EVANSVILLE, IN. - The Little Rock Trojans wrapped up the final day of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships with a strong showing across distance, sprint, and relay events, finishing sixth overall in the team standings. The Trojans totaled more than 200 points more than last season's championship performance, marking a significant step forward for the program.
Saturday's action opened with the 1650 freestyle, where Izzy Thibodeau represented Little Rock in the distance event. Thibodeau clocked an 18:06.20 to finish 19th overall, moving up two places from her finish at last year's championships.
In the 200 backstroke, the Trojans made their presence felt across all finals. Niamh Carroll competed in the C final and touched in 2:06.83. Beatriz Comini Romero delivered a standout performance in the B final, winning the heat in a personal-best 2:00.90. Freshman Lyla Roper continued her breakthrough meet by earning her first-ever A final appearance, lowering her personal best to 2:00.39 and finishing fourth overall.
The 100 freestyle saw strong swims from Lena Nikolaeva and Gabriella O'Neil in the B final. Nikolaeva posted a 50.86 to place third in the heat, while O'Neil followed with a 51.27 to finish seventh.
In the 200 breaststroke, senior Guru Sib closed out her Trojan career with a personal-best performance in the C final. Sib swam a 2:26.97 to place seventh, ending her collegiate career on a high note.
The highlight of the individual events came in the 200 breaststroke A final, where Little Rock made history by placing three swimmers in the championship heat for the first time. Freshman Megan Stewart finished sixth in 2:17.74, Adara Stoddard followed in fifth with a 2:16.98, and Anna Nishizaki capped an exceptional meet by lowering her own school record twice on the day, finishing third overall in 2:15.88.
The championships concluded with the 400 freestyle relay, where the Trojans delivered a thrilling finish. Olivia Elgin opened the relay with a personal-best 49.60, setting the pace for Gabriella O'Neil, Amara Addison, and Lena Nikolaeva. The quartet powered home to secure the silver medal, closing the meet on a podium finish.
Head coach Nathan Townsend reflected on the team's performance across the four-day championship.
"Obviously, I'm so proud of this team and what they accomplished over these four days. None of us had ever experienced a meet quite like this combining with the men's conference and racing a full four-day prelims/finals format so it was a learning experience across the board. And the way our team responded says everything about who they are.
We always say 'Saturdays are for the Trojans,' and they absolutely proved that. We had top-four finishes in every event except the mile, and even there, Izzy moved up two spots from last year.
Yes, we'll celebrate the PBs, the medals, and the incredible swims. But what I'm most proud of is how deeply this team cares about each other. They genuinely want to see one another succeed, not just themselves. That kind of love and selflessness is rare, and it's a beautiful thing to witness.
I'm just incredibly grateful I get to be their coach."
In addition to the team's sixth-place finish, several Trojans earned postseason honors. First Team All-Conference selections included Megan Stewart, Olivia Elgin, Anna Nishizaki, and Amara Addison.
All-Conference Honorable Mention honors were awarded to Beatriz Comini Romero, Melanie Fulton, Lena Nikolaeva, Gabriella O'Neil, Anna Nishizaki, Lyla Roper, Adara Stoddard, Amara Addison, Olivia Elgin, and Megan Stewart.
UP NEXT
The Trojans look to Ocala, Florida where they will compete at the National Invitational Championship (NIC) from March 12-14.
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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