By Xonzy Gaddis, Swimming World College Intern.
The second finals session of the 2019 Conference USA Championships featured four events including the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free and 200 free relay.
Florida International University takes the lead with 328.5 points, followed by Rice University in second with 273.5 points, University of North Texas with 183.5 points, Marshall University with 159.5, Old Dominion University with 114 points, and Florida Atlantic University in sixth with 105 points.
Women’s 500 Free
Rice University sophomore, Ellery Parish, dominated the 500 free with a personal best time of 4:44.09, followed by FIU senior, Ocean Peretti right in second (4:46.76), and Rice junior, Claire Therien taking third place with 4:47.22.
Old Dominion’s Jacklyn VandePoel took fourth with a (4:51.82), followed by UNT sophomore, Leigh Faires McGee (4:52.21), sophomore Stephanie Hussey from FIU (4:52.24), Rice junior, Sarah Nowaski (4:53.19), and Hanna Huston, senior from Rice University taking eighth place with a 4:53.91.
1 Parish, Ellery SO Rice 4:49.50 4:44.09 NIAA 20
r:+0.84 26.89 56.14 (29.25)
1:24.94 (28.80) 1:53.64 (28.70)
2:21.93 (28.29) 2:50.36 (28.43)
3:18.62 (28.26) 3:47.08 (28.46)
4:15.77 (28.69) 4:44.09 (28.32)
2 Peretti, Oceane SR FIU 4:51.51 4:46.76 NIAA 17
r:+0.87 27.01 55.56 (28.55)
1:24.11 (28.55) 1:52.89 (28.78)
2:21.89 (29.00) 2:50.76 (28.87)
3:19.71 (28.95) 3:48.72 (29.01)
4:18.04 (29.32) 4:46.76 (28.72)
3 Therien, Claire JR Rice 4:50.34 4:47.22 NIAB 16
r:+0.72 27.16 56.46 (29.30)
1:25.62 (29.16) 1:54.64 (29.02)
2:23.66 (29.02) 2:52.90 (29.24)
3:21.80 (28.90) 3:50.64 (28.84)
4:19.33 (28.69) 4:47.22 (27.89)
4 VandePoel, Jack JR Odu Monarchs 4:54.49 4:51.82 NIAB 15
r:+0.76 26.80 55.79 (28.99)
1:25.26 (29.47) 1:54.74 (29.48)
2:24.22 (29.48) 2:53.93 (29.71)
3:23.74 (29.81) 3:53.59 (29.85)
4:23.19 (29.60) 4:51.82 (28.63)
5 McGee, Leigh Fa SO North Texas 4:54.12 4:52.21 NIAB 14
r:+0.70 26.60 55.79 (29.19)
1:24.88 (29.09) 1:54.22 (29.34)
2:23.42 (29.20) 2:53.11 (29.69)
3:22.84 (29.73) 3:52.66 (29.82)
4:22.83 (30.17) 4:52.21 (29.38)
6 Hussey, Stephan SO FIU 4:52.90 4:52.24 NIAB 13
r:+0.74 27.34 56.51 (29.17)
1:25.85 (29.34) 1:55.24 (29.39)
2:24.64 (29.40) 2:54.29 (29.65)
3:23.94 (29.65) 3:53.72 (29.78)
4:23.48 (29.76) 4:52.24 (28.76)
7 Nowaski, Sarah JR Rice 4:52.62 4:53.19 NIAB 12
r:+0.70 27.42 57.00 (29.58)
1:26.44 (29.44) 1:55.54 (29.10)
2:24.82 (29.28) 2:54.55 (29.73)
3:24.45 (29.90) 3:54.15 (29.70)
4:23.87 (29.72) 4:53.19 (29.32)
8 Huston, Hanna SR Rice 4:52.55 4:53.91 NIAB 11
r:+0.73 27.28 56.50 (29.22)
1:25.92 (29.42) 1:55.51 (29.59)
2:25.29 (29.78) 2:54.84 (29.55)
3:24.63 (29.79) 3:54.54 (29.91)
4:24.45 (29.91) 4:53.91 (29.46)
Women’s 200 IM
Marshall University junior, Catherine Bendziewicz, took first place in the 200 IM with a personal best of 1:58.94, leading at the 150. Rice freshman Marta Cano Minarro placed second four tenths behind Bendziewicz with a 1:58.98, follwed by FIU freshman, Holly Shepherd (2:00.21), FIU sophomore, Sara Gyertyfanffy (2:00.68), FIU junior, Carita Luukkanen (2:00.99), Rice sophomore, Hannah Sumbera (2:01.78), FIU junior, Taylor Grabenhorst (2:02.72), and Rice sophomore, Brittany Bui in eighth place with 2:02.94.
