SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Fresno Pacific swim and dive team traveled down for the UC Santa Barbara Invite, where they joined Division I powerhouse UCSB and familiar DII opponent Westmont in two days of competition.

On the men's side, August Ottesen turned in one of the most impressive all-around efforts of the meet. The sophomore sprinter clocked a personal-best 20.65 in the 50 freestyle to place third, followed by a runner-up finish in the 100 freestyle at 46.00. He also posted a strong 49.96 in the 100 butterfly to take fourth and opened the 200 freestyle relay with a season-best 1:43.22, helping set the tone with a second-place performance.

Nico Barna added to the Sunbirds' momentum with a solid showing in the breaststroke and IM events. Barna recorded a 57.58 in the 100 breaststroke and followed with a season-best 2:01.05 in the 200 individual medley, continuing his steady progress this season.

The women's team matched that energy with several breakthrough swims. Cara Mohle delivered a podium finish in the grueling 400 individual medley, placing third with a personal-best time of 5:03.06. Kaylin Mutoli shined in the distance freestyle events, notching a personal-best 5:30.40 in the 500 freestyle and adding a season-best 2:05.89 in the 200 freestyle. In solely a Sunbird competition, Natalie Noble came in first in the 500 yard Freestyle with a time of 5:38.04.

Sprint and backstroke events also saw strong performances from Caitlyn Sakamoto, who recorded a personal-best 1:08.67 in the 100 backstroke to place fifth. She later contributed a personal-best relay split of 58.51 in the 100 freestyle, providing a key boost in team scoring.

"The meet went well," said head coach Ray Eggert. "It was amazing weather and really fast competition. The meet was used to focus on racing techniques and see where we are right now part way through resting for conference. It was nice to have a meet where we could race with little to no pressure, as well as get out of Fresno. It was unfortunate we have several athletes out on both the men's and the women's sides due to sickness and fatigue. So, we are praying for some speed recovery heading into the final couple of weeks of the season."

NEXT UP: The Sunbirds prepare for the PCSC Championships held in Monterey Park, Calif. between February 11th-14th.

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