NCAA Championships
Swimming
ATHENS, Ga. — Six individuals from the Vanderbilt swimming program posted the best times of their career and another eight recorded season-low marks on the third day of competition at the SEC Championships at Gabrielsen Natatorium Thursday, but the highlight for the Commodores was seeing their first finalist of the week.
Kailia Utley posted a top-20 finish in prelims of the 100 fly to qualify for the C Final of the event at night and lead the Dores. Reagan Mathieson, Libby Gilbert and Bailey Ratzburg also had performances that rank among the top 10 all-time in school history during the morning session.
“That was a huge swim and a big confidence booster for Kailia, just as it was overall for the team. It was so exciting to see her qualify for a second swim at one of the fastest meets in the country,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “I think everyone really settled in today and put some really good swims in, and I think we have a lot more to come tomorrow. It’s very exciting for everyone, I’m so proud of them.
“It was a great day overall, we’re looking forward to see what can happen tomorrow.”
Swimming at this season’s SEC Championships will continue on Friday, with prelims beginning at 8:30 a.m. CT in the 200 fly, 100 back and 100 breast.
Meet Highlights
-Utley qualified 18th overall in the 100 fly prelims to move on to the evening session.
-The senior returned to the pool and came in sixth place in the C Final.
-Mercedes Traba was Vandy’s top finisher—placing 41st overall—in the opening event of the morning, the 400 IM.
-Mathieson ended up among the top 45 in prelims of the 200 free as well.
Notes
-Utley broke her own school record—set at last season’s SEC Championships—and also met the NCAA B standard after touching the wall in 52.55 seconds in the prelims of the 100 fly.
-It’s the second year in a row that she has moved on to finals in the event, as she has now advanced to the night session at the league championships at least once in each of her four seasons with the program.
-With season-low times of 1:48.78 and 1:49.38 in the 200 free, Mathieson and Gilbert now rank second and fifth, respectively, in the event all-time at Vandy.
-Ratzburg recorded a career-low 4:22.86 time in the 400 IM prelim to move into sixth place on the Commodores’ all-time performer list in the event.
-With a season-best mark of 4:28.12, Grace Ciaramitaro made the CSCAA National Invitational Championship B cut in prelims of the 400 IM.
-It’s the second time in as many days that Madelyn Porter has recorded a career-best mark after the sophomore touched the wall in 1:50.72 in the 200 free prelims.
-Karsyn Cook (55.44), Kate Heintz (55.68), Quinlan Hinerfeld (55.92) and Taylor Carey (59.88) all posted career-best marks in 100 fly prelims.
-Jenna Ravarino and Meredith DiPasquale had season-low times in the same event after touching the wall in 55.37 and 56.03, respectively.
-A trio of Dores—Heintz (1:51.67), Emily Carpenter (1:52.38) and Ryen Bosuro (1:52.98)—also finished with their best marks of the campaign in prelims of the 200 free.
