East Carolina vs Liberty (Women)
- January 17-18, 2025
- Greenville, N.C.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: ECU Athletics
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina women’s swimming and diving team capped off senior weekend with a 185.5-167.5 win over Liberty Saturday afternoon inside Minges Natatorium. With the victory, the Pirates improved to 11-1 on the year and have earned six consecutive wins.
“This was a great way to end the regular season in front of a packed house,” ECU Head Coach Matthew Jabs said. “Liberty is a strong program, conference champions from a year ago, and will be joining us in the AAC next season. As a team, we swam/dove very well and are better now than we were in August. I could not be happier for our seven seniors. They were the first recruiting class of the reinstated program, they have seen so much, and helped build us up to where we are today. Total focus will now turn to the championships in February.”
Heidi Bruining earning individual victories in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.40) and 200-yard IM (2:05.85), while helping a pair of relay teams in the 400-yard freestyle (3:28.55) and 400-yard medley (3:47.24) to top honors. She was also a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:34.95) that placed second and Bruining also finished third in the 100-yard freestyle (52.43) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:21.49).
Carlie Clements won the 100-yard backstroke posting a score of 56.21, while Alayna Carlson finished third (57.90) and Laura Lopez placed fourth (57.99). Kaylee Hamblin won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.81) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:16.17). while Juliana Kratka finished third (1:07.07) in the 100-yard breaststroke. Emilee Hamblin took top honors in the 500-yard freestyle (5:01.53) and Alyssa Heffelfinger finished fifth (5:12.49).
Frida Zuniga Guzman continued to excel in the diving well picking up a pair of wins in the 1-meter dive (309.75) and setting a pool record in the 3-meter with a score of 359.25. Olivia Templeton placed second in both dives with scores of 249.53 (1-meter) and 268.13 (3-meter). Kinsley Baker took fifth in the 1-meter (238.65) and sixth in the 3-meter (209.25).
In addition to winning the 400-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley relays, ECU also took first in the 200-yard medley relay (1:44.40) and second in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:34.95).
Other Top Individual Placements
Mikayla Durkin (24.05) in the 50-yard freestyle – tied for second place
Mikayla Durking (52.14) in the 100-yard freestyle – second place
Sara Kalawska (57.90) in the 100-yard butterfly – second place
Carlie Clements (2;02.96) in the 200-yard backstroke – second place
Emilee Hamblin (2:05.26) in the 200-yard butterfly – second place
Abbey Pickel (4:30.17) in the 400-yard IM – second place
Elena Dinehart (2:04.96) in the 200-yard backstroke – third place
Emilee Hamblin (1:54.25) in the 200-yard freestyle – third place
Sadie Covington (10:37.65) in the 1000-yard freestyle – third place
Emilee Hamblin (58.22) in the 100-yard butterfly – fourth place
Laura Lopez (2:05.51) in the 200-yard backstroke – fourth place
Juliana Kratka (2:22.16) in the 200-yard breaststroke – fourth place
Abbey Pickel (2:06.86) in the 200-yard butterfly – fourth place
Alyssa Heffelfinger (4:35.94) in the 400-yard IM – fourth place
Alyssa Heffelfinger (10:44.15) in the 1000-yard freestyle – fourth place
Laura Kellberg (24.95) in the 50-yard freestyle – fifth place
Elena Dinehart (59.34) in the 100-yard butterfly – fifth place
Sara Kalawska (2:11.54) in the 200-yard butterfly – fifth place
Sophie Benkusky (1:56.20) in the 200-yard freestyle – fifth place
Elena Dinehart (2:11.17) in the 200-yard IM – fifth place
Kendal Bensen (11:09.65) in the 1000-yard freestyle – fifth place
ECU’s diving team will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 1 when it squares off against Davidson at 1 p.m. (ET). The swimming team will participate in the UNC Invite February 6 through the February 8, before the Pirates compete in the American Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 19-22 in Dallas, Texas.
Courtesy: Liberty Athletics
DAY 1
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Following the first day of this weekend’s dual meet, East Carolina holds a 104.5-81.5 lead over Liberty, Friday at ECU’s Minges Natatorium.
Liberty is facing a future conference opponent in East Carolina, as Liberty, James Madison and Marshall will join the American Athletic Conference as affiliate members in women’s swimming & diving beginning on July 1, 2025.
