Full meet results available here.
Two Meet Records and a a Werblin Recreation Center Pool Record went down in a rousing final session of the 2015 Frank Elm Invitational, hosted by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Final Team Standings:
1. Navy – 2,096.50
2. Rutgers – 1,503
3. Northeastern – 1,012.50
4. James Madison – 921.50
5. Liberty – 770.50
6. Wagner – 747
7. Central Connecticut State – 691
8. Long Island U. Post – 483
9. New Hampshire – 306
10. Sacred Heart – 210
The Navy women went out with a bang, winning by almost 600 points at the final tallies. That included two final-day victories to bookend the session.
That started with a 16:45.47 from sophomore Jenny Smith in the women’s 1650 freestyle. Her teammate Sara Lopez was an early rabbit in this race, pushing the pace by multiple seconds over the field in the early running, but as she faded, Smith’s splits stayed almost mechanically even. Just after the turn at 1300 yards, Smith took the lead, and wouldn’t look back. Lopez finished 2nd in 16:48.08.
At the end of the date, Navy showed the program’s range by winning the 400 free relay in a new Pool Record, touching in 3:23.03. Lauren Barber (51.12), Molly Kuenstier (51.20), Kenzie Margroum (50.80), and Maddie Thompson (49.91) combined for the new record, and James Madison took 2nd in 3:24.76.
In between, the runners-up from Rutgers also had some success, though every good swim by the home team was met by a wave of Midshipmen balancing the scoring. In the 200 backstroke, Rutgers freshman Vera Koprivova won the 200 back in a new Meet Record of 1:55.97 – breaking a decade-old meet mark. She handed her teammate Joanna Wu (1:58.93) a rare loss at this meet; Wu, the school record holder, placed 2nd in 1:58.93. Koprikova now ranks 3rd in school history in the event.
Rutgers’ other wins came in the 200 breaststroke, where Rachel Stoddard swam 2:12.70 for a three-second margin over Central Connecticut State’s Maddy Garber; and in the 200 fly, where Morgan Pfaff swam 2:00.12 for a narrower victory over LIU-Post’s Joyce Kwok (2:00.43).
The other Meet Record went to Wagner’s Anu Nihipali with a 49.99 in the 100 free. That’s another decade-old record that went down, with the old standard having been set in 2005 by current U.S. National Teamer Madison Kennedy at 50.03. Nihipali broke the Meet Record in the 100 backstroke on Saturday night.
