By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

As The Master’s University swim and dive team traveled high above the heart of the country Saturday, returning from Georgia where it competed at NAIA nationals this week, it put to bed a debut season that one could argue couldn’t have gone much better.

Two Mustangs qualified for nationals in three individual events. The team had four relays hit NAIA cuts.

“I wasn’t expecting a lot since it was our first-ever season,” said freshman Journey Werner. “But we got into the swing of things very quickly. We’ve really gotten closer as a team over the past few months and even though it’s small, this swim family is mighty.”

Werner competed in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100 backstroke and, on Saturday morning, the 100 freestyle at nationals. Freshman Caroline Barnett swam the 50 free, 100 butterfly and the 100 free. Barnett was the only Mustang to advance through prelims this week, doing so in the 50 free and ultimately finishing 13th in a time of 24.69 seconds.

Barnett, Werner, Alisal Perez, Heidi Larsen, Simone Williams and Faith Cancik all factored somewhere into the teams four relays — the 200 and 400 free relays and the 200 and 400 medley relays — during a week that coach Byron Davis called a learning experience.

“The girls see that they aren’t that far off from the top,” Davis said. “I see we will definitely need depth at the national level if we want to make a run at a national title.”

Davis and TMU Director of Aquatics Gabe Woodward have gone to work on accruing said depth. The team has already signed four male swimmers and a female diver, the program’s first, for next season. The program is wholly optimistic that more will want to join a group that broke onto the national stage in its first season, building a great deal of camaraderie along the way.

“The ladies showed a lot of heart and great attitudes,” Davis said. “I’m very proud of them.”