Liberty Event Winners
- Jr. Eden Troxell – 1000 freestyle (10:23.00)
- So. Kamryn Cannings – 50 freestyle (23.86); 200 butterfly (2:05.09)
Notable
- On Friday, East Carolina claimed seven out of the 10 events contested, including four swimming events, one-meter diving and both relays.
- ECU won the meet-opening 200 medley relay by just 0.02 over Liberty (1:44.40 to 1:44.42).
- The closest finish in an individual race was the 200 fly, with Liberty’s Kamryn Cannings winning in 2:05.09, just 0.17 ahead of ECU’s Emilee Hamblin (2:05.26).
- ECU’s narrowest win came in the 100 backstroke. Carlie Clements swim 56.21 for first place, while Sydney Stricklin came in second with a 56.39 clocking.
- Kamryn Cannings earned two out of Liberty’s three individual-event victories tonight (50 free, 200 fly), with Eden Troxell claiming the 1000 freestyle.
- Troxell (10:23.00) and Isabelle Gomez (10:25.77) went 1-2 in the 1000 freestyle. Meanwhile, ECU took first and second place in one-meter diving.
- Liberty Freshman Aly Bozzuto had not been beaten in a dual-meet event all season prior to tying for second in the 50 free (24.05) and placing second in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.21).
Up Next
The Lady Flames and Pirates will finish this weekend’s meet tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m. at Minges Natatorium.
DAY 2
GREENVILLE, N.C. – In Liberty’s first dual meet of the 2025 spring semester, the Lady Flames fell to East Carolina, 185.5-167.5, in a meet which wrapped up on Saturday at ECU’s Minges Natatorium.
The Pirates improve to 11-1 in dual-meet competition on the season, while the Lady Flames fall to 5-3. ECU held a 23-point lead after last night’s action and withstood a late Liberty rally this afternoon.
Liberty was facing a future conference opponent in East Carolina, as Liberty, James Madison and Marshall will join the American Athletic Conference as affiliate members in women’s swimming & diving beginning on July 1, 2025.
Liberty Event Winners
- So. Kamryn Cannings – 100 freestyle (51.93); 100 butterfly (56.61)
- R-So. Malia Franics – 200 backstroke (2:02.45)
- Sr. Grace Isaacs – 400 IM (4:29.72)
- 200 freestyle relay – 1:34.89 (Aly Bozzuto – 24.31; Kate Baker – 24.14; Sydney Stricklin 23.42; Kamryn Cannings – 23.02)
Notable
- Today, the two teams split the relays, while Liberty won four out of six individual swimming events and ECU claimed three-meter diving. For the meet, East Carolina won three out of four relays and both diving events, while the Lady Flames took seven out of 13 individual swimming races.
- Liberty’s Kamryn Cannings won four events over the two-day meet (50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 200 fly), while no other athlete from either team won more than two individual events.
- Today’s relays were both closely contested. ECU won the 400 medley relay to open the session by 0.56 (3:47.24 to 3:47.80).
- The Pirates then led the 200 free relay by 1.01 seconds midway through, before Sydney Stricklin narrowed the gap to 0.24 with a 23.42 split and Kamryn Cannings (23.02 anchor leg) chased down ECU’s Heidi Bruining, giving Liberty the win by just 0.06 (1:34.89 to 1:34.95).
- Cannings edged Mikayla Durkin to win the 100 free, 51.93 to 52.14. The Liberty sophomore had a larger winning margin in the 100 fly, at 1.29 seconds (56.61 to 57.90).
- Malia Francis won the 200 back by 0.51 seconds (2:02.45 to 2:02.96) over ECU’s Carlie Clements.
- Grace Isaacs overcame a deficit in the 400 IM, overtaking ECU’s Abbey Pickel in the freestyle portion to win 4:29.72 to 4:30.17.
Historically Speaking
- Cannings is the first Liberty swimmer since Chloe Harris (Oct. 22-23, 2021 at Marshall: 1000 freestyle, 100 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM) to win four events in a two-day dual meet.
- Liberty is 2-1 all-time against East Carolina in swimming & diving. The Lady Flames defeated the Pirates in a tri meet on Oct. 22-23, 2021 which also featured Penn State. The last meeting between these two teams was Jan. 7, 2023, a 156-144 Liberty win at ECU.
- Liberty is 45-6 all-time in dual meets contested in North Carolina.
Up Next
The Lady Flames will return home for their final regular season dual meet of the season, hosting Campbell and UNC Asheville on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at Liberty Natatorium.
