CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kailia Utley won two events to help lead the Vanderbilt swimming team to a split in its tri-meet Friday and Saturday at the Levine Aquatic Center.
The Commodores earned a 172.5-142.5 victory over Richmond while falling to host Queens, 181-134.
“It was a solid weekend of racing for our group in a really exciting atmosphere, there was great competition both Friday and Saturday,” head coach Jeremy Organ said. “This was a great opportunity to get a two-day meet in to help us prepare for the midseason meet coming up. We had some really good performances including Kailia’s strong swims in the butterfly, she has been working hard at a lot of pieces of her swims and putting them together so we’re looking forward to seeing what she can do the rest of the season. And it was a really great job by the 400 free relay to finish off the meet and secure the victory over Richmond.”
The Dores’ also had event victories from Ellie Taliaferro, Maddie Smith, and Emma Dalton, and are now 4-3 on the season.
Meet Highlights
-Utley finished first in both the 100 and 200 (2:04.44) fly.
-Taliaferro finished first in the 200 IM while also placing second in the 100 free.
-Smith was first in the 400 IM (4:33.61) and also finished third in the 200 IM (2:08.98).
-Dalton claimed first place with her performance in the 100 backstroke, just ahead of fellow Dore Gabriela Pierobon Mays.
-Karsyn Cook touched the wall in 57.59, placing second in the 100 butterfly, and was followed immediately by teammate Alina Stout.
-Taylor Carey placed third in the 200 breaststroke (2:23.27).
-Ryen Bosuro was top five in both the 200 (1:52.93) and 500 (5:06.53) free after placing third and fourth, respectively, in those events.
Notes
-This was the first time the Dores have competed against Queens since 2015, while it marked the first occasion that the program has competed against Richmond.
-Vanderbilt set season-best marks in the 400 freestyle (3:28.88) and 400 medley (3:48.39) relays, while it was the first time this fall that the Commodores have competed in the 200 freestyle relay.
-Taliaferro’s 2:04.73 mark in the 200 IM was a new career-best time, as she now ranks eighth in the school’s all-time performances in the event.
-She also posted a personal-best time in the 100 free with the fastest mark in the event by a Vandy student-athlete this season after touching the wall in 51.80.
-Dalton’s 57.09 performance in the 100 backstroke is a new career-best time for the sophomore, lowering a mark she first set at the Miami Invitational last November.
-Utley had a time of 56.55 in the 100 butterfly, her fastest of the season.
-Pierobon Mays recorded a season-low 57.34 mark in that race as well.
-The 57.90 mark in the 100 butterfly by Stout was a season-best performance.
The Commodores will return to action at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina, on Nov. 16, the first of three days at the event.
