EAST MEADOW, N.Y. --- Texas A&M opened the 2017 U.S. Open Swimming Championships with an impressive win the women's 400-meter freestyle relay on Wednesday at the Nassau County Aquatics Center.
The Aggie foursome of junior Kristin Malone, freshman Katie Portz, freshman Raena Eldridge and sophomore Claire Rasmus grabbed the victory in a time of 3:44.50, just .06 ahead of the second-place finishers from Wisconsin. Facing a nearly half-second deficit when she hit the water, Rasmus closed with a 55.24 split, easily the fastest of the day, to push the Aggies to the win.
Texas A&M also had a fifth-place effort in the 400 free relay with the quartet of freshman Golf Sapianchai, junior Lisa Bratton, freshman Karling Hemstreet and freshman Sara Metzsch touching in a time of 3:48.35.
In other action involving the Aggies:
The Aggie foursome of junior Kristin Malone, freshman Katie Portz, freshman Raena Eldridge and sophomore Claire Rasmus grabbed the victory in a time of 3:44.50, just .06 ahead of the second-place finishers from Wisconsin. Facing a nearly half-second deficit when she hit the water, Rasmus closed with a 55.24 split, easily the fastest of the day, to push the Aggies to the win.
Texas A&M also had a fifth-place effort in the 400 free relay with the quartet of freshman Golf Sapianchai, junior Lisa Bratton, freshman Karling Hemstreet and freshman Sara Metzsch touching in a time of 3:48.35.
In other action involving the Aggies:
- Incoming freshmen Joy Field (Magnolia, Texas) and Haley Yelle (Mansfield, Texas) placed sixth and 10th, respectively, in the women's 800 free. Field finished in 8:42.33, while Yelle touched in 8:44.22.
- In the women's 100 free "A" final, Malone placed seventh in 55.75 and Rasmus was eighth in 55.87. Portz won the C final (17th overall) in 56.22.
- In the men's 100 free, freshman Adam Koster placed second in the "B" final of the 100 free in 50.33.