Feb. 16, 2016
Day One – Final Results | Wednesday Heat Sheet
Watch Prelims: HERE
Watch Finals: HERE
Live Results: HERE
COLUMBIA, Mo. — For the second year in a row the Vanderbilt swim team opened up the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships by breaking a school record.
“The 200 medley relay was a really great swim by all four girls,” said head coach Jeremy Organ. “Each one of the girls on the relay team really competed well, so it really was a group effort. Overall, that race was just a really great way to start off this meet.”
A sold out event every season, the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships hosts hundreds of fans, 12 SEC schools, and several current or future Olympians. During Tuesday’s competition every Vanderbilt class was represented in relay finals, with the sophomore class leading the charge with four student-athletes in the pool.
In the first swimming event of the weeklong meet, the Commodores’ Johanna Goldblatt (Back), Kara Lucenti (Breast), Breanna Sapienza (Fly) and Kayla Moran (Free) crushed the 200-medley relay record set at a time of 1:42.07 in 2014 at the very event. Two years later and the Commodores break the record by almost as many seconds, coming in at 1:40.61.
While the team excelled in the 200 MR, the squad followed the event with a lackluster performance of the meet the 800 free relay, swimming in at 7:29.17.
“That race was definitely not what we were hoping or expecting. It’s over now, and we’ve just got to put it behind us and begin mentally and physically preparing for tomorrow. We’re just focused on making each day better.”
Vanderbilt looks forward to Wednesday’s league competition, as the Mizzou Aquatic Center will showcase the 500 freestyle, 200 IM and 50 free prelims at 10:00 am. Final swims for all three events, as well as the 200 freestyle relay will begin at 6:00 pm.