NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt swimming program concludes the regular season on Saturday with a 2 p.m. meet at Centennial Sportsplex.
Before the Commodores play host to Arkansas and Little Rock, the program will recognize seven individuals—Allison Bauer, Eleanor Beers, Chantal Jordan, Kristen Nutter, Alixandra Roy, Natalie Van Noy and Taylor Ward—who will be graduating in May or are in their final season competing at the collegiate level.
“It’s always bittersweet to honor the graduating class, it reminds you how fast time flies sometimes. It seems like just yesterday they were all just getting here as young freshmen,” said head coach Jeremy Organ. “We want to have a lot of fun racing, we’ll do some different events including 50s in multiple strokes which creates a different level of excitement for a dual meet. Having the last dual meet of the season at home in front of our own crowd makes it all that much better and will be a good way to send that group off.”
Vandy is coming off a 131-131 tie at Iowa last weekend, the first in program history. Faith Knelson won two races at the same meet for the second time this season after touching the wall first in both the 100 and 200 breast, with Mercedes Traba also earning a pair of victories in the 500 free and 400 IM in her first competition since Oct. 15. In addition to placing first in the 200 fly, Kailia Utley also added top-three results in the 100 fly and 200 back.
Taylor Carey, Maddie Smith and Ellie Taliaferro were among the top three in multiple races for the Dores at the competition. Karsyn Cook and Gabriela Pierobon Mays were runners-up in the 50 free and 100 back, respectively, as well.
The Commodores have won all 10 meeting with Little Rock, including a 178.5-64.5 decision on the road last season. This will mark Arkansas’ first visit to Nashville since Nov. 4, 2017.
