Becker Heading To Nationals As Alaska Wraps Up Nike Cup :: Sophomore posts NCAA A cut time in 200 butterfly for second straight year

Nov. 17, 2007

LONG BEACH, CA- This year's trip to the highly-competitive Nike Cup ended much the same as last year's visit to the same meet: the Nanooks sitting in fifteenth place, and Kelly Becker on her way to nationals.

For the second straight year, the super sophomore posted an NCAA A qualifying time in the 200 butterfly to earn an automatic trip to the Division II championships in March. Becker touched the wall in 2:06.81, good for 13th place overall: the Nanooks highest finish of the day.

Alaska showed their strength in distance swimming as well, placing two swimmers in the top 25 on the mile swim. Sam Zinsli finished the race in 17:46.06, good for 14th place out of 61 swimmers. Kinsey Laine was not far behind, turning in a 25th-place finish with a time of 18:10.25.

Freshman Mariya Pavlovskaya continued her excellent first season with the Nanooks, by turning in a 2:08.00 in the 200 back: a personal best time as well as a new varsity record. All told, the Russian native broke four varsity records over the three-day meet, snapping the school marks in both IM's as well as the 200 back and breast. She has achieved NCAA B cut times in both IM's and the 200 back as well.

After an exhausting and fast-paced three-day meet, the Nanooks now get a short break before returning to action about Pacific Lutheran on Dec. 8-9. Those meets will be held in the Patty Center pool, with start times set for 12:00 p.m. both days.