Climb Continues

ATHENS, Ga. — The Vanderbilt swimming program got top-three all-time performances from a pair of individuals and one relay team to highlight action Wednesday at Gabrielsen Natatorium on the second day of the 2025 SEC Championships.

Jenna Ravarino and Madelyn Porter accomplished the feat in the 50 and 500 free, respectively, with Ravarino teaming with Reagan Mathieson, Megan Ciezczak and Hannah Weissman to do the same in the 200 free relay. Mercedes Traba was the Commodores’ top finisher of the day, the first of the meet to feature individual events.

“I thought to start off the 500s did a really nice job getting in and racing, and that carried on through all our swims. We finished really strong with a bunch of great swims in the 50,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “Overall it was another good day for us, and to come in tonight and swim a real strong relay was fantastic. We put some good pieces together, but there’s a lot of swimming left so we have to get a good rest and go in tomorrow and try to have more good swims.”

The championships continue starting at 8:30 a.m. CT Thursday with prelims in the 400 IM, 100 fly and 200 free.

Meet Highlights
-Traba paced the Commodores in prelims of the 500 free after placing 44th overall in the event.
-Mathieson was Vandy’s top finisher in the morning in the 200 IM.
-Ravarino led a group of eight Dores competing in the 50 free prelims in the final event of the morning session.
-At night, the team of Mathieson, Ravarino, Ciezczak and Weissman combined to post a season-best time in the 200 free relay.

Notes
-It’s the third time in two days the Vandy has had a relay team record a mark that ranks among the top three in program history after meeting the CSCAA National Invitational Championship A standard with 1:31.70 time that now stands second on the school’s all-time list.
-With a career-low mark of 4:54.24 in the 500 free prelims, Porter moved into second place on the Dores’ all-time performer list in the event with a time that met the CSCAA NIC B standard.
-Ravarino’s time in the 50 free—the junior touched the wall in 23.09, the fastest mark in the event by a Commodore in 2024-25—was the best of her career as she climbed to No. 3 all-time at Vandy.
-Mathieson moved into sixth place on the Dores’ all-time 50 free list with a 23.26 time on the opening leg of the 200 free relay.
-Ravarino, Ciezczak—who finished her 50 free prelim heat in 23.24—and Mathieson all made the NIC B cut in the event.
-Liv Gooding posted a career-best 2:05.16 time in the 200 IM, just a second off entering the school’s all-time top 10 in the event.
-Karsyn Cook led a trio of Dores who finished with their lowest career times in the 50 free prelims after touching the wall in 23.51, with the senior joined in accomplishing the feat by Olivia Solimine (23.76) and Emily Constable (24.16).
-Ciezczak and Weissman (23.51) recorded season-best marks in the 50 free prelims as well.