Liberty Completes Season Sweep Over Marshall With 177-123 Win

Meet Results

  • January 20, 2018
  • Huntington, West Virginia
  • Score
    • WOMEN: Liberty 177, Marshall 123

Press Release

Courtesy of Liberty Athletics

Liberty completed a season sweep of Marshall, defeating the Thundering Herd, 177-123, Saturday at Marshall’s Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium.

With the win, Liberty is now 9-2, while Marshall falls to 3-5 on the campaign.

The Lady Flames have won all four meetings all-time against Marshall, including two victories this season. Last Saturday, Liberty defeated Marshall, 160-140, in a tri-meet that also included UNC Asheville.

In Saturday’s meet, Liberty won 12 swimming events, including 10 individual races and both relays. Marshall countered with two individual victories in swimming and two in diving.

Defending CCSA Women’s Swimmer of the Week Prudence Rooker had a standout meet, winning the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM. All three of her individual-event clockings were the fastest by any Lady Flame in that particular event so far this season. Hannah Baker won the 200 freestyle for the fourth meet in a row, as her 1:52.24 is the fastest 200 freestyle by a Liberty swimmer this season. Brittany Weisshas now won the 100 backstroke six straight times she has entered it, while Lindsey Cohee won both the 100 fly and 200 fly.

Liberty opened the meet by claiming the 200 medley relay in 1:44.79. The team of Payton Keiner, Rooker, Weiss and Colleen Donlin combined for the winning mark.

Marshall then took the first three places in the 1000 free, led by Anna Lynch’s 10:10.94. Emily Manly followed in fourth place at 10:42.45.

Baker edged out Marshall’s Catherine Bendziewicz twice today, beginning in the 200 free. Baker touched in 1:52.24, and Bendziewicz stopped the clock in 1:52.33.

The Lady Flames then went on a streak of four straight 1-2 finishes. Weiss pocketed the 100 backstroke victory in 56.15, while Keiner took second in 56.58.

Rooker began her individual events with a win in the 100 breaststroke, swimming 1:03.99. Ricki Lee Hodges placed second in 1:05.98, and Kiah Francis finished fourth at 1:07.35.

Lindsey Cohee picked up the 200 fly victory with a 2:02.74 clocking, and teammate Alicia Finnigan was runner-up in 2:03.06.

For the second week in a row, Liberty’s top two 50 freestylers were separated by just .01 of a second. Donlin swam a winning time of 24.18 and Baker touched just after Donlin in 24.19.

Marshall then placed first and second in three-meter diving. Liberty’s Amy Schools finished fourth with 166.58 points, while Ellen Tart scored 134.06 points for fifth place.

Baker pulled off another narrow victory over Bendziewicz, this time in the 100 free, as the Liberty sophomore edged her out, 52.58 to 52.63. Donlin (52.93) and Chelsea Pond (53.09) placed third and fourth, respectively.

Keiner clocked 2:01.77 to earn victory in the 200 backstroke, while Manly took third place in 2:07.50.

Rooker turned in her first sub-2:20 200 breaststroke time of the season, taking first in 2:18.91. Morgan Noonan (2:24.94) and Francis (2:25.66) finished third and fourth.

Marshall’s Lynch won the 500 free in 5:00.62, more than six seconds ahead of Finnigan (5:07.08) in second.

Cohee completed her butterfly sweep, winning the 100 fly in 57.24, while teammate Ashley Mauzy earned runner-up honors in 57.91.

Schools was Liberty’s top finisher in one-meter diving, scoring 164.03 points for third place.

Rooker closed out her three-victory afternoon in the 200 IM with a winning mark of 2:06.06. Francis clocked 2:10.11 for fourth place.

Liberty capped a successful meet by going first and second in the 400 freestyle relay. The A relay of Pond, Rachel Hoeve, Weiss and Baker won in 3:29.71.

The Lady Flames return to Lynchburg, where they will host a tri-meet with VMI and George Mason, next Friday and Saturday. Friday’s action will begin with the Liberty Natatorium Grand Opening, and swimming & diving events start at 6 p.m. Saturday will feature an alumnae reunion and senior day ceremonies, with action in the pool starting at 11 a.m.

Press Release

Courtesy of Marshall Athletics

Marshall University Swimming & Diving dropped a 177-123 decision to Liberty University Saturday afternoon in the Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium.

Anna Lynch shined for the home team in her final home meet. The Oakwood, Ohio junior, on track to graduate a year early with a 4.0 GPA, swam a season-best in winning the 1000 Freestyle (10:10.94). Lynch later won the 500 Freestyle (5:00.62), accounting for two of Marshall’s four victories. Sophomore Diver Madison Young picked up the other two wins for Marshall on 1 Meter (242.15) and 3 Meter Diving (234.15), both season-bests.

“It was an emotional day for us being Senior Day,” head coach Bill Tramel said. “We do some special things, like playing the national anthems of our international student-athletes and the team really sends them out with love. I put together a senior-only relay for the last event too.”

“From a performance standpoint, we weren’t as happy overall. The score margin was larger than last week’s and we didn’t perform as well. Perhaps it was the emotion or the focus on providing a special moment for our seniors instead of racing, but we did see improvement in the execution of specifics.”

“We have two more opportunities to become sharper before we compete at the Conference USA Championships, so we need to make the most of them. The Ohio meet will be a great challenge next week. Right now we’ll enjoy time with our families that all traveled here today and then get back to work Monday morning.”

The Herd will take on Ohio University Friday night in its last dual meet action of the season. The meet begins at 5 p.m. in Athens, Ohio.

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