ST. LOUIS, MO. - Little Rock freshman Amara Addison was named Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week following a standout performance at the Mardi Gras Invitational in New Orleans.
"I'm forever grateful for the support from my teammates and coaches," Addison said. "Without their constant support, I wouldn't be seeing the progress I am today. I've also really enjoyed competing in our recent swim meets and growing alongside this team."
Addison produced one of the top individual swims of the weekend for the Trojans in the dual against Tulane, finishing second in the 50 backstroke with a time of 26.74. Her swim set a new Little Rock school record, marking a major milestone early in her collegiate career and continuing her strong impact in sprint backstroke events.
She also delivered a strong showing earlier in the meet against North Texas, winning the 100 backstroke in 56.26, helping Little Rock secure key points in the dual victory. Addison added another top finish against Tulane in the 50 freestyle, placing third in 23.66, highlighting her versatility across sprint disciplines.
In addition to her individual success, Addison was a major contributor in relays throughout the weekend. She led off the winning 400 medley relay against North Texas with a 56.75 backstroke split, and later anchored the winning 200 free relay versus New Mexico with a 23.52 split.
"Super proud of Amara. She's been working extremely hard in her training leading up to the Mardi Gras Invite, and it really showed. Her attitude and joyful spirit benefit not only her own performance but everyone around her as well. People are naturally drawn to her, and her presence at practice is always felt.
She stays focused on what she needs to do and consistently gets the job done. She is more than deserving of this award this week, and I'm excited to see what she can do as we wrap up the season over the next month or so."
