LITTLE ROCK, AR. – The Trojans opened the 2025 Little Rock Fall Invite with a strong showing on Friday, highlighted by freshman Amara Addison's record-breaking performance in the 50-yard backstroke. Addison clocked a 25.29 in the finals to win the event and set a new school record, improving on her time from the semifinals earlier in the day.
"It felt really good," said Addison. "It was my first time racing a 50 backstroke at a collegiate level, and as an international student it has just been really fun. The environment and energy have been so great, and I can't wait for all the upcoming meets to come."
The opening day featured a fast-paced format with heats, semifinals, and finals for each 50-yard stroke. The unique setup made for an exciting night at the Donaghey Aquatic Center as teams from Henderson State, Delta State, and Saint Louis joined Little Rock in competition.
Addison's record led a balanced Trojan effort across multiple events. Beatriz Comini Romero placed second in the 50 backstroke with a 26.04, while Megan Stewart earned an event win in the 50 butterfly with a time of 25.25. Junior Elena Nikolaeva finished runner-up in the 50 freestyle at 23.24, and junior Adara Stoddard placed second in the 50 breaststroke in 29.28. Gabriella O'Neil added another strong swim, taking third in the same event with a 29.31.
Little Rock closed the evening atop the women's team standings with 166 points, ahead of Delta State (159) and Saint Louis (143).
"The energy in this place was awesome, it was rocking, it was loud," said head coach Nathan Townsend. "When you do 50s of sprints of each stroke it's really exciting. We had our wrestlers here, track and field, basketball was here supporting us, so that was awesome. Really great for the Trojans and a really great night in the pool for the Trojans. Freshman Amara Addison set a school record in the 50 backstroke which was really awesome. Freshman Megan Stewart was our top performance in the 50 butterfly and won that event. Junior Elena Nikolaeva placed second in the 50 free as well as junior Adara Stoddard placed second in the 50 breaststroke, so all in all a really great night for the Trojans."
Day two of the Little Rock Fall Invite will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, featuring the 800 freestyle relay, 1000 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 500 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and the 400 individual medley relay. Saturday's session will also include the program's annual alumni meet, recognizing former Trojans throughout the day's competition.
All of Saturday's events will be live-streamed on the Little Rock Swim and Dive Facebook page for fans unable to attend in person.
For the latest information on Little Rock Swimming, check out LRTrojans.com. You can also follow the team on social media at @LittleRockSwimDive on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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