Liberty vs VMI
- January 20, 2024
- Lexington, Va.
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Liberty Athletics
LEXINGTON, Va. – The Liberty swimming & diving team claimed its third straight dual-meet victory, defeating VMI 179-90 on Saturday at VMI Aquatics Center.
Today’s meet marked the Lady Flames’ first-ever meet at VMI’s new aquatics center, which opened in 2023. The last time Liberty competed at VMI was Jan. 15, 2011, at the Keydets’ previous swimming & diving facility.
With the win, Liberty improves its dual-meet record to 4-1 on the season. Meanwhile, the Keydets remain in search of their first win of the campaign at 0-6.
Liberty Event Winners
- 200 Medley Relay – 1:47.25 – Sydney Houtz (27.20), Heather Gardner (30.74), Kamryn Cannings (25.48), Sydney Stricklin (23.83)
- So. Isabelle Gomez – 1000 freestyle (10:39.39); 500 freestyle (5:11.52)
- Fr. Kamryn Cannings – 200 freestyle (1:54.91 – t); 100 butterfly (57.58)*
- Jr. Sydney Stricklin – 200 freestyle (1:54.91 – t);
- Jr. Grace Isaacs – 100 backstroke (58.83); 200 individual medley (2:08.54)*
- Sr. Alexis Plogger – 100 breaststroke (1:07.81)
- Sr. Genna Joyce – 200 butterfly (2:14.65); 200 breaststroke (2:26.51)
- Jr. Shelby Kahn – 50 freestyle (25.42); 100 freestyle (53.08)
- Jr. Grace Gooding – One-meter diving (6) (257.50)
- R-Fr. Malia Francis – 200 backstroke (2:03.63)
- Sr. Maddie Freece – Three-meter diving (6) (272.50)*
- 200 Freestyle Relay – 1:39.19 – Kamryn Cannings (24.87), Kaycee Cannings (24.98), Sydney Houtz (24.01), Heather Gardner (25.33)*
- * – Event scored as exhibition
Notable
- The Lady Flames won every event contested at the meet, including 1-2-3 finishes in a majority of the events.
- With the meet decided, Liberty contested the final four events as exhibitions.
- Shelby Kahn (50 free, 100 free), Genna Joyce (200 fly, 200 breaststroke), Grace Isaacs (100 backstroke, 200 IM) and Isabelle Gomez (500 free, 1000 free) all won twice today. Kahn and Cannings have both won multiple events at every dual meet in which they have competed this season.
- Shelby Kahn has now won at each distance from 50 freestyle to 500 freestyle.
- In a rare tie, Kamryn Cannings and Sydney Stricklin both swam 1:54.91 in the 200 freestyle, sharing the event victory.
- Alexis Plogger earned her first career individual-event victory, winning the 100 breaststroke. Grace Gooding also claimed her first career win, scoring 257.50 points to take first on one-meter springboard.
- In one-meter diving, just 1.5 points separated first from third. Gooding won with 257.50 points, followed closely by Maddie Freece (256.80) and Mary Herndon (256.00).
- Similarly, first and third place were separated by just 1.9 points. Freece’s winning score of 272.50 edged out both LaCount (271.15) and Gooding (270.60).
Historically Speaking
- Liberty is 7-0 all-time against VMI in swimming & diving, and the first win in the Lady Flames’ program history was over VMI on Oct. 8, 2010 as part of a tri meet at Radford. The Lady Flames defeated VMI 164-109 on Jan. 13, 2023 at Liberty Natatorium.
- VMI was a charter member of the CCSA in 2007-08 and remained in the conference through the 2016-17 season before joining the America East Conference.
Up Next
The Lady Flames welcome longtime conference opponent Campbell to Liberty Natatorium for its final home meet of the season, next Friday and Saturday.
Courtesy: VMI Athletics
LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI Swim and Dive Teams returned to its VMI Aquatic Center for competition on Saturday, as the women’s program faced off against Liberty and the men’s team scrimmaged Southern Virginia.
“Great day in the pool for both of our squads,” said head coach Scott Thacker. “I’m really confident in where we are at and going into next weekend and moving towards the America East Conference Meet.”
Women’s Swimming Superlatives
– Jillian Maher paced the field in the 100-yard butterfly with a 1:05.52 to earn 9 points for VMI, while Walden Wilder claimed the 200-yard IM with a 2:21.06
– Noelle Tong scored in the women’s 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.22, while Anne Bowles registered three points with the 100-yard breaststroke, clocking in at 1:08.47
– Tong, Maher, Wilder and Taylor would collectively score a 1:44.18 in the 200-yard freestyle relay to claim first, with the quartet of Carter Wasser, Elle Clancy, Isabella Fricke and Chloe Woody (1:58.88)
– Rachel Greathouse would place second in the 200 butterfly (2:22.37), and Anne Bowles placed third in the 100-yard backstroke (1:08.47)
Men’s Swimming Superlatives
– Although the men’s meet was not scored, several male competitors had strong showings including Hampton Wohlford who registered a sub-22 second time (21.97) for the first time in his Keydet career in the 50 yard free
– Coming off his America East Swimmer of the Week, Ethan Griffith claimed the 100-yard breaststroke (59.10), helping Sam Castle, Layne Tucker and Maximus Brunner take first in the 200-yard medley relay (1:36.41)
– Tucker took first in 200-yard IM (1:59.01), while Tyler Blackwell won the100-yard butterfly (52:40) and raced on the first-place 200-yard medley relay (1:34.74)
Diving’s Best
– Ryder Creal, who set a personal record in the 3-meter (194.47) topped the charts in the men’s 1-meter dive with a score of 204.00, while Craig Swain topped the 3-meter dive with a finals score of 198.35
– Ella Davenport posted a 158.00 in the 3-meter dive, posting a 148.25 in the 1-meter
Team Scores
Women
Liberty – 179
VMI – 90
To view the full meet results, click here.
What’s Next
VMI remains at home next week, hosting Washington and Lee at noon.
