Photos courtesy of Karina Toriz. Video courtesy of Dr. Pleiades.

Similar to the podium finishers in the previously held men’s race at the 5 km MPSF Open Water Swimming Championships, Ginger Kiefer, Kai Flanagan, Vivi Criscione, and Gabriela Robles took off right from the start and merged into the lead pack.

The trio swam bunched up throughout the 5 km MPSF Open Water Swimming Championships held in Marine Stadium in Long Beach, California yesterday.

Kiefer, a sophomore 10:09 1000-yard freestyler, Flanagan, a sophomore and former Waikiki Roughwater Swim winner, Criscione, a 4:56 500-yard freestyler, and Robles from Puebla, Mexico kept pushing the pace in the five-loop course, eventually separating themselves from the trailing packs.

Under sunny skies, no wind, warm tranquil conditions, and 65°F (18.3°C) water, Marine Stadium was the perfect setting for a great competition among college student-athletes – and spectators who lined the course from end to end.

Kiefer edged Flanagan and Criscione to win her first major open water swimming championship and earn an automatic qualification to the USA National Open Water Swimming Championships as did second-place Flanagan and third-place Criscione.

https://youtu.be/rzhvoa9kqOI?si=h5MIHuHciZ8LxEEz

Both the men’s and women’s 5 km race on October 19th, organized by Kaia Hedlund, were live streamed at Game On Live Studio.

Women’s 5 km Results:

1. Ginger Kiefer, 19, Idaho University, 1:05:36.00
2. Kai Flanagan, 19, California Baptist University, 1:05:41.00
3. Vivi Criscione, 19, Grand Canyon University, 1:05:42.00
4. Gabriela Robles, 20, California Baptist University, 1:06:00.00
5. Bethany Rahn, 20, Idaho University, 1:07:14.00
6. Ola Wegrzynowska, 22, Grand Canyon University, 1:07:39.00
7. Laura Kalmar, 21, Fresno State University, 1:08:15.00
8. Enya Linson, 19, University of California Santa Barbara, 1:08:35.00
9. Riley Baldwin, 19, Fresno State University, 1:08:42.00
10. Summer Dean, 19, Grand Canyon University, 1:09:19.00
11. Maren Rusk, 19 Pomona Pitzer, 1:09:29.00
12. Holly Lenarz, 18, Idaho University, 1:09:31.00
13. Madison Caserio, 20, Fresno State University, 1:09:47.00
14. Riana Barrett, 20, Whittier College, 1:09:49.00
15. Ava Elliott, 19, Fresno State University, 1:09:51.00
16. Bennett Jones, 19, Pomona Pitzer, 1:09:51.00
17. Skylar Bruner, 19, University of San Diego, 1:10:23.00
18. Abigail Rousseau, 21, Fresno State University, 1:10:28.00
19. Abby Raclaw, 19, Pomona Pitzer, 1:11:22.00
20. Olivia Anfinson, 18, University of San Diego, 1:11:42.00
21. Emily Sheldon, 18, Biola University, 1:11:45.00
22. Maria Chatzi, 22, Grand Canyon University, 1:11:46.00
23. Kate Spraul, Westmont College, 1:11:47.00
24. Sera Hanagan, 21, Fresno State University, 1:11:48.00
25. Avery Easterling, 19, California Baptist University, 1:11:48.00
26. Graeleigh Jones, 21, Pomona Pitzer, 1:11:53.00
27. Olivia Garrison, 21, Westmont College, 1:11:57.00
28. Erin Kau, 19, University of San Diego 1:12:03.00
29. Sophia Hurd, 18, University of San Diego, 1:12:07.00
30. Emma Bustamante, 20, Westmont College, 1:12:08.00
31. Grace McAnear, 18, Westmont College, 1:12:09.00
32. Emma Robinson, 19, Westmont College, 1:12:09.00
33. Ava Langston, 19, Idaho University, 1:12:14.00
34. Hannah DeSoto, 21, Westmont College, 1:13:34.00
35. Mallory Paine, 18, University of San Diego, 1:13:40.00
36. Andrea Bish, 21, Pomona Pitzer, 1:13:55.00
37. Bethany Garcia, 18, University of San Diego, 1:14:04.00
38. Coco Friedley, 20, Biola University, BIOLA 1:15:15.00
39. Anna Dyckerhoff, 21, Whittier College, 1:15:18.00
40. Katlyn McCurtain, 19, Westmont College, 1:15:25.00
41. Amelia Buyers, 21, Idaho University, 1:15:25.00
42. Julia Smimioff, Concordia University Irvine, 1:15:31.00
43. Sienna Lefeber, 18, Idaho University, 1:15:35.00
44. Marie Mason, 18, Idaho University, 1:16:01.00
45. Lilli Nemetz, Westmont College, 1:16:20.00

Women’s 4x500m Relay Results:

1. Fresno State University A in 24:58.00 with Samarah Melia, Laura Kalmar, Sam Arredondo, Riley Baldwin
2. Grand Canyon University A in 25:30.00 with Maria Chatzi, Vivi Criscione, Summer Dean, Ola Wegrzynowska
3. Fresno State University B in 26:12.00 with Jenna Pulkkinen, Clara Laskey, Franzi Djatej, Marija Rutkauskatie
4. California Baptist University A in 26:42.00 with Ambrin Pienaar, Naya Koc, Lynn Henke, Isabella Aiello
5. Westmont College A in 26:46.00 with Grace McAnear, Olivia Garrison, Kate Spraul, Emma Robinson
6. Pomona Pitzer A in 26:48.00 and Biola University A in 26:48.00 with Sofia Chavez-Varela, Morgan Kampfer, Rachel Munch, Chloe Colvard,
7. Concordia University Irvine A in 26:55.00 with Morgan Warren, Naomi Nakaya, Elena Argabright, Payton Doak
8. Westmont College B in 27:11.00 with Katlyn McCurtain, Emma Bustamante, Lilli Nemetz, Hannah DeSoto
9. California Baptist University D in 27:47.00 with Tania Brooks, Kathryn Connors, Amber French, Hailey Todd
10. California Baptist University B in 28:02.00 with Emma Hagan, Sara Svorcan, Martina Stefinec, Nicole Reynolds
11. Concordia University Irvine B in 28:11.00 with Aliyah Treadwell, Bree Anderson, Makayla Novak, Faith Urquhart
12. California Baptist University C in 28:26.00 with Olivia Walton, Sofia Maksimova, Liberty Edwards, Mia Maspers
13. Concordia University Irvine C in 29:11.00 with Kassidy Harris, Brinkley Hallgren, Julia Smimioff, Brooke McCoy
14. California Baptist University E in 27:09.00 with Alexis Kreshner, Gabriela Robles, Emily Dressel, Broke Shadduek

Women’s Team Scores

1. Grand Canyon University 121
2. California Baptist University 112
3. Fresno State University 111
4. Pomona-Pitzer College 76
5. University of Idaho 68
6. Westmont College 59
7. Biola University 50
8. Concordia University 38
9. University of San Diego 18
10. University of California Santa Barbara 17
11. Whittier College 11

Photos courtesy of Karina Toriz. Video courtesy of Dr. Pleiades.

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