Press release courtesy of Liberty University:
The Liberty swimming & diving team beat FGCU in a dual meet for the first time in program history, going 3-0 at the FGCU Duals, Saturday at FGCU Aquatics Complex.
Liberty defeated the host Eagles 173-122, handing four-time defending conference champion FGCU its first CCSA dual-meet loss since Jan. 19, 2008 at Georgia Southern. The Lady Flames also defeated MAC programs Bowling Green (214-80) and Buffalo (179-109).
With the wins, Liberty improves to 11-0 on the season, pushing the team’s program-record dual meet winning streak to 19. The Lady Flames have also won 12 straight dual meets against CCSA opponents. FGCU (6-6) went 2-1 today, beating Buffalo (0-3) and Bowling Green (7-2).
Liberty Event Winners
• So. Payton Keiner – 100 backstroke (56.70)
• Fr. Gianni Pitto – 100 breaststroke (1:03.92), 200 breaststroke (2:18.01)
• So. Lindsey Cohee – 200 butterfly (2:01.51)
• Sr. Alicia Finnigan – 100 butterfly (55.37)
• Fr. Lauren Chennault – Three-meter diving (6) (275.40)
Notable
• Liberty became the first CCSA team to beat FGCU in a dual meet held in Fort Myers, Fla., as the Eagles are now 39-2 all-time in league dual meets. FGCU holds a 6-1 edge in the all-time series.
• Three Liberty athletic teams are competing at FGCU today, as the Liberty’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will be playing their first-ever ASUN Conference games at FGCU’s Alico Arena this evening.
• The Lady Flames won six out of 16 events contested at the meet, as FGCU and Buffalo had four event victories apiece and Bowling Green claimed two wins.
• Pitto has now won a team-best 15 individual events this season. She has won the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke every time she has competed in those events in dual-meet action in her collegiate career.
• Finnigan picked up her 12th individual-event victory this season, claiming the 100 fly. Her four-meet winning streak in the 200 fly was broken, as teammate Lindsey Cohee edged her out for the win (2:01.51 to 2:01.58).
• With Chennault’s victory, the Lady Flames divers have won the three-meter diving event each of the last four times they have competed in the event in dual meets.
Historically Speaking
• Abigail Egolf Jensen scored a collegiate-best 245.10 points in three-meter diving, a score which is third on Liberty’s all-time top 10 performers list in the event.
• Pitto nearly broke 2:18.00 in the 200 breaststroke, as her 2:18.01 ranks sixth in program history.
• Emma Hazel moved into eighth place in team history in the 200 backstroke with her 2:02.65 from today.
Up Next
Liberty will split its squad on Jan. 19, with the swimmers competing at UNC Asheville and the divers participating in a meet at Georgia Southern. Both of those Jan. 19 meets will begin at 11 a.m.
