready for the competition. We had some good swims but we needed to have some really great swims to end up ahead on this one and we were a step short on a few events today."
Liebowitz was proud his the team's performance.
"It makes you nervous when it comes down to such a close race, but I think our women really fought very hard today and earned this win," he said.
The Beavers will hit the road for a meet against Boise State in Boise on Saturday, Feb. 7 before the heading to the Pacific-10 conference championship on Feb. 25.
Andy Simpson, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
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