EDMOND, Okla. (Jan. 19, 2022) – A couple of Oklahoma Christian swimmers approached assistant coach Noah Yanchulis after the Eagles' dual meet against Sterling (Kan.) on Wednesday night, concerned about their event times. His advice to them: "Don't be."

Between the holiday meet and events cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic resurgence, it had been more than two months since the OC women had competed, and the primary goal of the meet Wednesday was to get the Eagles back into a competitive mindset. That goal was accomplished, even as the Eagles rolled to a 143-34 win over their NAIA opponent at the Mitch Park YMCA pool.

OC won eight of the 10 events, with five separate swimmers – Olivia Rollen, Laura Byars, Mallory Mead, Cheyenne Parks and Hannah Day – each prevailing in one event.

"It's hard to believe that we haven't raced in almost two months, so this is really important that we got in and got off the blocks and got the rev going," OC head coach Josh Davis said. "It's a nice marker to see where we're at. When we race next week … we're going to be way better and then in three weeks in our conference championships, we should be back on track."

Rollen, a freshman from Edmond, took top honors in the 50-yard freestyle in 25.04 seconds. Byars, a freshman from Lubbock, Texas, won the 200 freestyle in 1:58.44 and took second in the 100 freestyle in 55.34 seconds. Mead, a sophomore from Timonium, Md., took the 500 freestyle in 5:22.79.

Parks, a sophomore from Guthrie, won the 100 backstroke in 59.49 seconds and Day, a freshman from Peyton, Colo., won the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.73.

The Eagles won all three relay races. Rollen, Hope Hill, Vivian Pitsch and Jaiden Branstrom prevailed in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:41.53, while Byars, Kaylee Ward, Madysen Monroe and Pitsch took the 400 freestyle relay in 3:46.24. In the 200 medley relay, the OC quartet of Pitsch, Andrea Rogers, Parks and Rollen won in 1:52.05.

Before the meet, OC honored members of its senior class – Savanna Barth, Jillian Contich, Maggie Farley, Grace Hill and Andrea Rogers.

The Eagles' final dual meets of the season will be Jan. 28-29 in Springfield, Mo., against William Jewell (Mo.) and Drury (Mo.), respectively.

Josh Davis discusses the meet: https://youtu.be/Q6E-RNO0wFk

Video of the meet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYf351Wq96c