DENTON, Tx. – The Trojans wrapped up their regular season on Saturday with a competitive meet against the University of North Texas. With less than a month to go until the conference championships, the team delivered strong performances across the board, setting multiple personal bests and securing top finishes. From standout swims in the relays to dominant individual performances, the Trojans showcased their depth and determination. Freshman Carol Heinz and
Olivia Elgin led the charge in the distance events, while
Jaelle Carlson and
Caitlin Romprey excelled in the sprints and backstroke. On the diving boards,
Delaney Nickles posted the highest finishes for the team, rounding out a successful day.
"Overall, I'm really proud of how we executed the adjustments we've been working on over the past few weeks in both our swims and dives. It's been a great opportunity to test our progress, and I'm excited to see how everything comes together as we prepare for our conference meet in the next couple of weeks. A special congratulations to Head Coach Brittany Roth on becoming UNT's most winningest coach – that's such a huge achievement. It's always a great challenge facing UNT, and we're looking forward making the most of these final weeks leading up to conference. " - said Head Coach Nathan Townsend.
Relays
The 200 medley relay kicked off the morning's events, with the A team—Caitlin Romprey, Gabriella O'Neil, Jaelle Carlson, and Cheryl Poulsen—securing second place with a time of 1:43.63. Close behind, the B team—Beatriz Comini Romero, Adara Stoddard, Erma Duratovic, and Lena Nikolaeva—finished in 1:45.07, just under two seconds later.
The meet concluded with the 200 freestyle relay, where Carlson, Poulsen, Duratovic, and Lauren Pieniazkiewicz narrowly missed first place against UNT, finishing in 1:34.35. The B team followed with a time of 1:37.01.
Freestyle
The longest race of the meet, the 1000 freestyle, saw freshman Carol Heinz set a personal best and the second-fastest time in school history with a 10:34.38 to kick off the individual races. Izzy Thibodeau also improved her personal best, finishing in 10:43.47.
Heinz carried her momentum into the 100 freestyle, securing third place for the Trojans with another personal best of 52.42.
Olivia Elgin claimed first place in the 200 freestyle, recording a time of 1:52.20. Shortly after, she competed in the 500 freestyle, where she finished third in 5:10.49.
In the sprint 50 freestyle, Jaelle Carlson was quick to the wall, clocking in at 23.24. Sophomore Lena Nikolaeva followed closely, finishing fourth in 24.41.
Backstroke
Senior
Caitlin Romprey, in typical fashion, cruised to victory in the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.58. She later secured second place in the 200 backstroke, finishing in 2:03.01.
Breaststroke
Fifth-year
Gabriella O'Neil touched the wall in 1:05.53 to secure second place in the 100 breaststroke. Teammates
Adara Stoddard and
Erma Duratovic followed, finishing in 1:05.89 and 1:07.80, respectively.
Stoddard carried this momentum into the 200 breaststroke, where she claimed second place for the Trojans with a time of 2:25.36.
Butterfly
Senior Lara Alsader continued her impressive performances in the 200 IM, finishing third with a time of 2:11.67, while Brooke Cummings followed closely in 2:13.01.
Jaelle Carlson was a force to be reckoned with in the 100 butterfly, dominating the race and winning by nearly a full second with a time of 55.58.
Individual Medley
The 200 IM is always an exciting event, showcasing all four strokes in a thrilling race. Freshman
Beatriz Comini Romero delivered an exceptional performance, setting a personal best of 2:07.41 to win the final individual event.
Anna Nishizaki and
Gabriella O'Neil followed, finishing in third and fourth place, respectively.
Diving
It was a successful day on the board for freshman
Delaney Nickles, who secured the highest placements for the Trojans in both diving events. She scored 241.95 points to take sixth place in the 3-meter competition and finished fifth on the 1-meter board with a score of 249.53.
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 Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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