Alva Review-Courier -

SHAWNEE – Five Oklahoma Baptist swimmers put themselves to the test against an elite field June 16 and 17 at the Mare Nostrum Series in Monaco.

Celina Marques, Jamie Edwards, Victoria Fonville, Josip Miskovic and David Lambert competed against Olympic gold medalists.

"We went there and swam against gold medalists and our kids were not intimidated," said OBU Coach Sam Freas. "These races aren't about times, but who you are racing. This will help us for next year."

The format also was different with swimmers racing in preliminary rounds to reach the top 16. Another race pares the field to eight, then four with a head-to-head championship between the top two racers.

Lambert, a senior from Winter Haven, Florida, made the top 16 and finished 10th in the race to reach the top eight in the 50-meter freestyle. He swam the race in 23.15

Fonville, a sophomore from Jacksonville, Florida, reached the top 16 and the top 8 before bowing out in the women's 50-meter freestyle at 26.2.

Marquez, a freshman from El Salvador, reached the top 16 rounds in both the 200-meter backstroke and the 200-meter butterfly.

Miskovic, a junior from Split, Croatia, competed in the men's 100-meter freestyle and 200-meter backstroke and Edwards, a freshman from Johannesburg, South Africa, raced in the women's 100-meter freestyle.