Swimmers Setting Career Bests at Husky Invite

The Alaska swim team has competed well through two days at the Husky Invitational at the University of Washington. The meet is put together by the Husky Swimming Foundation, and the team is swimming in it in place of some of the other large meets they’ve traditionally swam in the past.

Mariya Pavlovskaya has swam strongly as Nanooks fans have become accustomed to seeing. She made her third NCAA “B” time standard Friday in the 200 Yard IM with a 2:09.18 13th place finish. She previously held the 400 IM and 1650 Freestyle.

Pavlovskaya also qualified for Sunday’s finals with a sixth place finish in the 400 IM (4:33.98) and seventh place finish in the 100 Breaststroke (1:07.41) on Saturday.

She set her fourth NCAA “B” qualifying time of the season Saturday – this time in the 100 Breaststroke (1:06.95) in her preliminary swim.

Kinsey Laine and Meghan O’Leary came out strong Saturday. Laine qualified for a second swim with a 31st place finish in the 200 Freestyle (2:00.85). O’Leary did the same with a 29th place finish in the 100 Backstroke (1:01.98). Both marked season bests.

But the swimmer Lemley couldn’t stop raving about was Kendra Day, who swam lifetime bests in the 50 Freestyle (24.96), 100 Butterfly (1:01.61) and 100 Backstroke (1:03.48).

 “Had she not graduated a semester early last year, this would be Kendra’s freshman year and this would be her first big meet as a college swimmer,” Lemley said. “She entered UAF last January and only had a month to train with us before she swam in our conference championships. Although she did well, its nothing compared to how she's done so far this year with three months of training under her belt.”

Day’s 24.96 preliminary time in the 50 Freestyle on Friday ranks her at No. 4 all-time in the Alaska record book. She went on to finish 31st and finaled in the event. Her 100 Butterfly was a five-second improvement and ranks her No. 7, while her 100 Backstroke now ranks No. 8.

“Her races absolutely mirrored her training ethic, which is exactly what a coach hopes for - that you get out of our sport what you put into it,” Lemley said.