23 school records came and went this past season as the 2016-17 Tiger Swim team had a season for the books. 57 top-ten program times were set in 35 total events this season on the men’s and women’s teams. Following the historic season, 44 Tigers from both the men’s and women’s squads were named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s All-MPSF Postseason team, marking the second season in a row Pacific had over 40 All-MPSF honorees. In addition to being stalwarts in the water, the Tigers excelled in the classroom this season with 17 student-athletes being named to the MPSF All-Academic Teams.
Yahav Shahaf followed up his Freshman of the Year season from a year ago with another amazing campaign. The sophomore set three school records in the 50 Free (19.61), the 100 Brest (52.62) and the 200 Breast (1:58.26) en route to becoming the third-straight Tiger to compete in the NCAAs. At the MPSF Championships, Shahaf set pool and conference records in the 100 Breast and was the only male swimmer to win three events at the meet (100 Breast, 200 Breast, & 50 Free).
Mitchell Ongstad also posted strong times this season as the 50 Free with a 19.63, which is just off the program record set by Shahaf this season, and had a 43:40 in the 100 Free which is the second-fastest time by a Tiger. Makoa Haneberg broke the school record in the 100 Back by nearly a second as the sophomore posted a time of 47.40, which topped the previous program record he set last season. He his joined by Stewart Harrison, who bested the 12-year-old record in the 100 Fly with a mark of 47.64. Senior Curtis Klein made his final season donning the Orange and Black count as he notched a 1:43.33 in the 200 Back.
Haneberg, Shahaf, Ongstad and Harrison recorded a 1:26.27 in the 200 Medley Relay, breaking the squad’s previous record set last season. The same four-some logged a top time in the 400 Medley Relay, registering a program-best 3:12.33. At the UNLV Invitational, Ongstad, Shahaff, Lane Goedhart and Miles MacKenzie put together a time of 1:18.62 in the 200 Y Free Relay to take first place. On the final day of the invite, the squad returned for the 400 Y Free Relay and registered a time of 2:54.58, which put them in first place yet again.
On the women’s side, Whitney Jorgensen etched her name in the Pacific Tigers record books as the senior logged the best time in the 200 IM (1:59.50) and in the 200 Breast (2:14.51). Vaiva Gimbutyte beat a 14 year-old record in the 100 Free, topping the previous time by .41 seconds with a time of 49.53.
In the 200 Free Relay, the team of Kenna Ramey, Gimbutyte, Cai Hong Singh and Becca Aguilar tied a 14-year-old all-time record at the Conference finals as the squad registered a time of 1:31.73. Also during the MPSF Championships, Singh, Gimbutye, and Ramey were joined by Semaj Walker in the 200 Medley Relay with a time of 1:40.44, which is the fastest time in 15 years.