Good Sports: Fresno State swim ranked in top 25 for first time ever

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Every race starts the same way, but not every pool feels like home.

Mackenzie Miller Lung graduated from Clovis East as a three-time All-American before taking her talents to BYU. Reflecting on her high school years, Mackenzie shared, “I feel like in high school, I always wanted to just get out. I was like, ‘I need to experience different things.’”

She ended her college career as a BYU Cougar with a stunning second-place finish at the NCAA championship — a result she never dreamed of but one that left her hungry for more. “I had that feeling like, I could do more,” Mackenzie said. “I could come back and I could do another year.”

The idea of returning to the Valley soon became a reality. “When I went to Utah, I loved it,” Lung said. “I loved my experience there, but it was never home.”

Fresno State coach Jeanne Fleck had tried to recruit Mackenzie right out of high school. “She blew us off and went to BYU,” Fleck joked. Better late than never, Mackenzie dove into a new program and added depth to an already strong breaststroke group.

“I have a breaststroke group that is one of the best breaststroke groups in the country,” Fleck said. “There aren’t a lot of schools that have what we have.”

Teaming up with Jenna Pulkkinen and Aliz Kalmar, Mackenzie now holds one of the top three times in the 100-meter breaststroke in Fresno State’s program history. “We are just going upward, and I think this year, we have a really good chance at winning the conference,” Kalmar said.

The Bulldogs are coming off a record-breaking year. Both Aliz and Jenna qualified for the NCAA championship last season, and now with Mackenzie added to the group, the team’s prospects are even more promising.

“We could have three scorers, and if you have three scorers, you can be in the top 20,” Fleck said. This week, Fresno State is ranked in the top 25 for the first time ever.

Looking ahead to the conference tournament and hopefully the national stage, the Bulldogs aren’t slowing down.

“I want to break every school record that we can possibly break,” Fleck said.

“I definitely want to end on a high note since I’m going to NCAA’s this year, too,” Kalmar added.

With momentum on their side, the Bulldogs are closing the season at the highest level yet.
https://abc30.com/post/good-sports-fresno-state-swim-ranked-top-25-first-time/18342980/

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