Mustangs Win Team Championship At Pro-Am Classic

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From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Win Team Championship At Pro-Am Classic

Mustang swimmers took home the team championship at the four-day KMSC Pro-Am Classic in Lewisville, Texas, on Sunday evening. Below is a day-by-day recap of the event. After a nearly three-week hiatus, SMU is back in action when swimmers host Loyola New Orleans on Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. Mustang divers head to the Georgia Diving Invite in Athens Jan. 4-6.

Night Four
Erin Trahan posted a personal-best 50.54 in the 100-yard freestyle to lead SMU with a runner-up finish. Sam Smith also made the podium, finishing third in 51.68, while Olivia Grossklaus was inside the top 10 clocking in at 51.37 for ninth. Trahan was also third in the 50-yard breaststroke.

Gabi Grobler (2:00.48) proved to be SMU's top competitor in backstroke events at the Pro-Am, finishing her weekend with a third place finish in the 200 distance. Kiley Vandevier (2:03.58) joined Grobler in the Championship Final, finishing fifth. Lindsey Blanchard (2:05.55) was 10th overall competing in the Consolation Final.

Keiko Derikoletis and Madison Kinsey finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 200-yard butterfly.

Annabelle Corcoran was the lone Mustang to swim the 1,650-yard freestyle on the final day of the event and finished third.

Night Three
Erin Trahan continued her dominance in butterfly events, leading five Mustangs in the top 10 of the 50-yard butterfly on night three.

The junior clocked a 23.90 to lead the way in the 50 fly, while Olivia Grossklaus rounded out the podium with a third place finish at 25.18. Keiko Derikoletis (25.91) was sixth, Sam Smith (25.93) seventh and Keegan Pho (25.96) ninth.

Trahan was also able to show her versatility on Saturday night, pacing the Mustangs in the 200-yard individual medley with a lifetime-best 2:02.28 for third place. Just off her pace was Gabi Grobler (2:02.62), who finished fourth overall. Madison Kinsey was sixth at 2:07.44.

Grobler went on to post a career-best over her own with a 55.51 in the 100-yard backstroke for third place. Kiley Vandevier (57.14) and Smith (59.04) also represented the Mustangs in the Championship Final, finishing sixth and eighth, respectively.

The 50- and 500-yard freestyles were also contested on night three in Lewisville with Smith (T-6th) and Grossklaus (9th) swimming the sprint event, and El Yellin (4th) and Annabelle Corcoran (5th) swimming the 500.

Elise Johnson competed in the 200-yard breaststroke Championship Final and finished sixth.

Night Two
Erin Trahan and Gabi Grobler each won an individual event to lead the Mustangs on night two of the Pro-Am Classic.

Trahan's win came in the 100-yard butterfly where she posted a season-best 52.93, another performance under the NCAA's B standard. The junior was joined in the event by Olivia Grossklaus (56.31), who placed fourth, as well as Madison Kinsey (7th) and Keiko Derikoletis (9th).

Grobler paced the field in the 50-yard backstroke coming in at 25.66, while teammate Trahan finished third at 26.21, and was a top-five finisher in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall in a career-best 1:03.50 for fourth.

Additional top-10 finishes were turned in by Annabelle Corcoran (8th, 400 IM) and Grossklaus (9th, 200 free).

Night One
Action began Thursday night at the KMSC Pro-Am Classic and Mustang distance swimmers opened the event with success in the 1,000-yard freestyle.

Senior El Yellin led the way with a runner-up finish, covering the distance in a career-best 10:08.70, besting her previous career top time of 10:19.97. Teammate Lauren Thompson finished fifth in a time of 10:33.11.