Olivia Bray Wins Two as Texas Women Defeat North Carolina
Following an impressive win over North Carolina State Friday, the Texas women were in Chapel Hill early Saturday morning to face off against North Carolina. The Longhorns won again by a final score of 141-102, and leading the way was Olivia Bray, who picked up two individual event victories.
Bray won the 100 fly in 51.33 and the 500 free in 4:44.32. Her 100 fly time was quicker than the 51.44 she swam in the NCAA A-final of the event last season (where she placed seventh), and she was just off her season-best time of 51.07 that ranks seventh in the nation.
Additionally, Texas got a swift performance in the 100 breaststroke from Anna Elendt. The sophomore swam a 58.08, just off her fourth-ranked season-best of 57.90, and the performance came just one day after she edged out defending NCAA champion Sophie Hansson in the event in the Longhorns meet at NC State. The team of Julia Cook, Elendt, Bray and Bridget Semenuk combined to swim a 1:35.68 in the 200 medley relay.
Full results from the meet are available here, and read the full press release from Texas below:
No. 2 Texas Women’s Swimming and Diving defeated North Carolina, 141-102, at the Maurice J. Koury Natatorium on Saturday morning, setting two pool records in the process. The Longhorns won 9 of the 13 events and improved to 4-1 in dual meets this season.
Texas was led by sophomore Olivia Bray, who collected a pool record in the 100 fly with a time of 51.33 and added a second victory by clocking a 4:44.32 in the 500 free. Fellow sophomore Anna Elendt also tallied a pool record, winning the 100 breaststroke by more than three seconds with a time of 58.08. It marked the second-straight meet in which Bray and Elendt established pool records, after Bray netted one and Elendt two in Friday’s meet at NC State.
Bray and Elendt also helped the Longhorns post a victory in the meet-opening 200-yard medley relay, with senior Julia Cook, Elendt, Bray and junior Bridget Semenuk posting a UT season-best time of 1:35.68.
Cook added another victory to her name with the top time in the 100 back, touching the wall in 52.65 to lead a sweep of the event, with sophomores Kelly Pash and Emma Sticklen placing second and third, respectively.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Freshman Erica Sullivan opened the individual races with her second-straight win of the weekend in the 1,000 free, cruising to an 11-second victory in 9:40.86.
- Texas swept the 1000 free with freshman Olivia McMurray placing second in 9:51.91 and freshman Abby Pfeifer finishing third in 10:02.95.
- Sticklen followed with a win in the 200 free with a time of 1:47.82 and Semenuk placing third in 1:48.22.
- Semenuk had the top time in the 50 free for the Longhorns, placing second in 22.54.
- Freshman Hailey Hernandez collected a pair of second-place results on the springboard with 326.10 points on the 1-meter and 360.30 on the 3-meter.
- Pash made it a 1-2 finish in the 100 fly, finishing second behind Bray with a time of 52.15.
- Sophomore Bridget O’Neil finished third in both springboard events, tallying 319.80 points on the 1-meter and 354.98 points on the 3-meter.
- Grace Cooper won the 100 free with the sophomore posting a time of 49.91. Junior Kyla Leibel clocked a 50.72 in the 100 free to finish third.
- Senior Evie Pfeifer won the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.63.
- McMurray posted her second runner-up result of the morning with a second-place finish in the 500 free in 4:47.89.
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