DENVER – Sophomore Zora Opalka (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) qualified for an NCAA Zone meet by surpassing the 3-meter NCAA Standard with a 284.25 to win the event in the University of Denver women's swimming and diving team's dual victory over Tulane on Saturday afternoon at El Pomar Natatorium. With the win, the Pioneers improved to 3-1 in duals this season.
 
Session III
Denver 118
Tulane 87                                                                            
 
Rice 123
FIU 77                                                                                   
 
Denver opened the final session with its third medley relay victory of the weekend, this time taking the 100 medley relay with a time of 46.79. Redshirt-senior Heidi Bradley (Victoria, B.C.), freshman Brandi Vu (Longmont, Colo.), junior Josie Valette (Boulder, Colo.) and senior Lauren Moden (Parker, Colo.) swam their third victorious medley relay together.
 
The Pioneers didn't win the 200 breast, but did take spots 2-5 on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Ally Yancy (Cave Creek, Ariz.) edged her teammate Vu for the second position with times of 2:26.19 and 2:26.20, respectively. Sophomore Charlotte Simon (Saint Remy, France) took fourth with a time of 2:28.02 and classmate Emily Vandenberg (Ajax, Ontario) finished fifth in 2:29.57.
 
Sophomore Aysia Leckie (Georgetown, Ontario) picked up Denver's first individual win of the final session with a time of 24.02 in the 50 free.
 
Junior Kylie Cronin (Marblehead, Mass.) won her third individual event of the weekend and her second 200 fly race in six hours, taking the top spot with a 2:06.68. Freshman McKayla Sanchez (Temecula, Calif.) earned a second place finish in a time of 2:09.34.
 
Bradley earned her first backstroke victory of the weekend to add to her four relay victories earlier in the Dual-A-Pool-Ooza in the seventh event of the afternoon. The Summit League Women's Swimmer of the Week clocked in at 55.80 to take the 100 back and give the Pioneers another individual win.
 
Denver took the second and third spots in the 200 free in Saturday's second session. Valette reached the wall in second with a time of 1:55.68 and senior Avery Niemann (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished third with a time of 1:56.19.
 
Vu recorded her first individual event win of the weekend with a 29.59 to lead the pack in the 50 breast and earn the Pioneers a fifth victory in the dual.
 
The Pioneers reached the wall in four of the top five spots in the 100 IM on Saturday afternoon. Bradley out-swam the field for her second individual event win of the weekend, finishing in 58.06. Cronin took third with a 1:00.53, Yancy touched fourth in 1:00.64 and Vandenberg finished fifth with a 1:00.69.
 
Leckie, Niemann, Valette and Moden capped off the Pioneers weekend with a first place finish in the 400 free relay, combining for a time of 3:30.04
 
Saturday Afternoon's Event Wins
3-Meter Dive – Zora Opalka – 284.25
100 Medley Relay – Heidi Bradley, Brandi Vu, Josie Valette, Lauren Moden – 46.79
50 Free – Aysia Leckie – 24.02
200 Fly – Kylie Cronin – 2:06.68
100 Back – Heidi Bradley – 55.80
50 Breast – Brandi Vu – 29.59
100 IM – Heidi Bradley – 58.06
400 Free Relay – Aysia Leckie, Avery Niemann, Josie Valette, Lauren Moden – 3:30.04
 
Saturday Morning's Event Wins
200 Medley Relay – Heidi Bradley, Brandi Vu, Kylie Cronin, Lauren Moden – 1:43.54
200 Fly – Kylie Cronin – 2:04.92
100 Free – Lauren Moden – 52.32
200 Free Relay – Heidi Bradley, Lauren Moden, Aysia Leckie, Josie Valette – 1:34.49
 
Friday's Event Wins
400 Medley Relay – Heidi Bradley, Brandi Vu, Kylie Cronin, Lauren Moden – 3:45.73
200 Back – Emily Vandenberg – 2:06.78
50 Free – Lauren Moden – 23.99
200 Breast – Ally Yancy – 2:22.98
100 Fly – Kylie Cronin – 56.13
100 Free – Aysia Leckie – 52.47
100 Free Relay – Lauren Moden, Sarah Lingen, Josie Valette, Aysia Leckie – 42.96
 
UP NEXT:
Denver's men will open its dual season with a trip down to Air Force on Thursday (7 p.m. MT) before returning to its home pool on Saturday to co-host a meet against Wyoming with the women's program on Saturday at 12 p.m. MT.
 
Fans interested in making a donation to the men's and women's swimming and diving programs can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.   
 
-Pioneer Together-

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