Trojans Take Charge in The Pool and on The Boards on Day One of Dual Invites

HOUSTON, TX - The University of Arkansas at Little Rock swimming and diving team end day one of their separate invites in Houston, Texas. The swim team took their first win of the day in the 200 Freestyle relay against Houston and Rice whilst sitting in 3rd with 66 points after day one. Diving competed on the 1 and 3 meter boards.

"Our swimmers showed incredible determination and teamwork at the Houston Invitational. It's thrilling to see their hard work pay off, and I'm confident this momentum will carry us through the rest of the season." said GA Emilia Martinez.

Diving Events:

On the diving side, Kyra Apodoca, Delaney Nickles and Tatum Malatin had a strong morning on the boards whilst competing in the Houston Invitational. Apodoca placing the highest with a score of 197.90, followed by Nickles and Malatin.

Apodaca's impressive streak continued as she competed in the 3-meter event, where she secured 8th place overall. Notably, she set a new record for the highest score in Little Rock's history in this event.

Individual Events:
 

In individual events, Gabriella O'Neil made her mark in the 500 Yard Freestyle, finishing with a time of 5:02.28, with Sophomore Oliva Elgin finishing closely behind in 5:02.67. Freshman Carol Heinz swam a massive personal best of  5:05.80. All three punched their name into the top ten all time list.

In the 100 Yard Breaststroke, O'Neil again stood out, clocking in at 1:05.59, further solidifying her role as a key contributor to the team. Sophomore Adara Stoddard finished in 8th overall with senior Laure Pieniazkiewicz following behind in 9th.

In the 200 backstroke, Freshman Beatriz Comini Romero lowered her personal best even further to a 2:07.44 to take 8th overall. Caitlin Romprey finished behind Romero to take 9th.

Relay Events:

In the Women's 400 Yard Medley Relay, Little Rock's A team finished with a time of 3:52.21, placing fifth overall. The relay team, comprised of Romprey, Stoddard, Jaelle Carlson, and Cheryl Poulsen, put in a solid effort, highlighted by strong individual legs, particularly from Poulsen, who anchored the relay with a time of 51.36 in her 100-yard freestyle leg.


The 200 Yard Freestyle Relay saw Little Rock's A team take first place with a final time of 1:35.16. This victory was a highlight for the squad, demonstrating their depth in sprinting. The team, featuring standout performances from Lauren Pieniazkiewicz and Carlson, proved they could compete against powerhouses Houston and Rice. 

The action continues tomorrow with day two of Swimming and Diving:

Schedule of Events (Diving): 

Saturday Oct. 12
10:00 am - 11:15 am - Women's Platform competition.
1:15 - 2:15 pm - Team Event.
Day 2 Diving Livestream 

Schedule of Events (Swim):

Saturday, October 7 (Start@ 11am)
400 free relay 
200 breast
100 fly
200 free
200 IM 
50 free
100 back
1000 free
200 medley relay

For the latest information on Little Rock Swimming and Diving, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSwim on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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