Courtesy: Liberty Athletics
The Liberty swimming & diving team will host the sixth annual TYR ’85 Invite, Friday through Sunday at Liberty Natatorium.
The Lady Flames have competed in a mid-season invitational during this corresponding weekend in every year of program history. This will be the seventh straight year that Liberty has hosted an in-season invitational, and sixth time this event has been sponsored by TYR. This weekend’s invitational features five women’s swimming & diving teams, including Liberty, Ohio, Campbell, Saint Francis (Pa.) and California (Pa.).
This weekend’s invitational will give teams experience in a similar meet format as their respective conference’s championship meet. Unlike conference championships, this meet will not feature a predetermined scoring roster limit.
Each full day of the meet will begin with morning prelims at 10 a.m. On Friday and Saturday, finals will start at 6 p.m., while Sunday’s finals session is at 5 p.m.
How to Follow the Lady Flames
Live results will be available through the MeetMobile App.
Liberty’s ASUN Athletes of the Week This Season
Swimmer of the Week Aly Bozzuto (Oct. 17, Nov. 13)
Diver of the Week Mary Herndon (Oct. 17)
Co-Diver of the Week Maddie Freece (Oct. 24)
Team Notes
- The Lady Flames (5-2) defeated defending Sun Belt Champion James Madison, 190.5-105.5, on Oct. 26 at Liberty Natatorium. Liberty won every individual swimming race and both relays.
- Liberty then defeated longtime opponent Campbell, 156-100, on Nov. 9 in Buies Creek, N.C. That meet saw nine different Lady Flames earn event victories. A total of four Lady Flames (Layne Jones – 100 back; Emily Harstad – 200 fly; Sadie Stricklin – 200 back; Kaycee Cannings – 500 free) all picked up their first wins of the season at Campbell.
- Twice on Nov. 9, Liberty had back-to-back races won by sisters. Sydney Stricklin won the 100 free before her sister Sadie claimed to 200 back in the very next race. Kaycee (500 free) and Kamryn (100 fly) Cannings posted wins in back-to-back races as well.
- Freshman Aly Bozzuto won both the 50 free and 200 breaststroke at Campbell. She has won every event in which she has been entered, both individual and relay.
- Liberty won its sixth straight conference championship and seventh in program history, claiming the 2024 ASUN Swimming & Diving Championships. For the meet, Liberty earned 48 A Finals, 26 podium finishes and seven event victories.
- Kamryn Cannings was named Co-Most Outstanding Freshman of the 2024 ASUN Championships, winning both the 100 fly and 200 fly and placing second in the 100 free. Cannings and Sydney Stricklin (2022) are current Lady Flames who have been named Most Outstanding Freshman during their careers.
- Cannings competed in the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, placing 19th in the 100 fly in the fastest time (51.45) by any freshman in the event.
- Maddie Freece was named Most Outstanding Diver of the 2024 ASUN Championships, her third career conference most outstanding diver award. She won three-meter diving at the ASUN Championships, while finishing as runner-up on one-meter.
- Freece was one out of six Liberty divers to be selected to compete at the 2024 NCAA Zone Diving Championships. She was joined in qualifying by Mary Herndon, Shannon Icard, Chloe LaCount, Caroline Stamps and Meagan Tuohy. All but Tuohy return this season.
- Liberty had two swimmers compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, with Heather Gardner swimming in the 100-meter breaststroke and current Lady Flame Malia Francis placing 38th in the 200-meter backstroke. Additionally, Kamryn Cannings competed in the Canada Olympic Trials.
- 15th-year Head Coach Jake Shellenberger has led the Lady Flames from the program’s inception. He has posted a 133-40 dual-meet record, being named CCSA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year six times (2012, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024).
- Six Lady Flames received CSCAA Individual Scholar All-America honors last season, in Kamryn Cannings (first team), Mary Herndon (second team), Shannon Icard (second team), Grace Isaacs, Genna Joyce (second team) and Caroline Stamps (second team).
- A total of 12 current Lady Flames have posted conference podium finishes in their career, led by seven from Maddie Freece. Sydney Stricklin (4), Shelby Kahn (4), Kamryn Cannings (3), Grace Isaacs (3), Kate Baker (1), Malia Francis (1), Isabelle Gomez (1), Mary Herndon (1), Shannon Icard (1), Caroline Stamps (1) and Eden Troxell (1) have all podiumed as well.
Matchup Highlights
- Campbell has competed in Liberty’s home invitational each year. California (Pa.) will be making its third appearance at the TYR ’85 Invite. Saint Francis (Pa.) competes in the TYR ’85 Invite for the fourth time, while Ohio makes its second appearance (also 2023).
- Navy won the first two invitationals at Liberty (2018, 2019), while Campbell has won the last four TYR ’85 Invites in a row.
Up Next
Select Lady Flames will compete in the 2024 Toyota U.S. Open, held Dec. 4-7 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
