Ella Blake had two individual wins (100 free, 1650) and contributed to a pool record in the 800 free relay
Ella Blake had two individual wins (100 free, 1650) and contributed to a pool record in the 800 free relay

CMS Women's Swimming and Diving Defeats Redlands for Sixth SCIAC Win

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's swimming and diving team, ranked No. 11 nationally in Division III, swept every swimming event as it earned a 187-52 win over Redlands on Saturday afternoon at Axelrood Pool. 

The win improves CMS to 6-2 in dual meets this season, including 6-0 in SCIAC, with the only two defeats coming to teams in transition to Division I (California Baptist and UC San Diego). The program also honored its seniors prior to the meet, with Liv Baker recognized for the Athenas for her contributions over the last four years. 

The Athenas quickly set the tone in the pool by finishing 1-2 in the 400-yard medley relay, with the "A" team of first-year Jameson Mitchum (back), sophomore Augusta Lewis (breast), sophomore Ava Sealander (fly) and junior Natalia Orbach-Mandel touching the wall first in 3:58.89. 

The individual races also saw CMS establish its dominance right away, with first-year Ella Blake earning a win in the 1650 in 17:54.43 and sophomore Leila El Masri picking up the first of her two wins in the 200 free in 2:01.37. Orbach-Mandel led a 1-7 finish for CMS in the 50 free in 24.65, with junior Laura Dickinson second and junior Janet Tran in third. 

Sophomore Augusta Lewis continued her mastery of the individual medley with a final time of 4:31.88 in the 400 IM, followed by fellow sophomores Natalie Larsen and Sealander in second and third. First-year Annie Johnson earned the win in the 200 fly, followed by first-year Arisa Cowe and junior Christina Campbell in second and third. 

Blake was the first Athena to win twice when she came in first place in the 100 free in 54.64, just barely edging out classmate Emily Warner 54.64 to 54.68 by a fingertip. Mitchum added an individual win in the 200 back in 2:06.89, which was followed by El Masri's second win of the day in the 500 in 5:20.31.

After the final intermission, sophomore Rachel Wander earned the win in the final individual event, capturing the 200 breast in 2:26.41, and the CMS 800-yard freestyle relay team of Orbach-Mandel, Lewis, Blake and Campbell finished off the meet in pool record time in 7:51.52. 

CMS will be back in action in two weeks for its final regular season home SCIAC meet, taking on Whittier and Occidental in a tri-meet at Occidental on Feb. 1.