Air Force Women Prevail Over Host Flames To Win Liberty Invitational

2023 Liberty Invitational

• November 16-19, 2023
• Lynchburg, Va.
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

Courtesy: Air Force Athletics

LYNCHBURG- Air Force propelled to a three-day win at the TYR ’85 Liberty Invitational on Sunday, wrapping up the meet with 2540.00 team points. In need of a push on the final day, the Falcons met the challenge with numerous record swims.

“The team gained momentum throughout the entire meet and finished with an amazing final day,” said head swimming coach Colleen Murphy. “Our depth was evident throughout the meet with lots of finals appearances, including five women in the 200 Fly final. We had over 50 lifetime best swims, 8 new top ten times and a new school record.”

The grandest of swims came from Naomi Furman, as the freshman not only finished victorious in the 200 Breaststroke, but her 2:13.31 now stands as the program record in the event. Kim Davis had held the school record since 2014 with a time of 2:14.52.

As well, Furman’s record-breaking swim qualifies her for a NCAA “B” cut position.

The final race also saw Mandy Fleetwood earn a spot in the Air Force record book, as her 2:17.57 stands as the eight-best swim in the 200 Breaststroke in program lore.

In the 200 Butterfly, Abigail Hardy, Alex Clark, Ryan Mills, Lauren Arnold, and Shayla Markle each qualified for the “A” final. Clark was the top finisher in third, touching out at 2:02.14. Hardy (2:02.38) placed fourth while also establishing the program’s ninth-best time in the event.

Katelyn Andrist’s 16:52.72 in the 1650 Freestyle awarded the sophomore a second-place finish in the distant swim.

Abby Turner and Kirsten Lee were the only Falcons to earn an “A” finals slot in the 100 Freestyle. Turner (50.91) was seventh, while Lee (51.67) was ninth. Mills managed the quickest swim in the “B” finals, as her time of 50.61 becomes the sixth-best time in the event in program history.

Kinzie Etzelmiller wowed in the platform dive, garnering the top score in the event with 228.53 points. Jaymie Yow (174.30) and Kayden Macpherson (151.20) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Closing the Sunday results, Kai-Min Tsuei swam to a fourth-place finish in the 200 Backstroke (2:02.13).

“This team is having a lot of fun and swimming fast,” said Murphy. “We are so proud of them.”

Next, the Falcons will have to wait until December 19 for their next meet, as Air Force travels to San Diego State to battle the Aztecs in a Mountain West dual.

Courtesy: Liberty Athletics

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The host Liberty Lady Flames finished second in team standings at the 2023 TYR ’85 Invite, which wrapped up on Sunday at Liberty Natatorium.

Air Force won with 2,540 points, followed by Liberty (2,253.5), Ohio (2,251), Campbell (1,189.5), Saint Francis (Pa.) (888) and California (Pa.) (321).

Liberty A Finalists

• So. Eden Troxell – 1650 freestyle (4^th in 17:02.37)
• Jr. Grace Isaacs – 1650 freestyle (7^th in 17:12.39)
• So. Isabelle Gomez – 1650 freestyle (8^th in 17:13.63)
• Sr. Abbie Shaw – 200 backstroke (1^st in 1:54.80; qualified in 1:54.90)
• So. Malia Francis – 200 backstroke (2^nd in 1:59.53; qualified in 1:59.10)
• Sr. Sydney Houtz – 200 backstroke (3^rd in 1:59.94; qualified in 2:00.69)
• Fr. Sadie Stricklin – 200 backstroke (6^th in 2:01.69; qualified in 2:02.57)
• So. Sydney Stricklin – 100 freestyle (t-2^nd in 50.20; qualified in 50.49)
• Sr. Heather Gardner – 200 breaststroke (8^th in 2:19.04; qualified in 2:18.68)
• Fr. Kamryn Cannings – 200 butterfly (1^st in 1:58.32; qualified in 1:58.62)
• Fr. Shannon Icard – Platform diving (5) (2^nd in 208.79)
• So. Elizabeth Mumau – Platform diving (5) (3^rd in 184.80)
• Team Diving Event – Liberty B 1^st in 270.08 (Maddie Freece, Sarah Simpson, Meagan Tuohy
• Team Diving Event – Liberty A 3^rd in 182.93 (Mary Herndon, Chloe LaCount, Grace Gooding)
• 400 freestyle relay – 2^nd in 3:19.98 (Kamryn Cannings – 49.57; Abbie Shaw – 50.22; Sydney Stricklin – 49.86; Shelby Kahn – 50.33)

Notable

• For the second night in a row, Abbie Shaw (200 backstroke) and Kamryn Cannings (200 butterfly) posted B cut times. During the meet, Shaw met the NCAA B standard in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, while Cannings swam B cut times in the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly. Outside of those two swimmers, Air Force’s Naomi Furman (200 breaststroke) and Ohio’s Zita Szoke (100 free) were the only others with B standard times met this weekend.
• In total, Liberty won three relays (200 medley, 400 medley, 800 free). The Lady Flames’ individual event winners this weekend were: Mary Herndon (one-meter diving), Heather Gardner (100 breaststroke), Kamryn Cannings (100 fly, 200 fly) and Abbie Shaw (100 back, 200 back).
• The Lady Flames won the team diving event this evening, scoring 270.08 points. Maddie Freece, Sarah Simpson and Meagan Tuohy combined for the win. That is Liberty’s highest score in team diving in program history. Freece scored 65.25 on three-meter 5152B dive.
• So far this season, Liberty’s NCAA Zone qualifiers include Maddie Freece (one-meter), Mary Herndon (one-meter, three-meter), Chloe LaCount (three-meter), Caroline Stamps (one-meter) and Meagan Tuohy (one-meter, three-meter)
• Liberty went 1-2-3 in the 200 backstroke (Abbie Shaw, Malia Francis, Sydney Houtz), one night after going 1-2-3-4 in the 100 back.

Historically Speaking

• Liberty’s 3:19.98 in the 400 free relay tonight ranked third in program history in the event.
• Shannon Icard (208.79) and Elizabeth Mumau (184.80) are now fourth and fifth, respectively, on Liberty’s all-time top performers list in platform diving.
• Abbie Shaw improved her team second-ranked all-time 200 backstroke effort to 1:54.80. Malia Francis is now eighth in program history in the 200 backstroke at 1:59.10.
• Kamryn Cannings is ranked fourth at Liberty with her 1:58.32 in 200 butterfly tonight.
• Cannings’ leadoff leg of the 400 freestyle relay, 49.57, is ranked sixth in program history for 100 freestyle.

Up Next
Select Liberty athletes will compete at the 2023 ISCA Open, Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 at Liberty Natatorium.