Swimming a truncated schedule, with no diving and no 100 yard stroke events, the Rice Owls flew past in-state opponents Incarnate Word 132-70 on Friday in Houston. That was the season-opening dual meet for both teams.
NCAA-qualifier Casey Clark started out her senior season very well, winning both the 200 free (1:51.52) and the 100 free (51.37) by comfortable margins. In total, Rice won four out of the five freestyle races, with Taylor Armstrong topping the 500 in 5:11.02, and Kaitlyn Swinney winning the 1000 in 10:42.65.
The other freestyle event, the 50, was won by Incarnate Word’s Lana Nguyen in 23.78. Nguyen, a former Division II All-American, held off a parliament of Owls, as Rice finished in the 2-5 positions.
Another senior victory for Rice went to Erin Flanigan in the women’s 200 fly. Along with Clark, she’s been one of the spearheads of Rice’s surge in the last four years, and in just a single swim on Friday she won the 200 fly by four seconds in 2:04.18. Flanigan charged early, splitting under 28 seconds in her first 50 and under 59 in her first 100, for the victory.
The only other win for Incarnate Word, meanwhile, was freshman Abby Meyer in the 200 backstroke. She swam a 2:07.71, including to overcome Rice’s Julie Litver (2:07.78) in the last 50 yards for the win.
Incarnate Word will complete their Bayou City trip with a dual against the University of Houston on Saturday before a trip to race Florida Gulf Coast next weekend. Rice is awaiting a Houston showdown of their own, as they race the Cougars next Thursday.
