NEWBERG, Ore. --- The Pacific Lutheran University Women's Swimming team competed in their first multi-team meet of the season, at the Bruin Invitational over the weekend. Of the four-team meet, the Lutes finished in third, ahead of the Boxers of Pacific.
 
On Saturday, the Lutes began the four-team meet against Northwest Conference foes, Pacific, Willamette, and George Fox, in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay. The Lutes team of Karina Yevstifieieva, Riley Maher, Lola Chargualaf, and Emma Gassman took second with a time of 1:41.56, just behind the ream from Willamette by less-than a second.
 
Freshman Scout Hawkins won the first event for the women's team in the third race, the 200-yard Breaststroke, narrowly dodging the second-place finisher by over three-tenths of a second.
 
Early on, the Lutes were lead by the underclassmen, as sophomore Emma Gassman followed Hawkins' performance with a win in the 200-yard Backstroke in a time of 2:08.91. Gassman's victory was dominant, winning by nearly a five-second margin.
 
Sophomore Riley Maher earned a win of her own in the sixth event on Saturday, the 200-yard IM. Maher's 2:14.88 time helped her cruise to a win as the lone Lute in the fight. In the final race on Saturday, the 400-yard Medley Relay, Chargualaf, Hawkins, Maher, and Gassman came together for a second-place finish with a time of 4:06.61. The Lutes nearly came back from trailing the finals race early, falling by just over one-second.
 
Following the first day of the meet, the Lutes team sat in third with 290 team points just behind George Fox with 370.5-points.
 
On Sunday, the meet began with the 200-yard Medley Relay, as Gassman, Hawkins, Maher, teamed up with Melissa Zuniga to take home first in the race by a narrow tenth-of-a-second margin. Hawkins strong showing on Saturday bled into the final day of the meet, as the newcomer won the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:43.41 for her second win of the meet.
 
Gassman picked up her second individual win in the 100-yard Backstroke, after she was in second following the first lap, but passed up the Boxer to win by half of a second.
 
After a short stint of podium finishes, the relay team of Maher, Hawkins, Chargualaf, and Gassman closed out the meet with a second-place finish in the 400-yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 3:45.13.
 
As a team, PLU finished in third with 639 team points, ahead of Pacific (287.5), and behind George Fox (785.5) and Willamette (965). Gassman and Hawkins led the Lutes with a pair of individual wins while playing a crucial role in multiple relay teams.
 
"To put it simply, Magnificent! The Lutes hard work, commitment to getting 1% better each day, and their infectious energy absolutely lit up the George Fox pool. We are so proud of how they continue to rally behind each other, and show up for every single moment." Said Head Coach Andrew Lum after Sunday's meet.
 
"This weekend was full of surprises, and we look forward to their progression as we march towards conference!"
 
 
The Lutes look ahead to ring in the new year, as their next meet is on Saturday, January 11^th, on the road at the Linfield Wildcats.
 
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