OUAZ Swimming Delivers Historic Performances at PCSC Championships
Ariel Overholt
The OUAZ swim teams turned in a landmark performance at the PCSC Championships, highlighted by multiple school records, historic relay appearances, and a strong seventh-place finish by the men's team.
Day One set the tone for the meet as Evan Brown advanced to the C final in the men's 200 IM and Reuben Dobson qualified for the C final in the men's 50 freestyle. Marissa Brisco opened the championships in record-breaking fashion, setting a new OUAZ standard in the women's 50 freestyle. The men's 800 freestyle relay of Dobson, Gavin Gledhill, Brown, and AJ Velez delivered one of the meet's early highlights, dropping an impressive 11.89 seconds from their seed time.
On Day Two, OUAZ continued to make history. The women's relay squad of Jocy Cortez, Avery Demitropoulos, Marissa Brisco, and Maja Peker competed in the 200 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay for the first time at PCSC, lowering their time by 1.37 seconds and marking a milestone moment for the program. Dobson broke the OUAZ record in prelims and advanced to the B final, where he dropped another .13 seconds. The men's 200 freestyle relay of Dobson, Kyan Klinger, Donnie Perucho, and Matthew Tan dropped 2.56 seconds from their seed time to finish eighth. At the conclusion of the day, the men stood seventh with 134 points, while the women were 11th with 64 points.
Day Three brought another wave of finals qualifiers and records. Matthew Tan, Chris Michael, and Sully Fr all earned C final spots in the 500 freestyle, while Klinger, Gledhill, and Caleb Thomas individually qualified for the C final in the 100 backstroke. Avery Demitropoulos broke the OUAZ women's 100 breaststroke record. On the men's side, Evan Brown and AJ Velez qualified for the C final in the 100 breaststroke, with Velez dropping 4.93 seconds in prelims. Dobson capped the night with a standout performance in the 200 butterfly, advancing to the A final and finishing third overall with a time of 1:49.28 after dropping more than three seconds across prelims and finals. The women's 200 medley relay again made OUAZ history with an 11th-place finish, while the men's 200 medley relay placed eighth after dropping .40 seconds. The men ended the day seventh with 244 points, and the women remained 11th with 96 points.
The championships concluded on Day Four with more record-breaking performances. Marissa Brisco set another OUAZ record in the women's 100 freestyle. Reuben Dobson broke the OUAZ men's 100 freestyle record in prelims with a 46.60 and lowered it again to 46.06 in finals. Matthew Tan advanced to the B final in the 200 backstroke, and Evan Brown qualified for the C final in the 200 breaststroke. The men's 400 freestyle relay of Gledhill, Michael, Klinger, and Tan closed the meet with a ninth-place finish.
OUAZ wrapped up the PCSC Championships with the men placing seventh overall with 314 points and the women finishing 12th with 96 points, marking a meet defined by records, resilience, and historic progress for the program.
