REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands swimming and diving teams opened their 2023-24 season with the Bulldog Pentathlon as they finished second on the men's side and fourth on the women's. The Bulldogs hosted Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) rivals Chapman University, Whittier College, Occidental College, University of La Verne (women), and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Soka University (men) on Saturday afternoon at the Thompson Aquatic Center.

Men
The Bulldogs beat Whittier for second place by 18 points and were second to Chapman's 285 points.

The men had 11 top-eight finishers in the five events. In the 100 Free Thomas Long swam a 48.11 and finished third while Memphis Gile took sixth with a 48.77.

In the 100 Back Ethan Chir was the event winner as he posted a personal best time of 54.49. In third was Gile, finishing in 54.85.

The 100 Breast saw three Bulldogs make the top-eight with Chir again leading the way as he was the runner-up after swimming a 1:00.39. Right behind him in third was Long who was only 0.09 seconds back at 1:00.48. Davis Wingard made it three of the top-five finishers being Bulldogs as he finished in 1:01.43.

Drew Heaston was the top Redlands finisher as he took fourth in the 100 Fly with a 53.34. Chir was eighth after swimming a 53.82.

Chir and Gile came in fifth and sixth in the 100 IM as they both posted personal best times of 55.31 and 55.68.

Overall, Chir finished second amongst all swimmers with 62 points. Long was the fifth highest scorer with 45 points and two bronze finishes and Gile was sixth, also with 45 points and one bronze finish.

Women
In the team standings the Bulldogs finished ahead of La Verne by 13 points and trailed third place Occidental by 39 points. Chapman won the Pentathlon and Whittier took second place.

Avery Wells got the Bulldogs a top-eight finish in the 100 Free as she took sixth place with a personal best time of 56.38 in her first collegiate meet.

Lauren Kline was the top Redlands swimmer in the 100 Back as she finished in 1:05.58 and took 14^th.

In the 100 Breast Wells just missed the top-eight as she took ninth with a time of 1:13.87. Morgan Felix was 0.18 seconds behind her in 10^th with a time of 1:14.05.

Abby Springer paced the Bulldogs in the 100 Fly as she was 14^th after finishing in 1:04.06.

Wells posted a second personal best of the day in the 100 IM after taking fourth place and recording a time of 1:04.21.

On the day Wells was Redlands' top point getter as she was eighth overall with 37, finishing only 11 points from fourth.

After hosting the Alumni Meet this coming Saturday, the Bulldogs return to competition in Irvine at the Concordia Irvine Dual on Saturday, October 28 at 11:00 a.m. Meet information will be posted on the schedule once it becomes available.