Dec. 4, 2010
The No. 8-ranked Texas A&M women's swimming team won 10 races and set nine pool records en route to a 157-106 win over Rice on Saturday at the outdoor Rice Aquatic Center.
The Aggies were impressive in their final tuneup before fall final exams and the holiday break. A&M set pool records in the 1,000-yard freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 500 free, 100 fly and the 200 freestyle. A&M was also credited with the pool record in the 50 free by virtue of the opening leg of the 200 free relay.
"We did a good job of racing, which is what we were looking for in this meet," Aggie head swimming coach Steve Bultman said. "With it being outdoors, it was a fun atmosphere for a swim meet. We got lucky with the weather and had a great competition. It was fun to see so many pool records."
Included among the Aggies' 10 victories were five races where A&M swept the top three spots - the 1,000 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 fly, 500 free and the 100 fly.
Finishing 1-2-3 in those races were freshman Cammile Adams (9:56.30), junior Alyssa Conner (10:06.90) and freshman Ashley Adams (10:21.20); senior Maria Sommer (57.45), sophomore Meagan Hairston (59.10) and senior Hannah Kinder (59.30) in the 100 back; freshman Sarah Henry (2:03.37), sophomore Jordan King (2:06.62), junior Megan Onstott (2:07.81) in the 200 fly; sophomore Maureen McLaine (4:45.55), sophomore Liz Nelson (4:57.65) and Kinder (5:06.47) in the 500 free; and junior Rita Medrano (57.04) freshman Lili Ibanez (57.53) and sophomore Tess Simpson (58.72) in the 100 fly.
The Aggies also grabbed the top spot in the 100 free (Sommer, 50.84), the 200 back (freshman Kim Pavlin, 2:02.27) and Onstott in the 200 breaststroke (2:20.83).
Bultman had special praise for senior Maria Sommer, who led the way with three wins, including two individual races, and set four pool records. Sommer set records in the 100 back and 100 free and also led off the winning 200 free relay in 23.25 to set the 50 free mark.
"Maria Sommer did a great job of stepping up and racing," Bultman said. "She's a sprinter and she loves to race. She was really solid every time she was in the water today."
A&M was victorious in both relay races with the foursome of Simpson, freshman Katherine Caldwell, Medrano and Kinder winning the 400 medley relay in 3:50.75 and Sommer, Simpson, freshman Paige Miller and Ibanez taking the 200 free relay in 1:34.77.