NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt swimming regular season will come to a close on Saturday when the program plays host to Southern Illinois, with the meet getting underway at 1 p.m. at Centennial Sportsplex.
Prior to the competition, the Commodores will honor 10 graduates who will be competing for the last time at home: Gray Almasi, Megan Ciezczak, Karsyn Cook, Emma Dalton, Libby Gilbert, Reagan Mathieson, Jojo Pearson, Mercedes Traba, Kailia Utley and Clare Vetkoetter.
Entering the day, the group has combined to record the team’s fastest times in 10 events this season, six individual school records and marks that rank among the top 10 on the program’s all-time performer list on 22 occasions.
“It’s going to be a special day to be able to honor these ladies who have come through our program and will be graduating and going on to the next phase of their lives, but we have to take all that energy and emotion and bring it into the swims,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “This is our last chance to get up and race so we’re trying to throw everything we can into that and put our best foot forward, if you will. I think there are some chances to have pretty good swims, we’re looking forward to a good meet this weekend.”
Entering the competition with the Salukis, Mathieson has posted the fastest time on the team in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle with Ciezczak ranking among the top three on the squad in the first two events. Traba has the top marks in the 500 and 1,000 free, while Mathieson and Traba pace the Dores in the 200 and 400 individual medley, respectively. Utley is first on Vandy’s season performer list in the 100 and 200 butterfly as well.
Aubrey Hull comes into the meet with the team’s best times in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and Emily Constable leads Vanderbilt in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.
This will be the first match-up between the two programs since the Commodores traveled to Carbondale on Oct. 9, 2010.
Limited parking is available in the Centennial Sportsplex parking lot, and admission to the meet is free.
