Women's swimming and diving wins AAC championship

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING WINS AAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Head Coach Steve Collins Named American Coach Of The Year

Feb. 21, 2015

GREENSBORO, N.C. (SMU) – The SMU women’s swimming and diving team posted three wins on the final night of the American Athletic Conference Championship en route to a first-place finish at the event. It is the 16th championship for the program in the past 19 seasons, and the first in The American in the conference’s two seasons of competition.

The Mustangs posted a team score of 797 in the six-team field, while Connecticut was second with 619 points and East Carolina rounded out the top three with 595.5. Tulane (494.5), Cincinnati (461) and Houston (449) rounded out the group.

Head Coach Steve Collins was also honored as the women’s AAC Coach of the Year. He last earned the honor in 2012. Assistant coach Ashley Dell and Head Diving Coach Jim Stillson also helped lead the Mustangs to victory.

SMU swept the podium in the 200-yard breaststroke as senior Rachel Nicol and sophomores Tara-Lynn Nicholas and Kirsty McLauchlan finished in order. Nicol posted a 2:10.99 for the win, while Nicholas finished in 2:11.58 and McLauchlan in 2:12.41. Senior Erica Donadon touched the wall seventh in the final.

Senior Isabella Arcila picked up another championship, bringing her individual total to three. This time it was in the 200-yard backstroke as she posted a personal-best time of 1:54.39. Junior Anna Volchkov was the runner-up in the event also posting a personal best 1:56.77. Sophomore Ursa Bezan rounded out the group in the Championship Final picking up fourth-place points. In the Consolation Final, senior Eleonor Lindborg placed sixth scoring for SMU.

The third win of the event came from the 400-yard freestyle relay team of senior Nathalie Lindborg, Arcila, sophomore Marne Erasmus and freshman Adrienn Santa. The group improved on its season best posting a 3:19.91 for the win.

The Mustangs also had four score in the 100-free as Nathalie Lindborg led the group with a silver medal performance and a personal best time of 48.72. Santa posted a personal best of her own in the event with a 50.10 for fifth place. Erasmus and senior Nicole Parmenter represented the Ponies in the Consolation Final placing second and third, respectively.

Freshman Madeline Wainman earned runner-up honors in the platform dive posting a 208.85, while sophomore Lauren Lamb placed fourth with a score of 188.85.

Freshman Kathleen Charron and sophomore Samantha Butz contributed to the Ponies’ team score as they represented the team in the 200-yard butterfly Consolation Final. Charron (2:05.69) finished fifth, while Butz (2:07.98) was eighth.

In the mile, freshman Alexandra Manasso (17.32.55) posted a 13th place finish and junior Elizabeth Krane (17:46.57) was 15th.

SMU set a pair of program records at the event as Arcila posted a 22.21 in the 50-yard freestyle on night two as part of the 200-yard freestyle relay, and Nicholas finished the 100-yard breaststroke in an NCAA ‘A’ standard time of 59.12. Both times stand as meet records, along with Arcila’s 59.90 in the 100-yard backstroke.

The 2015 NCAA Championship will be held March 19-21 back at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Check SMUMustangs.com for a list of participants.

[fifty]

Nice work. Who needs a pool?

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Awesome. Congratulations!!!

[Water Pony]

Congratulations to Steve and the team. Imagine what the program could aspire to be, if we had a new aquatic center?

[RGV Pony]

Less resilient?

[SoCal_Pony]

16 championships in the past 19 seasons is quite impressive.

With new facilities, what is the likelihood we can become a perennial Top 10 program?

[Digetydog]

Congratulations to Steve and the team. Imagine what the program could aspire to be, if we had a new aquatic center?

Someday, a mother is going to say to her child: When I was in college, we won the conference championship in swimming despite the fact we did not have a swimming pool to train in.

[ponyswim]

Of course we have a pool - just an outdoor one. Too bad the "tent" that is now covering it was not here in Nov. when it was so cold.
Florida State, Arizona, Stanford, etc train outdoors - except it doesn't get so cold there.
The new pool is critical for recruiting, but having lots of academic aid is very important to compete as well. I don't think we are close on the academic aid.

[Digetydog]

Of course we have a pool - just an outdoor one. Too bad the "tent" that is now covering it was not here in Nov. when it was so cold.
Florida State, Arizona, Stanford, etc train outdoors - except it doesn't get so cold there.
The new pool is critical for recruiting, but having lots of academic aid is very important to compete as well. I don't think we are close on the academic aid.

Have they ever really trained in the indoor pool for training?

When I was a student, I remember seeing them practicing in the outdoor pool in some pretty rough weather. According to a friend of mine, the 50 meter pool was better for training.

[ponyswim]

They would usually move indoors after Thanksgiving. Partially because the "commute" to the pool from the locker room could get very cold, but more because training in a 25 yard pool gives you more opportunities to train with short, fast, race speed type situations.
You can still do some of that in a 50 meter pool, but you won't likely be as good on starts, turns, and short fast swimming.

[smusportspage]

Speaking of turns and fast swimming....if you watch the replay of the men's 4X100 free relay at the conf. championships, it appears that the last turn was what cost the SMU men the championship. Even still, it looked from eyeballing it that the SMU swimmer touched first. Wild race amd even wilder that the championship came down to .01 of a second.