NEW ORLEANS, LA –In their second-to-last meet of the season, the Trojans delivered a standout performance, taking the dual meet against Tulane by storm. The team broke three school records and claimed top times across the board, showcasing their strength and determination as they near the season's conclusion.
"The staff and I are pretty fired up about how we performed this weekend. We accomplished a lot of the goals we had coming into this meet against Tulane and have created some great momentum as we get ready for the last push of the season before MVCs. As always, Saturdays are for the Trojans!" - Head Coach, Nathan Townsend.
Diving Highlights
Delaney Nickles kicked off the morning for the Trojans with an impressive fourth-place finish in the 3M dive, scoring 236.18. Senior
Kyra Apodaca and freshman
Tatum Malatin followed closely, securing fifth and sixth places, respectively.
Nickles continued her strong performance, earning third place in the 1M dive with a score of 253.50 points. Malatin and Apodaca also made their mark, finishing fourth and fifth with scores of 194.70 and 160.88, respectively.
Relays
The meet began with the 200 medley relay, where
Beatriz Comini Romero,
Gabriella O'Neil,
Jaelle Carlson, and
Lauren Pieniazkiewicz delivered an outstanding performance. The team clocked a time of 1:42.33, just 0.01 seconds shy of their best season time achieved while suited up and rested at mid season.
The Trojans closed out the meet with an electrifying performance in the 400 freestyle relay.
Olivia Elgin led off with a blistering first leg, clocking a personal best of 50.26—one of the top 10 all-time performances in program history. The team finished strong, securing second place with a time of 3:21.34, the third-fastest mark in school history.
Freestyle Highlights
Freshman Izzy Thibodeau stepped up in the 1000 free, representing the Trojans as their sole competitor in the event. Showing determination and grit, she delivered a season-best performance, finishing fourth overall with a time of 10:51.22.
Olivia Elgin made history in the 200 free, shattering her own record from the previous week with a remarkable time of 1:47.97. Her performance not only secured second place overall but also made her the first Trojan ever to break the 1:48 barrier.
Jaelle Carlson, Addie Heinz, and
Adara Stoddard followed with strong efforts, finishing fifth, sixth, and seventh with times of 1:51.24, 1:53.22, and 1:53.82, respectively.
Elgin continued on in the 500 freestyle where she swam a massive lifetime best of 4:54.49 to take second position just behind Tulane and being the only Trojan to go sub five minutes in the event.
Senior Caitlin Romprey showcased her versatility by switching events and securing a personal best of 24.31 in the 50 freestyle, earning an impressive second place. Fellow senior Poulsen followed closely, taking third with a time of 24.47 to round out the top three.
In the 100 freestyle, Lena Nikolaeva and Gabriella O'Neil delivered stellar performances, both breaking the 52-second barrier. Nikolaeva touched the wall at 51.66, with O'Neil right behind at 51.77, capping off an exceptional showing in the freestyle events for the meet.
Breaststroke Highlights
Freshman
Anna Nishizaki was unstoppable in the breaststroke events, starting the day strong with a season-best performance of 1:04.96 in the 100 breaststroke, earning third place. She then went on to dominate the 200 breaststroke, smashing the school record with a time of 2:16.68 and claiming second place overall.
Backstroke Highlights
Beatriz Comini Romero continued her dominance in the backstroke, delivering an impeccable performance to finish second in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.30. She followed that up with a strong third-place finish in the 200 backstroke, posting a time of 2:04.70. Senior
Caitlin Romprey also made waves, swimming a season-best 2:02.19 in the 200 backstroke, further contributing to the Trojans' impressive showing.
Butterfly Highlights
Jaelle Carlson showcased her incredible talent in the 100 butterfly, smashing the school record with a time of 54.72 to secure second place.
Lauren Pieniazkiewicz also impressed, finishing third with a season-best time of 56.49, contributing to the Trojans' strong performance in the event.
Senior swimmers
Lara Alsader and Devin Trammel stepped up to the blocks for the 200, with Alsader delivering a standout performance. In just her second time racing the event, she swam a lifetime best of 2:09.29. Trammel also had a strong showing, recording a season-best time of 2:12.73.
200 IM
Niamh Carroll delivered a stellar performance in the 200 IM, finishing with a time of 2:12.56. Her effort was just one second shy of her personal best and earned her a third-place finish, rounding out the individual events for the Trojans at the meet.
Up Next
The Trojans will have a few weeks to grind before heading to Denton to go head to head with UNT on February 8.
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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