No. 5 Women's Swimming Falls to No. 2 Texas

COLLEGE STATION– The No. 5 Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team dropped a hard-fought 151.5-148.5 dual meet decision to the No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns on Friday at the Student Recreation Center.
 
The Aggies had rallied to take a narrow lead after winning the top three spots in the penultimate race of the evening, but the Longhorns prevailed with a victory in the 400-yard free relay for deciding points. It was the first loss of the year for the Aggies, who fell to 3-1 for the season.
 
Head Coach Steve Bultman said:
"We swam great and I was pleased how we competed and how fast we went. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough in some of the races so we ended up losing a very close, exciting meet. But I was very, very pleased with where we are right now and how we competed. It was a very exciting meet with both the men and women there. It was loud and we had a great crowd. With the women's meet being really close and back and forth, and with our guys winning, that was exciting, as well."
 
Notables:

• The Aggies won eight of the 16 races, including winning at least the top three spots in two races.
• Texas A&M grabbed the lead in the second-to-last race of the night after the 400 IM crew won the top three spots in the event. Junior Sydney Pickrem, a Canadian Olympian, won in 4:12.09 and she was trailed by junior Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo and senior Bethany Galat.
• Pickrem led the Aggies' 1-2-3-4 finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:10.43 and she was trailed by freshman Anna Belousova, senior Jorie Caneta and senior Bethany Galat. .
• Texas A&M opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of senior Lisa Bratton, Caneta, freshman Jing Quah and senior Beryl Gastaldello touching in 1:37.76.
• Gastaldello posted a pair of victories with a sweep of the 50 and 100 freestyles. Gastaldello won the 50 in 22.30 and the 100 in 49.16.
• Bratton tied for the win in the 100 back in 52.92 and placed second in the 200 back by just .04 of a second.
• Caneta, the defending SEC champion in the 100 breast, won the 100 breast in a quick 59.86 and was took third in the Aggies' 1-2-3-4 effort in the 200 breast.
• Freshman Jing Quah, from Singapore, won the 100 fly in 53.35.