ORLANDO, Fla. – James Madison surpassed the field with 395 total team points on the second day of the Sun Belt Women’s Swim and Dive Championships at the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center in Orlando, Fla. on Thursday. The Dukes finished atop the podium in four of the day’s five events and broke the 200 Free Relay Championship Record.
After the morning preliminary session, Marshall’s Eszter Laban won the 500 Free with a time of 4:53.07. The Dukes totaled 66 team points taking second [Angela Ritchie, 4:53.29], third [Katelyn Fitzgerald, 4:53.35], fifth [Abby Maguire, 4:58.28], sixth [Riley Nugent, 4:59.41] and 11th [Sophia Kapla, 5:06.19] in the event. Georgia Southern’s Zuri Clavo [4:56.65] finished in fourth as her teammate Montgomery Dampier [5:05.25] took nineth to lead the “B” final.
Moving to the finals for the 200 IM, Jess Pryne exploded down the lane in the last 50 to hit a NCAA “B” Qualifying Standard with a time of 1:59.54. The Dukes’ senior was followed by a pair of Thundering Herd athletes in Molly Warner [2:01.27] and Paige Banton [2:01.51]. Lauren Aylmer [JMU, 2:04.14] and Allison Dodd [Marshall, 2:05.38] added points in nineth and tenth as the Dukes and the Herd separated themselves from the field.
The 50 Free saw a pair of Dukes finishing on the podium as sophomore Jamie Cornwell missed setting a new Sun Belt Championship record by .16 with a time of 22.88. Her teammate Alexandra Volk finished in 23.14. A trio from Marshall scored the next 45 team points with Klava Katayama in third [23.27], Madeline Hart in fourth [23.31] and Parker Lynch in fifth [23.39]. Georgia Southern’s Chiara Alberti led the way in the in nineth for the “B” final with a time of 23.50 as Mary Dunworth from Old Dominion took tenth in 23.55.
The 3M Diving “B” finals featured five Georgia Southern athletes; however, Abi White led the group with a 275.75 for nineth. McKinlee Taulbee took tenth with 250.6. The finals showcased five competitors from James Madison, as junior Alexa Holloway finished atop the podium just four points shy of a new Sun Belt record with 324.35. Marshall’s Grace Kelsheimer took silver with a score of 301.85 as Dukes’ freshman Kate Vitolo finished third with 287.30.
Heading into the day’s final event in the 200 Free Relay, the James Madison relay team of Alexandra Volk, Madison Cottrell, Sydni Diehl and Jamie Cornwell set a new Sun Belt Championships benchmark in 1:30.69. This marked the second Dukes relay team to set a meet record in as many days. The previous record, held by Western Kentucky, was set at the Championships in 2009.
Marshall took second in 1:33.00 as Georgia Southern took third in 1:33.64. Old Dominion finished the relay fourth in 1:34.03 as just over a second separated the three teams.
Friday’s swimming events will include the 100 Butterfly, 400 Individual Medley, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke and 100 Backstroke. The 1M Diving prelims and consolation finals will take place at 1 p.m. before the night session at 6 p.m. The 1-meter Diving final and the 400 Medley Relay will conclude the session.
Women’s Team Scores (through seven events)
1. James Madison, 395
2. Marshall, 288
3. Georgia Southern, 204
4. Old Dominion, 141
Championship Records Broken
200 Medley Relay – James Madison [1:38.53]
200 Free Relay – James Madison [1:30.69]