NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kate Heintz won one race and placed second in another while Melissa Cowen added a pair of runner-up finishes in both competitions to pace Vanderbilt swimming in meets on back-to-back days this weekend.
Aubrey Hull was second in two races as well on Saturday, with Madelyn Porter and Merritt Zieminick picking up second-place results in distance events in the second meet as well. Despite those efforts, the Commodores fell to Kentucky (206-55) and Texas A&M (202-54) on Senior Day Friday at Centennial Sportsplex before dropping a 183.5-75.5 decision to Southern Illinois at Shea Natatorium on Saturday.
“We’re really excited about what we saw on Friday, obviously being at home and honoring the seniors was a motivating factor in a lot of those swims,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “There were a lot of positives we are going to be able to take from this weekend overall, but still some things we have to clean up as we look forward to a strong finish this season.”
The Dores will conclude the regular season with a Jan. 30 dual meet at Arkansas.
Meet Highlights
-Heintz picked up the Commodores’ lone individual victory over the weekend after winning the 100 fly on Saturday, and she added a second-place result in the 200 fly in the dual meet with the Salukis.
-Cowen was runner-up in the 100 breast Friday while also claiming second place in the 200 breast the following afternoon.
-Hull touched the wall second in the both the 100 and 200 back against Southern Illinois.
-Porter led the Dores with a second-place finish in the 500 free—also ending up third in the 200 free—while Zieminick placed second in the 1,000 free and Bailey Ratzburg tied for second in the 200 IM in the second competition of the weekend.
-On Saturday, Grace Ciaramitaro finished third in the 500 free and Emily Constable touched the wall third in the 100 breast.
Notes
-Heintz posted the first individual victory of her Commodore career.
-Abigail Hite recorded a career-best time in the 50 free on Friday after touching the wall in 23.91 seconds to lead the Commodores in the race.
-Constable had season-best marks in both the 100 (1:02.97) and 200 (2:17.27) breast against the Wildcats and Aggies, meeting the CSCAA National Invitational Championship B standard in both events for the first time this season.
-Porter also made the CSCAA NIC B cut in the 1,000 free on the first day of weekend competition while recording season-low times in both that race and the 500 free.
-Ratzburg’s career-best 2:01.49 time in the 200 back on Saturday marked the third event the season she has met the CSCAA NIC B standard; the junior also finished the 200 IM in 2:03.32 at Southern Illinois, her fastest swim of the season in the discipline.
-Ciaramitaro touched the wall with a season-best 56.95 mark in the 100 back in the match-up with the Salukis.
-Liv Gooding had her lowest times of the season in both the 100 breast (1:04.77) and 200 IM (2:05.05) in Friday’s tri-meet.
-With a season-best 2:02.06 mark in the 200 back on Friday, Quinlan Hinerfeld just missed making the NIC B cut in the event at her final home meet.