1 Bendziewicz, Ca JR Marshall 2:00.17 1:58.94 NIAA 20
r:+0.70 25.51 56.44 (30.93)
1:31.00 (34.56) 1:58.94 (27.94)
2 Cano Minarro, M FR Rice 2:02.35 1:58.98 NIAA 17
r:+0.67 25.79 56.93 (31.14)
1:31.70 (34.77) 1:58.98 (27.28)
3 Shepherd, Holly FR FIU 2:00.98 2:00.21 NIAB 16
r:+0.74 25.73 55.29 (29.56)
1:31.08 (35.79) 2:00.21 (29.13)
4 Gyertyanffy, Sa SO FIU 2:03.24 2:00.68 NIAB 15
r:+0.68 25.09 56.63 (31.54)
1:31.97 (35.34) 2:00.68 (28.71)
5 Luukkanen, Cari JR FIU 2:00.76 2:00.99 NIAB 14
r:+0.70 26.39 56.68 (30.29)
1:30.91 (34.23) 2:00.99 (30.08)
6 Sumbera, Hannah SO Rice 2:02.80 2:01.78 NIAB 13
r:+0.75 26.59 57.01 (30.42)
1:32.98 (35.97) 2:01.78 (28.80)
7 Grabenhorst, Ta JR FIU 2:03.71 2:02.72 NIAB 12
r:+0.70 26.75 59.47 (32.72)
1:34.11 (34.64) 2:02.72 (28.61)
8 Bui, Brittany SO Rice 2:02.92 2:02.94 NIAB 11
r:+0.71 26.47 57.72 (31.25)
1:33.18 (35.46) 2:02.94 (29.76)
Women’s 50 Free
Senior Naomi Ruele from Florida International University swept the 50 free with a quick 22.15, while senior from University of North Texas, Britt Thurstin took second with a 22.79, and junior Kate Nezelek from Rice right behind her with a 22.92.
Sophomore from Marshall University, Darby Coles, took fourth place with a 22.98, followed by a tie between UNT senior Emmabet Benson and Rice freshman Becca Evans both with 23.08, FIU freshman Paloma Sanchez (23.25), and FAU junior Fati Westbrook taking eighth place with 22.34.
1 Ruele, Naomi SR FIU 22.34 22.15 IV18 20
r:+0.69
2 Thurstin, Britt SR North Texas 22.84 22.79 NIAB 17
r:+0.62
3 Nezelek, Kate JR Rice 23.05 22.92 NIAB 16
r:+0.71
4 Coles, Darby SO Marshall 23.35 22.98 NIAB 15
r:+0.75
5 Jensen, Emmabet SR North Texas 23.09 23.08 NIAB 13.5
r:+0.66
5 Evans, Becca FR Rice 23.20 23.08 NIAB 13.5
r:+0.67
7 Sanchez, Paloma FR FIU 23.23 23.25 NIAB 12
r:+0.66
8 Westbrook, Fati JR FAU 23.37 23.44 NIAB 11
r:+0.66
Women’s 200 Free Relay
The final event of the night, the 200 free relay, was taken by Rice University at a 1:31.10. Nezelek led the Owls with a strong 23.16, followed by teammate Evans (22.58), senior Marie-Claire Schillinger (22.78), anchored in by Minarro with a 22.58.
FIU came in second place with a solid 1:31.39, followed by UNT (1:31.88), Marshall (1:32.31), and Old Dominion University taking fifth place with a 1:36.72.
1 Rice 1:33.59 1:31.10 NIAA 40
1) Nezelek, Kate JR 2) r:0.17 Evans, Becca FR
3) r:0.17 Schillinger, Maaire SR 4) r:0.21 Cano Minarro, Marta FR
r:+0.72 23.16 45.74 (22.58)
1:08.52 (22.78) 1:31.10 (22.58)
2 FIU 1:32.48 1:31.39 NIAA 34
1) Ruele, Naomi SR 2) r:0.22 Sanchez, Paloma FR
3) r:0.12 Bryant, Alexa JR 4) r:0.24 Fodor, Helga FR
r:+0.67 22.32 45.30 (22.98)
1:08.40 (23.10) 1:31.39 (22.99)
3 North Texas 1:34.24 1:31.88 NIAA 32
1) Thurstin, Brittany SR 2) r:0.41 Sienczyk, Jowita JR
3) r:1.74 Opiela, Kelsey SR 4) r:0.21 Jensen, Emmabeth SR
r:+0.61 23.03 46.41 (23.38)
1:09.36 (22.95) 1:31.88 (22.52)
4 Marshall 1:34.04 1:32.31 NIAA 30
1) Bendziewicz, Catherine JR 2) r:1.74 Robins, Hannah JR
3) r:1.65 Mooij, Raeleigh FR 4) r:0.21
r:+1.39 22.97 46.15 (23.18)
1:09.72 (23.57) 1:32.31 (22.59)
5 Odu Monarchs 1:37.76 1:36.72 28
1) Tinneny, Jacqueline FR 2) r:0.55 Campbell, Nikia SO
3) r:0.43 Nardone, FeFe SO 4) r:0.24 VandePoel, Jacklyn JR
r:+0.73 24.67 48.94 (24.27)
1:13.21 (24.27) 1:36.72 (23.51)
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