ST. GEORGE — Fresh off a dual meet victory over Idaho last Saturday, the Utah Tech women’s swim team received more good news this week.
Utah Tech’s Cera Mallory was named Western Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week, Jan. 24, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Utah Tech Athletics, St. George News
Freshman Cera Mallory was named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Week on Wednesday for her noteworthy performance in the Trailblazers’ defeat of the Vandals.
Mallory swam the second-fastest mile in program history (17:05.05 – sixth fastest time in the WAC this season) en route to her first win of the day, then turned right back around and claimed victory in the 500 free (5:08.98). Mallory also closed the meet with an opening 53.37 leg in the Trailblazers’ win in the 4×400 free relay, according to a news release.
Utah Tech won nine of the 12 individual races and swept both relays, on their way to outscoring the Vandals 155-104.
Though it was Senior Day, the Blazers were led by four freshmen who all collected two event wins apiece.
Along with Mallory, Mary Sims Cross swept both the 100 (57.39) and 200 (2:06.25) backstroke events, as did Abigail Hill in the 100 (57.27) and 200 (2:05.75) butterfly races. Grace Benson also claimed a pair of event victories in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.82) and 200 IM (2:09.02).
Senior Skyler Lyon picked up a win in her final home individual race as she touched the wall first in the 200 breast (2:23.95).
In the relays, the Utah Tech “A” team of senior Eleonore Rembert, Lyon, senior Danyael Cuison and junior Mandy Farnum swam its way to victory in the 200 medley relay (1:45.33). Then in the final event of the meet, the team of Mallory, freshman Lainey Devine, Rembert and Farnum coasted to a win in the 400 free relay (3:32.99).
Utah Tech returns to action this weekend when the Trailblazers travel to Flagstaff for a two-day WAC dual meet at Northern Arizona.
Utah Tech senior Rachel Mellor competes in a doubles tennis match, date and location not disclosed | Photo by Brooklyn Fehr, Utah Tech Athletics, St. George News
Tennis team hosts Utah State
The Utah Tech women’s tennis team returns home to host Utah State at noon Saturday for its home opener.
The Aggies opened the season last weekend hosting Idaho State with Utah Tech falling, 5-2 in Logan.
The Trailblazers opened their season last weekend against Utah and Montana State in Salt Lake City falling in straight sets to the Utes and 6-1 to the Bobcats.
In singles action, Utah Tech earned a point at number six singles with freshman Kylie Kezos pulling out a third set tiebreaker over Hudson Hawkins winning 6-4, 1-6, 11-9.
Track team blazes in Flagstaff
The Utah Tech indoor track and field team clocked four program records on Friday at the Northern Arizona Lumberjack Team Challenge at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff.
“I was very satisfied with the team’s performance, highlighting the continuous improvement and dedication shown by the athletes,” head coach Derrick Adkins said in a news release. “It was a good weekend for the team. We are steadily improving and getting better. We had a significant number of personal bests achieved by the athletes, emphasizing the team’s journey toward the upcoming conference championships at the end of February.”
Utah Tech sophomore Ashlyn Paris flashes the Trailblazer horns. She tied her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles last week at a meet in Flagstaff, Arizona | Photo by Brooklyn Fehr, Utah Tech Athletics, St. George News
Matching her program record set last season in the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Ashlyn Parish posted a time of 8.80 seconds in the prelims before going on to take seventh in the finals.
A week after setting the 400-meter record, freshman Whitney Christiansen raced to a time of 58.20 knocking nearly a second off her previous time program record time of 59.16 to place sixth in the event.
Junior Rashawnna Gibson knocked off two-hundreths of a second off of her own program record in the 60 meters clocking a time of 7.75. And freshman Kaydance Sherwood set a new program mark in the 200 meters with a time of 25.72.
The Trailblazers are back in action on Feb. 2 returning to Northern Arizona for the Ron Mann Classic in Flagstaff.
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