2022 New Mexico Crimson & White Intrasquad
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022
- Las Cruces, New Mexico
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results (PDF)
Courtesy: New Mexico State Athletics
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Aggies’ opened their swimming and diving season on Wednesday afternoon as they competed against one another in the annual Crimson versus White event.
With 10 swim events and a pair of diving events being competed in, the White squad squeaked out a 60-58 win thanks to a win in the final event of the day.
“Today was a lot of fun with some great efforts and many solid swims for this early in the year,” noted Head Coach Rick Pratt. “We have lots of things to work on but it was a great indicator of where we are now and what to focus on moving forward.”
To open things up, the divers took to the boards for the 3-meter event where Crimson’s Kate Malinowski was the top-scoring diver with a final score of 200.40.
The first swim event of the day was won by the White team as the quartet of Kira Brownell, Kathryn Gyde, Rachel Ponte and Elizabeth Cervantes-Vanderlugt won the 200-yard medley relay with a combined time of 1:48.18.
In the 500 free, team Crimson scored the top spot as freshman Naomi Slee finished with a time of 5:05.91 to pace the group. Estel Galo came in behind Slee with a time of 5:27.47 for the White team.
Following the 20-lap event, team White punched back with a win as the two sides competed in the 100 free. Cervantes-Vanderlugt was the top Aggie in the event – finishing with a time of 54.66.
The 200-yard individual medley would be next on the event list. Lindsay Puhalski would lead the way for the White team and the Aggies as she reached the wall at 2:09.41. Faye McDonagh would finish second with a time of 2:11.87.
Next, team White would go one-two in the 100 butterfly to make it three wins in a row for the Aggies representing the White group. Rachel Ponte was the Aggies’ top swimmer in the lone fly event as she finished in a time of 58.99 to just edge out Molly Hill who posted a time of 59.13.
After finishing in second in the first relay event, team Crimson redeemed themselves in the 100 free relay with a win.
In swimming’s equivalent of the 100-meter dash, Crimson’s Aimee Burton picked up where she last left off as she notched a time of 23.85 to finish first. A pair of Aggie freshmen finished in second and third as Kira Brownell finished as the runner-up with a time of 25.17 while Gigi Gotaas clocked a time of 25.59 to earn bronze.
Senior leader Maude-Boily Dufour led the way in the 100 back with a time of 1:01.54 to pick up another win for team Crimson. Molly Hill finished just behind her fellow Canadian – touching the wall at 1:02.15 to earn points for Team White.
Naomi Slee collected her second win of the day as she earned the top spot in the 200 free with a time of 1:56.20 for the Crimson team. Meanwhile, Aggie veteran Lindsay Puhalski finished less than two-tenths of a second behind Slee with a time of 1:56.36
Following a win from Faye McDonagh in the penultimate event of the day, the Crimson team took a 58-53 lead. McDonagh bested her teammates by posting a time of 1:07.68.
With the top relay squad set to earn seven points for their team, the 200 free relay and final event of the meet would ultimately decide the victor. Lindsay Puhalski led off for team White and gave the remaining three members of her team a lead of more than a second. This would eventually be the deciding factor as the White team landed the win with a time of 1:38.44.
UP NEXT
The Aggies now turn their attention to the official start of their season on Friday, Oct. 7, when they prepare to host North Texas. Following the meet against the Mean Green, NM State will hit the road to face Northern Colorado on Oct. 14 in Greeley, Colo.
