HOUSTON — For the second night in a row, Melissa Cowen and Aubrey Hull each advanced to A Finals to pace Vanderbilt swimming Friday at the Phill Hansel Invitational as the three-day event came to a close at the CRWC Natatorium.
The pair each also recorded times that approached program records, the former in the 200 breast and the latter in the 200 back. Kate Heintz made the B Final of the 200 fly, with four other Commodores competing in C Finals also on the final day of competition of the semester.
Vandy will be off until Jan. 16, when both Kentucky and Texas A&M visit Nashville for an SEC tri-meet that will start at 1 p.m.
Meet Highlights
-Cowen earned a podium finish in the 200 A Breast final after coming in third in the race.
-Hull was the fourth-place finisher in the A Final of the 200 Breast.
-Heintz touched the wall sixth in the B Final of the 200 fly, one spot ahead of her qualifying place.
-Ellie Butler won the 200 fly C Final, while Grace Ciaramitaro finished third in the C Final of the 200 back.
-Amelia Harper and Emily Constable both moved on to the C Final of the 200 breast.
-Merritt Zieminick posted a top-20 finish in a field 36 swimmers in the 1,650 free.
Notes
-Hull had a time of 1:56.43 in the 200 back final, less than one-tenth of a second from breaking the school record while meeting the CSCAA National Invitational Championship A standard in the event.
-Cowen also achieved the NIC A cut in the final of the 200 breast, as her 2:12.66 mark in the race moved her into second on Vandy’s all-time performer list in the event as well.
-In her win in the 200 fly final, Butler recorded a 2:00.87 time that not only moved her into seventh place all-time at Vanderbilt but also made the NIC B cut.
-Harper’s mark of 2:18.44 in finals of the 200 breast was the fastest of her career while also achieving the NIC B standard.
-Ciaramitaro made the NIC B cut in the 200 back as well after touching the wall in a season-best 2:00.32.
-Lane Gooding had a career-best 51.19 time in prelims of the 100 free, with Natalie Strongyli also accomplishing the feat in the event after touching the wall in 52.61.
-Cowen was the only Commodore to score points in a final each of the three nights of the competition.
-Bailey Ratzburg earned her first victory of the season, and third of her career, in the 200 breast E Final.
