ELKHART, Ind. — Faith Knelson recorded an individual top-10 result while helping a relay team to the same to highlight the performance of the Vanderbilt swim team Thursday on the opening day of the CSCAA National Invitational Championship at the Beacon Health Aquatic Center.
Knelson advanced to the A Final in the 50 breast, and she also was part of the group—which also included Gabriela Pierobon Mays, Kailia Utley and Megan Ciezczak—that finished 10th in the 400 medley relay.
The Commodores ended the day with 48 points, good for 20th among the 51 schools in the standings.
“We had a good opening day, in the few swims we had today we did a great job of just getting in there and competing,” said head coach Jeremy Organ. “In the 50 breaststroke Faith just raced, she did a nice job. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do tomorrow, hopefully we can put together some really great races.”
Meet Highlights
-Vandy’s 200 freestyle relay team posted a 1:35.64 mark in the opening event of the evening finals session.
-Knelson placed third in qualifying in the 50 breast before going on to post a sixth-place finish in the A Final at night.
-Ciezczak missed the finals of the 50 back by less than .05 seconds after finishing 23rd in prelims, while Pierobon Mays placed 33rd in the event.
-Ciezczak also competed in the 50 free.
-The Commodores closed out the first day of the competition by finishing 10th in the 400 medley relay.
Notes
-Vandy’s 3:42.36 time in the 400 medley relay was just over a second off the fastest recorded by the team this season at the SEC Championships last month.
-With a 28.18 second mark in the morning, Knelson broke her own school record—set at Little Rock on Jan. 29 last season—in the 50 breast.
-Ciezczak moved into sixth place on the school’s all-time performer list in the 50 back with a time of 25.90 in prelims.
The second day of competition will get underway at 8:30 a.m. CT with the beginning of prelim heats.
