INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The records just keep falling for the Trojans as they head into day 2 of the House of Champions meet. Little Rock Swimming and Diving is currently sitting in 3rd place, with their eyes set on climbing higher as they prepare for the final day of racing tomorrow. The team's momentum is building, and they're ready to finish strong with even more impressive performances.
"Day 2 of the 3 day championship meet format is always a challenging day and finishing off the day with an 800 free relay is a real test of grit. We finished the day with a school record leading off that relay as well as that relay being the 2nd fastest time for us in team history. I think the Trojans showed how much grit they have and what it means to be an AKB. I'm pretty fired up and excited for tomorrow. As always… Saturday is for the Trojans." said Head Coach Nathan Townsend.
200 Medley Relay
The relay kicked off the night with incredible energy as
Caitlin Romprey delivered a blazing-fast opening leg, setting the tone for the race.
Lauren Pieniazkiewicz took over in the breaststroke, clocking an impressive 28.60, before
Jaelle Carlson powered through the butterfly leg. Finally,
Cheryl Poulsen anchored the team with a strong finish, bringing them homein a 23.09 with a final time of 1:42.32 to take 6th overall.
50 Breaststroke
Adara Stoddard got the breaststroke events off to a strong start, winning the B final with an impressive time of 29.33. In the A final, Pieniazkiewicz and
Gabriella O'Neil held their own, finishing with times of 29.32 and 28.79, respectively. O'Neil secured a remarkable 3rd place, while Pieniazkiewicz claimed a solid 7th place finish.
100 Butterfly
The 100 butterfly was a showcase for the Trojans, with strong performances across all finals. Brooke Cummings and Erma Duratovic kicked things off in the D final, posting times of 58.56 and 57.70, respectively. Lara Alsader made her mark in the C final, achieving a massive three-second drop from her morning swim to clock an impressive 57.91.
In the A final, senior Carlson displayed her underwater expertise, powering through the race to finish in 55.05, securing an outstanding 4th place overall.
400 IM
Gillian Boggs was the Trojans' lone representative in the 400 IM final, and she delivered a commanding performance. From the moment she hit the water, she took control of the race, dominating the backstroke leg and extending her lead with every stroke. GB touched the wall in an impressive 4:28.26 to claim victory in the B final.
200 Freestyle
Carol Heinz continued her incredible streak of personal bests at this meet, delivering a stellar performance in the 200 freestyle. She touched the wall in 1:51.34, securing 5th place in the B final and earning her spot as 4th on the Trojans' all-time performance list—a fitting conclusion to her individual events for the evening.
Meanwhile,
Olivia Elgin proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the water, racing in the A final from an outside lane. Undeterred, she powered through to finish 7th overall with a time of 1:50.72, capping off her individual races with a strong showing.
100 Breaststroke
The breaststroke trio of Pieniazkiewicz, Stoddard, and O'Neil carried their momentum into the 100 breaststroke with impressive performances. Pieniazkiewicz secured 5th place in the C final, posting a solid time of 1:05.37. Stoddard made a breakthrough, dipping under the 1:05 mark to clock 1:04.74 in the B final.
O'Neil shone brightest, breaking a 5-year-old school record during prelims with a remarkable 1:02.81. She followed it up with a strong showing in the evening's finals, earning 7th place in the A final.
100 Backstroke
Lena Nikolaeva set the tone in the final individual race of the evening, finishing 7th in the C final after achieving an incredible personal best of 57.76 during her prelims earlier in the day.
In the B final, Beatriz Comini Romero and senior Romprey teamed up for a strong showing. Freshman Romero delivered a standout performance, winning the B final and climbing to 3rd on the all-time performance list for this event. Romprey rounded out the evening's individual events with a solid 6th-place finish, touching the wall in 56.97.
3-Meter Board
On the boards, Kyra Apodaca delivered an incredible performance, working tirelessly in the prelims alongside Delaney Nickles to qualify for the 3-meter finals, securing 7th and 8th place, respectively. Freshman Tatum Malatin also competed in the consolation finals, finishing 12th with 205.80 points.
Apodaca continued her dominance on the boards, battling her way to a 3rd place finish in the finals with 264.45 points. Her teammate, Nickles, also had a strong showing, finishing just behind in 5th place with 253.80 points. Together, they helped elevate the Trojans' success in the diving competition.
"It was a really fun day and I am immensely proud of all of our Ladies. The divers did a great job of focusing in on what they had to do in an environment that has alot going on. We had season season high performances and major improvements in what we are working towards at the end of the year. Tomorrow they will get to challenge themselves with an event we don't get an opportunity to do often." said Chris Pape.
800 Freestyle Relay
The Trojans capped off the evening in spectacular fashion during the final event. Fifth-year senior Gabriella O'Neil led off the 200 freestyle relay with a blazing performance, not only touching the wall first but also breaking a 7-year-old school record. O'Neil became the first Trojan to ever swim under 1:50 in the event, clocking an impressive 1:49.76.
Heinz and Elgin kept the momentum going, maintaining the lead and setting up anchor swimmer Stoddard to close out the race. Stoddard finished strong, securing the victory for the Trojans in a time of 7:26.52, the second-fastest time in school history for the event. It was a perfect way to end an unforgettable evening of competition.
Up Next
Little Rock is currently standing in third place on the second day of competition at the House of Champions Invite, with one scoring session left on the schedule. Little Rock will look to conclude the meet tomorrow with the 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, and 400 freestyle relay.
Team Scores
- Marshall University - 861.5
- Missouri State University - 807
- Little Rock- 634
- University of Illinois, Chicago- 618
- Milwaukee. - 563
- Lynn University- 445.5
- University of North Texas- 359
- IU Indianapolis- 302
- Butler University - 223
- Saint Louis University - 184
- University of Missouri,St Louis - 159
- Lewis University - 147
- Quincy University - 48
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
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