COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team won its first conference championship since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012 with a team victory at the 2016 SEC Championships on Saturday at the Mizzou Aquatics Center.
The Aggies' team victory snapped the six-year reign by the Georgia Bulldogs, and was the school's first conference title since winning the Big 12 Championship, also at the Mizzou Aquatics Center, in 2012. The Aggies finished the five-day meet with 1,166.5 points to hold off Tennessee (1,139.5) and Georgia (1,099.5). Under Bultman, the Aggies have won conference championships in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016.
"It was a battle all week," said Aggie head coach Steve Bultman. "It was close. Every night the lead see-sawed back and forth because different team had different strengths. It was a lot of fun and that's what you want to bring out the best in the competitors with different people stepping up from all the teams. "
The Aggies logged a pair of SEC individual championships on the meet's final day. Sophomore Lisa Bratton won her second SEC crown of the meet with a win in the 200-yard backstroke, while sophomore Bethany Galat grabbed the gold in the 200 breaststroke.
Bratton, from Richland, Wash., lowered her own school record by nearly two seconds in the 200 back with a winning time of 1:50.64. Seeded third going into the final, Bratton had to rally past Kentucky's Danielle Galyer in the final 50 yards to get to the wall first. Also contributing points was senior Claire Brandt (12th, 1:54.47).
"I knew I had to be out with the girls because I'm typically not very strong going out, but if I was with them at the 100 I knew I could win it," Bratton said.
Galat, from Mishawake, Ind., led the 200 breaststroke wire-to-wire but had to hold off a talented field, including her freshman teammate Sydney Pickrem to earn the victory. Galat won in a lifetime best time of 2:07.83, just ahead of Pickrem who touched in 2:07.96.
"I wanted it so bad and our team needed it so bad, and I was beyond excited throughout the whole race," Galat said. "I don't remember the pain at all. I just remember the team going berserk every time I breathed. I was in lane eight so they were right there and it was so incredible."
Galat and Pickrem's 1-2 finish in the Championship final led to a 96-point explosion by the Aggies in the 200 breaststroke that gave them a 50-point advantage with two events to go. Also chipping in valuable points were sophomore Esther Gonzalez (10th, 211.31), junior Sycerika McMahon (12th, 2:12.59) and sophomore Jorie Caneta (21st, 2:13.56).
The Aggies scored big points in the 100 free with five swimmers contributing 67 points. Sophomore Béryl Gastaldello made another trip to the SEC award podium with a third place finish in 47.89, and sophomore Kristin Malone (14th, 49.24), senior Meredith Oliver (12th, 49.34), freshman Claire Rasmus (16th, 49.42) and freshman Lexie Lupton (21st, 49.66) scored points.
Freshman diver Alais Kalonji put the icing on the Aggies' team victory with a runner-up finish in the platform dive, the second-to-last event of the night, with a season-best 289.56 point total.
Earlier in the day in the 1,650 freestyle, sophomore Caitlyn Moon placed ninth in a lifetime best 16:16.35 and senior Colleen Konetzke was 17th in 16:28.97.
The Aggies closed out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay with the foursome of Gastaldello, junior Sarah Gibson, Oliver and Malone touching in 3:14.82.
The Aggies' team victory snapped the six-year reign by the Georgia Bulldogs, and was the school's first conference title since winning the Big 12 Championship, also at the Mizzou Aquatics Center, in 2012. The Aggies finished the five-day meet with 1,166.5 points to hold off Tennessee (1,139.5) and Georgia (1,099.5). Under Bultman, the Aggies have won conference championships in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016.
"It was a battle all week," said Aggie head coach Steve Bultman. "It was close. Every night the lead see-sawed back and forth because different team had different strengths. It was a lot of fun and that's what you want to bring out the best in the competitors with different people stepping up from all the teams. "
The Aggies logged a pair of SEC individual championships on the meet's final day. Sophomore Lisa Bratton won her second SEC crown of the meet with a win in the 200-yard backstroke, while sophomore Bethany Galat grabbed the gold in the 200 breaststroke.
Bratton, from Richland, Wash., lowered her own school record by nearly two seconds in the 200 back with a winning time of 1:50.64. Seeded third going into the final, Bratton had to rally past Kentucky's Danielle Galyer in the final 50 yards to get to the wall first. Also contributing points was senior Claire Brandt (12th, 1:54.47).
"I knew I had to be out with the girls because I'm typically not very strong going out, but if I was with them at the 100 I knew I could win it," Bratton said.
Galat, from Mishawake, Ind., led the 200 breaststroke wire-to-wire but had to hold off a talented field, including her freshman teammate Sydney Pickrem to earn the victory. Galat won in a lifetime best time of 2:07.83, just ahead of Pickrem who touched in 2:07.96.
"I wanted it so bad and our team needed it so bad, and I was beyond excited throughout the whole race," Galat said. "I don't remember the pain at all. I just remember the team going berserk every time I breathed. I was in lane eight so they were right there and it was so incredible."
Galat and Pickrem's 1-2 finish in the Championship final led to a 96-point explosion by the Aggies in the 200 breaststroke that gave them a 50-point advantage with two events to go. Also chipping in valuable points were sophomore Esther Gonzalez (10th, 211.31), junior Sycerika McMahon (12th, 2:12.59) and sophomore Jorie Caneta (21st, 2:13.56).
The Aggies scored big points in the 100 free with five swimmers contributing 67 points. Sophomore Béryl Gastaldello made another trip to the SEC award podium with a third place finish in 47.89, and sophomore Kristin Malone (14th, 49.24), senior Meredith Oliver (12th, 49.34), freshman Claire Rasmus (16th, 49.42) and freshman Lexie Lupton (21st, 49.66) scored points.
Freshman diver Alais Kalonji put the icing on the Aggies' team victory with a runner-up finish in the platform dive, the second-to-last event of the night, with a season-best 289.56 point total.
Earlier in the day in the 1,650 freestyle, sophomore Caitlyn Moon placed ninth in a lifetime best 16:16.35 and senior Colleen Konetzke was 17th in 16:28.97.
The Aggies closed out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay with the foursome of Gastaldello, junior Sarah Gibson, Oliver and Malone touching in 3:14.82.