New Orleans, Louisiana - Little Rock put together a complete and competitive Day 2 at the Mardi Gras Invitational on Saturday, opening the day with a dominant win over North Texas before closing the night with a hard-fought dual against Tulane at the Reily Student Recreation Center Natatorium.
Morning session vs. North Texas
Little Rock earned a 57–29 team victory over North Texas, highlighted by multiple event wins and depth across the lineup.
The Trojans opened the meet with the 400-yard freestyle relay, where Little Rock A placed first in 3:31.60. The team of Beatriz Comini Romero, Lena Nikolaeva, Lyla Roper, and Gabriella O'Neil touched just ahead of North Texas. Little Rock B followed in third at 3:46.12.
In the 200 IM, Megan Stewart claimed first place with a time of 2:05.30, followed closely by teammate Anna Nishizaki in second at 2:08.91. Niamh Carroll added points with a fifth-place finish in 2:16.49.
Olivia Elgin won the 100 butterfly in 57.72, while Nelanee Fulton finished third in 58.32. Lulu Szumski took fifth at 1:00.17, and Duru Sibik placed sixth in 1:02.74.
Amara Addison led a dominant showing in the 100 backstroke, winning the event in 56.26. Ava Walters placed second at 59.02, Beatriz Comini Romero was third in 1:00.28, and Lynlee Spinhirne finished fourth in 1:02.08.
The Trojans swept the top two spots in the 100 freestyle as Lena Nikolaeva won in 52.95 and Anna Cesario followed in second at 54.84. Niamh Carroll placed fifth in 58.00.
In the 100 breaststroke, Adara Stoddard earned first place with a time of 1:05.59. Paige Pala finished third in 1:07.39, Gabriella O'Neil was fourth at 1:07.86, and Duru Sibik placed sixth in 1:11.98.
Little Rock secured second, third, and fourth in the 500 freestyle. Anna Nishizaki placed second in 5:11.71, Lyla Roper finished third in 5:14.31, and Izzy Thibodeau was fourth at 5:22.31.
The morning session closed with the 400 medley relay, where Little Rock A took first place in 3:50.10. The relay featured Amara Addison, Adara Stoddard, Megan Stewart, and Olivia Elgin. Little Rock B finished third in 4:01.65.
"Another great session for the Trojans this morning. Everyone is racing really well and continuing to step up. I'm extremely proud of their preparation before, during, and after each race. All the work we've put in throughout this challenging training block is showing in how we're performing in the pool. We're looking forward to finishing strong tonight as we race Tulane in our final session."
Evening session vs. Tulane
Little Rock closed the day with a 44–33 loss to Tulane but delivered several standout swims and record-breaking performances.
The night began with the 800-yard freestyle relay, where Little Rock A won the event in 7:18.88, breaking both the school and pool records. The relay featured Beatriz Comini Romero, Megan Stewart, Gabriella O'Neil, and Olivia Elgin. Little Rock B placed fourth in 7:44.70.
In the 50 butterfly, Lena Nikolaeva placed second with a time of 25.80. Lulu Szumski finished fourth at 26.12, and Duru Sibik was sixth in 26.94.
The 50 backstroke saw Amara Addison place second in 26.74, setting a Little Rock school record. Katherine Rasmussen followed in third at 26.99, Ava Walters placed sixth in 27.89, and Lynlee Spinhirne finished seventh in 27.96.
Adara Stoddard earned second place in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 29.53. Gabriella O'Neil placed fourth at 30.04, and Paige Pala finished sixth in 30.39.
In the 50 freestyle, Lena Nikolaeva placed second in 23.44. Amara Addison finished third at 23.66, Beatriz Comini Romero was fifth in 24.21, and Adara Stoddard placed sixth in 24.25.
Megan Stewart earned second place in the 400 IM with a time of 4:19.32. Nelanee Fulton placed fifth in 4:31.50, Lulu Szumski finished sixth in 4:32.57, and Niamh Carroll placed eighth.
The Trojans closed the night in the 1,000 freestyle with multiple strong swims. Olivia Elgin placed second in 10:13.08. Izzy Thibodeau finished fourth in 10:33.08, dropping 10 seconds from her previous best. Lyla Roper followed closely in fifth at 10:33.09.
"When we talk about Saturday being for the Trojans, Saturday truly was for the Trojans," the coaching staff said following the session. "We kicked off tonight's session with an absolutely incredible performance from our ladies in the 800 free relay, smashing the school record and setting a new pool record at Tulane. Everyone stepped up and raced hard every time they hit the water. A special shoutout to Izzy Thibodeau, who has worked her tail off all year and dropped 10 seconds in the 1,000 for a massive personal best. I couldn't be more proud of her and of all the Trojans tonight."
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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