With only an intrasquad meet under their belts, the women of LSU got their first taste of intercollegiate competition this season, knocking off Tulane on the road 220-80.
Louisiana State won 14 of the meet’s 16 events, including doubles from senior sprinters Amber Carter and Kaitlin Sepp.
Carter’s speed was on display early, as she swam the butterfly leg of the 200 medley relay in a quick 23.85 to help LSU to the win. The anchor legs were also impressive –Leah Troskot split 21.62 on the A squad, while Kaitlin Sepp added a 21.67 to give the B second place. Carter and Troskot combined with Caley Oquist and Taryn Mackenzie to go 1:42.71. The B team was 1:43.25. Tulane was third in 1:45.24, getting a 18.57 breaststroke split from Mia Schachter, a foreshadowing of the big meet she’d have.
LSU freshman Jane MacDougall got her first career win by taking the 1000 free in 10:19.68. That was a 1-2-3 finish for the Tigers, as Jessie James and Hallie Petersohn were second and third.
LSU also went 1-2-3 in the 200 free, led by junior Danielle Stirrat in 1:51.31. Oquist came off that medley relay to pace the 100 backstroke in 55.38.
But Tulane got on the board with a win from Schachter in the 100 breast. The junior was able to touch out LSU’s Colleen O’Neil 1:02.68 to 1:02.84 to grab the win for the home team.
LSU won the 200 fly (Sophie Weber was a fast 2:00.29) before their sprinters returned to take the 50 free. Amber Carter was 22.97, just getting under the 23-second barrier, while Kaitlin Sepp went 24.03.
The second half of the meet saw many of those winners double up. Schachter came back to win the 100 free for Tulane in 52.08, with her teammate Emma Lincoln second (52.57). But LSU’s Sepp got her own second win by taking the 200 back with a 2:00.50.
Carter was back for her second win, going 54.21 in the 100 fly. Her teammate sophomore Kara Kopcso took second, just behind in 54.68. Kopcso would come back to win the 200 IM late, putting up a 2:04.14 and dominating the field on the fly and breast legs.
Colleen O’Neil, who was second in the 100 breast, won the 200-yard distance easily, going 2:18.57. Stacey Stanfield also took an event for the Tigers, going 5:03.00 in the 500 free.
LSU’s divers combined to sweep the boards. Alex Bettridge won on 1-meter, scoring 282.68, while taking second on 3-meter to Cassie Weil (348.22).
LSU closed out the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 200 free relay. Amber Carter led off the winning crew in 23.39, and Leah Troskot added a 23.76 split to help the team go 1:35.32. The Tigers second crew was 1:36.52.
Timing system was malfunctioning on first half of meet (fixed after the 50). Therefore anchor and lead off splits are off on Medley relay and times in that front part are watch times more or less