AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team remained No. 4 in the latest CSCAA Div. I rankings released on Thursday and had a strong first day at the Arena Pro Swim Series at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the University of Texas campus.
The 8-0 Aggies have been in the top 10 of the CSCAA poll all season, including owning the No. 1 spot for one rankings period. The CSCAA top 25 contains an impressive seven SEC teams, including five in the top 10. The Aggies hold head-to-head dual meet wins over No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 25 Alabama and host No. 20 LSU next week on Senior Day.
In the Arena Pro Swim Series, which is contested in long course meters, junior Meredith Oliver took second place in the consolation final of the 100-meter freestyle with a U.S. Olympic Trials cut time of 56.46, while senior Lili Ibanez finished sixth in the race in a time of 56.84. Senior Sammie Bosma won the 100 free “C” final in a time of 57.00, and sophomore Sarah Gibson was sixth in 57.74. Senior Kelli Benjamin posted a third place finish in the “D” final in a time of 57.05.
In the 200-meter breaststroke, 2014 senior Breeja Larson took third place in a time of 2:26.82 and she was trailed by her old teammates junior Ashley McGregor (5th, 2:30.07) and senior Sarah Henry (6th, 2:30.67). Sophomores Sycerika McMahon (2:32.17) and Franko Jonker (2:32.21) took second and third place, respectively, in the consolation final, while freshmen Esther Gonzales and Bethany Galat placed third and fourth in the “C” final. All seven Aggies in the 200 breast finals achieved their Olympic Trials cuts.
Henry also shined in the 400-meter free with a fourth place finish in the Championship final in a time of 4:13.47. Gibson won the consolation final with a time of 4:16.54, while junior Colleen Konetzke was sixth in the race in 4:19.93. Henry and Gibson both hit their Trials cuts. Freshman Nancy Schuchhardt and Jessica Sloan placed fourth and sixth in the “D” final.
Last week's SEC Freshman of the Week Béryl Gastaldello grabbed fourth in the 100 butterfly in a Trials cut time of 59.89. In the consolation final, senior Emily Neubert placed fifth in 1:01.49, while 2014 senior Cammile Adams was sixth in 1:01.84. In the “C” final, freshman Laura Norman was second in 1:01.63, while Bosma was fourth in 1:02.10.
Finishing out the evening session, the Aggies took second and third place honors in the 400 free relay. The foursome of Benjamin, freshman Kristin Malone, Neubert and Gastaldello was second in 3:49.16 and the relay of Bosma, Gibson, Ibanez and Oliver was third in 3:49.69.
CSCAA NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Ranking as of January 15, 2015
1. (tie) California
1. (tie) Georgia
3. Stanford
4. Texas A&M
5. Texas
6. Virginia
7. Tennessee
8. Florida
9. Michigan
10. Auburn
11. Minnesota
12. Southern California
13. UCLA
14. Arizona
14. Indiana
16. North Carolina State
17. Penn State
18. North Carolina
19. Louisville
20. Louisiana State
21. Iowa
22. Florida State
23. Denver
24. Wisconsin
25. Alabama
Also receiving votes: Duke, Purdue