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

Friday, November 3

College Station

6 p.m.

Texas A&M

148.5

151.5

Texas

Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics

Nov 03, 2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results: A&M/Texas Photos

By: Brad Marquardt

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.

"We swam great. I was really pleased with how we competed and how fast we went." -@CoachBultman #12thMan pic.twitter.com/CIThgsHCSi
— Texas A&M Swimming (@AggieSwimDive) November 4, 2017