Sorensen Repeats as 50 Free Champion to Lead Broncos on Day Two of MW Championships

Sorensen Repeats as 50 Free Champion to Lead Broncos on Day Two of MW Championships

2/21/2019 9:55:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving

Boise State sits in third place after two days.

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Senior Abbey Sorensen led the Broncos on Thursday in Minneapolis at the Mountain West Championships by winning her second-straight title in the 50-yard freestyle. The divers were also a highlight today with two, Marti Erlam and Cassidy Bose, placing in the top five on the 3-meter springboard. In addition to Sorensen's title, seven other Broncos recorded personal bests on the day.

"It's always great when the team can move up the standings at night during the finals and improve upon the mornings results," said Boise State head coach Christine Mabile. "We swept the titles in all three heats of the 50 free which gives us a lot of moment going into tomorrow. I was also excited to see several of the Broncos record personal bests today. It was a strong day all around."

The first event of the day was the 500-yard freestyle where five Broncos scored by placing in the top 24 participants in the finals. Hayley Hill led the group taking fifth overall with a time of 4:48.82, nearly two seconds better than her prelims time.

Mandy Barnes joined Hill in the A final where she clocked a 4:49.57 to finish seventh. Like Hill, Barnes shaved nearly two seconds off her time from the morning prelims.

Racing in the B final of the 500 free were Lauren Vitort (4:52.04), Alyssa Schultz (4:53.17) and Jamie Nats (4:59.27) who placed 12th, 14th and 16th, respectively.

The morning session opened with the preliminary races for the 500 free where the Broncos placed two in the top-eight to advance into the evening's A final. Hill recorded the top time for Boise State clocking a 4:50.68 for sixth-place, while Barnes recorded a 4:51.76 which was good for eighth.

Schultz, Vitort and Nats all advanced to the 500 free B finals placing in the second eight. Schultz led the trio placing 11th with a time of 4:52.93, followed by Vitort with a 4:53.51 to finish 12th and Nats who swam a career-best 4:55.57 to place 16th.

The second event of the day was the 200-yard individual medley. Robin Pinger led a trio of Broncos who advanced to the finals in the evening with a season-best 2:01.00 to place third in the prelims. Senior Laura Williams finished in seventh with a 2:01.54 for her top mark of the year. In the A final Thursday night, Pinger turned in a 2:01.16 to take fourth followed by Williams who tallied a 2:03.54, good for eighth.

The third Bronco to advance out of the prelims in the 200 IM was freshman Katie McCoy who turned in a career-best time of 2:02.58 to place 13th. She followed that up with a 2:02.74 during the B final to place sixth in the heat and 14th overall.

Sorensen was a shining example of consistency on Thursday when it came to the 50-yard freestyle clocking identical times of 22.42 — NCAA B cut — in both the prelims and A final to claim back-to-back MW Championships in the event. She is the first individual to win the 50 free in consecutive years since 2015.

Emmie Jennings clocked a 23.09 — a season high — to place 11th in the morning's qualifying races of the 50 free, followed by Ally Kleinsorgen who turned in a 23.13 which was good for 14th. Both moved on into the B final where they swept the top-two places led by Kleinsorgen who won the heat with a season-best 22.90 to place ninth overall. Meanwhile, Jennings took second and 10th overall with a 22.99, just missing her personal best of 22.97.

Cody Evans reached the C final of the 50 free with a season-best time of 23.22 finishing 20th in the prelims. The senior then followed that with a career-best 22.99 to win the race and place 17th overall.

Boise State's Marti Erlam (322.65) and Cassidy Bose (319.70) take 4th and 5th, respectively, in the 3-meter springboard at the MW Championships! GREAT performance by both!!

GO BRONCOS!! #BleedBlue @BroncoSports @MW_OlySports @boisestatelive
— Boise State S&D (@BroncoSportsSD) February 22, 2019

The Bronco divers had a strong day with all three turning in great performances. Freshman Marti Erlam led the trio overall on the 3-meter springboard with her third-best score of the season with a 322.65 in the A final to place fourth overall. She finished the prelims with a 309.30 to place second heading into the final.

Senior Cassidy Bose had a career day scoring a personal-best 319.70 in the A final to place fifth on the 3-meter springboard. That score was preceded by a solid 293.20 in the opening round to place fourth and advance to the final. The 319.70 also improved upon her previous career-best and NCAA Zone qualifying score from December which was 299.48.

Sophomore Tatum Thompkins also had a solid day winning the exhibition heat on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 266.10, nearly 40 points better than second place and just one point short of her career-best.

The final event of day two at the MW Championships was the 400 medley relay where the Broncos placed second. The team of Kleinsorgen, Pinger, Jennings and Sorensen turned in a time of 3:36.58.

The championships will move into day three on Friday when the swimmers take the pool for the 400-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle relay. Prelims begin at 11 a.m. (central) at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota.