Oklahoma Christian’s swim team delivers record-setting performance

At the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships, Oklahoma Christian University’s swim program delivered one of its strongest team performances in recent years, combining record-setting swims, medal finishes and team depth to produce a statement week in the pool.

The team secured 12 total medals: two gold, four silver and six bronze which was highlighted by a milestone moment for the women’s squad. The women’s 200 freestyle relay captured the first conference relay gold in program history, doing so in record-breaking fashion. Neyali Matos, Andi Jeanes, Callie Edmonds and Vanessa Weatherford closed the meet with a first-place finish and a new school record time of 1:33.97.

Anchoring the relay, Weatherford entered the water nearly a second and a half behind the leader before methodically erasing the deficit. Her 22.27 split on the final leg powered the comeback, as she touched the wall just two hundredths of a second ahead of the competition.

Two program records were established over the course of the championships. Weatherford reset her own mark in the 100 butterfly, continuing a standout season, while the 200 freestyle relay’s performance added another chapter to the record book.

Team success extended beyond the podium. The women’s team finished fifth overall with 684 points, while the men’s team earned a third-place team finish with 493 points after narrowly edging out Simon Fraser University in the standings. The result marks the men’s first top-three conference finish since 2023 and shows the program’s upward trajectory.

Depth proved to be a defining factor throughout the meet. The team produced 32 top-eight swims during finals sessions and recorded 129 season-best performances.The championships also yielded 19 NCAA qualifying cuts across 10 individuals, highlighting both star power and balance throughout the roster. Those earning qualifying standards included:

 Vanessa Weatherford (50/100/200 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly)
Josh Brammer (100/200/500 Freestyle)
Nathan Bell (500/1000/1650 Freestyle)
Cash Strickland (200/500 Freestyle)
Blakely Schuricht (200 Breaststroke, 400 Individual Medley)
Javan Titus (100 Breaststroke)
Hailey Uhrig (100 Breaststroke)
Gui Martins (200 Butterfly)
Samantha Mongillo (500 Freestyle)
Pharis Musleh (1650 Freestyle)

Individually, Weatherford led the women with 87 points, followed by Blakely Schuricht (69) and Samantha Mongillo (68). On the men’s side, Cash Strickland paced the group with 40 points, while Noah Rabb (37) and Nathan Bell (33) rounded out the top scorers for Oklahoma Christian. 

From record-breaking relays to NCAA standards and team podium finishes, the week at the conference championships reflected not only standout individual performances but a program competing with intent to make a statement at nationals.