INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – Little Rock swimming delivered a statement performance Friday evening at the House of Champions Invitational, racing to three new school records, two individual event wins and a podium relay finish during a packed finals session.
Junior captain Lynlee Spinhirne summed up the night best. "House of Champions has been a prime example of 'trusting the process'. The team has shown that true commitment and consistency pays off when it matters most. The team atmosphere has been on fire. Everyone has stepped up, pushed each other, and embraced the hurt. The Trojans have proved that champions aren't born, but built. We have been big, bad bosses. Go Trojans!!"
"We talked before the session about enjoying the moment, and the team's response tonight was incredible. We had three school records, two event wins, several top-ten performances, and a lot of athletes making key adjustments and swimming faster tonight than they did this morning. When you're racing multiple events with short turnarounds between prelims and finals, it's really impressive to see how the Trojans rose to the occasion. I'm really proud of this group, and I'm excited for tomorrow—because Saturdays are for the Trojans." said head coach Nathan Townsend.
200 Medley Relay
Little Rock opened the session with a strong performance in the 200 medley relay, as Amara Addison, Gabriella O'Neil, Olivia Elgin and Lena Nikolaeva combined for a 1:41.56 to place fourth in the championship heat. The Trojan quartet stayed with a fast field from start to finish, highlighted by Addison's backstroke lead-off and Elgin's butterfly leg that kept Little Rock firmly in the mix. The B relay of Spinhirne, Paige Pala, Lulu Szumski and Ava Walters also turned in a sharp effort as an exhibition, clocking 1:46.25.
50 Breaststroke
In the 50 breaststroke, O'Neil led the Trojans in the consolation final, touching in 29.39 to place 10th overall. Adara Stoddard followed close behind at 29.77 for 13th, while Pala clocked 30.71 in the D final to tie for 23rd overall as all three breaststrokers gained valuable evening swims in one of the tightest sprint fields of the night.
100 Butterfly
Nikolaeva represented Little Rock in the 100 butterfly consolation final, where she stopped the clock at 56.27 to take 12th overall. The junior held her position throughout the race, splitting a smooth opening 50 and charging home to remain among the top scorers in the event.
400 Individual Medley – School Record
Megan Stewart produced one of the performances of the meet in the 400 individual medley, storming to the event title in 4:17.43 to break the Little Rock school record. The sophomore controlled the race from the opening butterfly leg and continued to extend her lead across backstroke and breaststroke before closing with a powerful freestyle finish. Teammate Nelanee Fulton added another big swim in the consolation final, dropping to 4:26.68 for ninth overall, while freshman Lulu Szumski posted a 4:33.40 in the C final to finish 22nd overall and cap a strong trio of Trojan IMs.
200 Freestyle – School Record
Elgin then doubled the Trojans' gold-medal haul with a standout win in the 200 freestyle. Seeded first out of prelims, she lowered her time again at night, charging home in 1:47.88 to capture the championship title and rewrite the program record in the event. Fellow sophomore Anna Nishizaki joined her in the evening session, taking 12th overall from the consolation final in 1:52.17, while freshman Lyla Roper used a big drop in the D final to go 1:52.89 and finish 25th overall.
100 Breaststroke
Little Rock's breaststroke group was back in action in the 100. O'Neil advanced to the championship final and placed eighth overall with a 1:04.98, while Stoddard turned in a near-identical 1:04.99 in the consolation final to grab 11th. Pala rounded out the event for the Trojans in the D final, finishing 31st overall with a 1:07.54 as she gained valuable second-night experience.
100 Backstroke – School Record
Addison capped an impressive double for the Trojans' backstroker, returning after the relay to set a new school record in the 100 backstroke. Racing from the championship final, the freshman went 55.03 to take fourth overall and reset the Little Rock standard in the event. In the consolation final, Beatriz Comini Romero continued the backstroke momentum, placing 13th overall with a 56.36 that kept the Trojans present in both evening heats.
800 Freestyle Relay
The night concluded with another big relay performance as Elgin, Nishizaki, O'Neil and Stewart teamed up for the 800 freestyle relay. The Trojan quartet steadily climbed the field across all four legs, ultimately stopping the clock in 7:23.65 to secure a third-place finish and another podium spot for Little Rock.
no Team Standings After Day Two
1. Ball State University - 1780.5
2. Missouri State University - 1165.5
3. Illinois, University of Chicago- 1145.5
4. Little Rock - 1065
5. Milwaukee Panthers - 962.5
6. IU Indianapolis - 8755.5
7. Lynn University - 703.5
8. Saint Louis University - 653.5
9. Butler University - 586.5
10. University of Southern Indiana - 360
11. Lewis University - 316
12. Northern Kentucky University - 232
13. University of Montevallo - 226
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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