INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Little Rock swimming and diving team opened the House of Champions Invitational with a strong showing Thursday night, highlighted by a school-record swim and multiple championship final appearances. The Trojans showed depth and composure against a competitive field inside the IU Natatorium.
"It's a strong start for the Trojans here at the House of Champions. I feel like we had some of the most competitive finishes we've ever had at this meet. We even picked up our first individual win with Megan Stewart's school-record performance in the 200 IM. Today really set the tone for the rest of the weekend, and I'm looking forward to carrying that momentum into Friday." said Nathan Townsend.
Little Rock opened the finals session in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a strong team effort. The quartet of Lena Nikolaeva, Amara Addison, Gabriella O'Neil and Olivia Elgin delivered a composed and aggressive race, finishing with a finals time of 1:32.26. The relay set the tone early for an energetic night of racing and established momentum for the Trojans as they moved into individual events.
The 50-yard backstroke proved to be one of Little Rock's strongest events of the night. Amara Addison delivered a breakout performance in the championship final, touching the wall in 25.34 to claim second place overall. Gabriella O'Neil followed with a strong swim in the consolation final, recording a time of 26.38. Lulu Szumski added a finals appearance of her own in the C final with a time of 27.01, while Katherine Rasmussen closed out the event for Little Rock with a 27.09 in the same heat.
In the women's 500-yard freestyle Olivia Elgin represented the Trojans in the championship final and recorded a finals time of 4:54.58. Lyla Roper also returned for the finals and posted a 5:05.17 performance in the C final, adding another solid swim for Little Rock in the distance event..
In the 200-yard individual medley, Little Rock placed multiple swimmers into finals and delivered one of the strongest overall event showings of the night. Megan Stewart headlined the performance by winning the championship final and setting a new Little Rock school record with a finals time of 2:01.02. Anna Nishizaki also competed in the championship final and recorded a finals time of 2:05.37. Adara Stoddard returned for the consolation finals and touched the wall in 2:08.66, while Lulu Szumski rounded out the Trojan finals swimmers with a 2:06.16 performance in the D final.
Little Rock carried its momentum into the sprint freestyle events, placing multiple swimmers into the finals of the 50-yard freestyle. Lena Nikolaeva delivered a standout championship finals performance with a time of 23.03, while Gabriella O'Neil followed closely behind with a 23.33 in the same heat. Amara Addison added another finals appearance for the Trojans with a strong 23.72 in the consolation final, rounding out a strong night of sprint performances.
The Trojans closed the evening in the 400-yard medley relay with another strong showing. The team of Amara Addison, Adara Stoddard, Megan Stewart and Olivia Elgin combined for a finals time of 3:43.71, wrapping up the first night of competition with a confident and cohesive relay effort.
"It felt great to race and be surrounded by such a positive atmosphere on the pool deck. I'm excited for the rest of the weekend!" said freshman Nelanee Fulton.
no Team Standings After Day One
1. Ball State University - 755.50
2. Illinois, University of Chicago - 708.50
3. Missouri State University - 583.50
4. Little Rock - 524.50
5. Milwaukee Panthers - 479.50
6. IU Indianapolis - 437
7. Lynn University - 334.50
8. Butler University - 265
9. Saint Louis University - 235
10. University of Southern Indiana - 175
11. Lewis University - 124
12. University of Montevallo - 120
13. Northern Kentucky University - 116
14. Kenyon College - 48
For the latest information on Little Rock Swimming & Diving, visit LRTrojans.com and follow the team on social media at @LittleRockSwim.
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