GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (Feb. 10, 2022) –
Cheyenne Parks set one school record in the 400-yard individual medley and contributed to another in the 400 medley relay to lead Oklahoma Christian on Thursday on the second day of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships.
Parks, a sophomore from Guthrie, Okla., took third in the 400 IM final in 4:29.30 after winning in the morning prelims at El Pomar Natatorium with a time of 4:26.99. Both met the NCAA Division II B time standard, with the morning time ranking 10th in Division II this season. That could put Parks in position to qualify for next month's Division II Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
Her altitude-adjusted morning time of 4:21.79 will go into the OC record book. She set the old record of 4:28.24 at last year's RMAC meet.
OC junior
Grace Hill of Santa Clarita, Calif., made the 400 IM B final and finished 14th overall with a time of 4:52.61 (4:47.61 when adjusted for altitude).
The Eagles' 400 medley relay team of freshman
Vivian Pitsch, freshman
Hannah Day, Parks and second-year freshman
Olivia Rollen placed second with a time of 3:53.75 (3:53.35 altitude-adjusted). That broke the former OC mark of 3:56.84, set by Parks,
Andrea Rogers,
Brenda Mendes and
Jamie McGarrigle at the 2019 Tiger Invitational in San Antonio.
Sophomore
Kayci McKinnon of Trophy Club, Texas, represented OC in the A final in the 200 freestyle, placing eighth in 1:55.93 (1:54.73 altitude-adjusted). Second-year freshman
Jaiden Branstrom of Lenexa, Kan., made the B final and finished 14th overall in 1:58.93 (1:57.73 altitude-adjusted).
In the team race, OC remained in third place with 241 points, eight ahead of fourth-place Western Colorado. Meet host Colorado Mesa (643.5) and Colorado School of Mines (385.5) held down the top two spots.
On Friday, the meet's third day, swimmers will compete in the 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and the 800 freestyle relay. Preliminary races will begin at 10 a.m. Central (9 a.m. local) with finals to start at 6 p.m. Central (5 p.m. local).
