By: Mason Nesbitt, Sports Information Director
The Master’s University swim and dive team saw proof that more than a semester’s worth of work was paying off when it slipped into the pool for its first-ever competition late last month.

Freshman Caroline Barnett, a key piece during TMU’s stellar debut when it sent two relays to NAIA nationals, received similar confirmation not long afterward.

Barnett was named one of the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference’s Swimmers of the Week after she won the 50-yard freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly and swam as part of the two NAIA qualifying relays at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California.

The conference includes Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and others.

“I think that it was the perfect morale boost as we near our conference championships and gave me an added incentive to really push myself,” said Barnett. “It’s a great feeling to know that all the work our coaches have done and hard work our team has put in is paying off.”

The Mustangs will compete again at conference championships Feb. 13-16 at the Splash! Regional Aquatics Center in La Mirada, California. Barnett is hoping to qualify for nationals in all three of her individual events.

In each race – 50 free (25.96 seconds), 100 free (57.71), 100 fly (1 minute, 2.74 seconds) — she narrowly missed hitting the NAIA’s standard at the season opener at Soka on Jan. 26.

The Mustangs men’s and women’s teams lost the dual meet with Soka, but the women advanced their 200 free relay (1:50.53) and 200 medley relay (2:03.37) to NAIA nationals, which will be held in Columbus, Georgia, from Feb. 27 to March 2.