Casey Clarke Leads Rice to Conference USA Victory With Seven Golds

ATLANTA, Georgia, March 1. RICE’s Casey Clarke could do no wrong this weekend in Atlanta as she won a trio of individual golds as well as helped Rice to four relay victories at the Conference USA Championships.

Rice won the women’s title with 1000 points. FIU (740), East Carolina (700), Western Kentucky (686) and North Texas (571) also finished in the top five. Tulane (463), FAU (438.5), Oold Dominion (415) and Marshall (328.5) also scored. As far as the men’s team scoring, Western Kentucky (1225) topped East Carolina (1038), Old Dominion (1034.5) and FAU (782.5).

Rice’s Erin Flanigan kicked off the final night of competition with a 16:24.94 to win the women’s 1650-yard freestyle. FIU’s Sonia Perez Arou, meanwhile, took second overall in 16:28.63 with North Texas’ Jana Burkard taking third in 16:36.06. WKU’s Aymer Le Corno followed in the men’s 1650-yard freestyle with a 15:19.19 for the win. Training partner Russell Bryant placed second in 15:25.96 with ODU’s Bernard Figuiredo placing third in 15:28.05.

FIU’s Johanna Gustafsdottir powered her way to victory in the women’s 200-yard back with a 1:55.05, while WKU’s Allie Day (1:56.77) and Nadine Laemmler (1:57.04) also cleared the NCAA B cut for second and third overall. WKU’s Seth Musser then won the men’s 200-yard back title in 1:45.34 as the lone B cut of the bunch. East Carolina’s Attila Kiraly took second in 1:47.41 with WKU’s Chris Goodman placing third in 1:48.52.

Rice’s Cora McKenzie clipped FAU’s Agi Bucz, 49.76 to 49.78, for the women’s 100-yard freestyle title as both beat the B cut. Tulane’s Mia Schachter earned third overall in 50.08. ODU’s Sidni Hoxha kept up his strong meet with a 42.98 to win the men’s 100-yard free. FAU’s Matthie Burtez took second in 32.92 with East Carolina’s Nikola Simic winding up third in 44.13.

WKU’s Claire Conlon raced her way to a 2:11.42 to win the women’s 200-yard breaststroke, while Rice’s Rachel Moody touched second in 2:13.46. East Carolina’s Megan Sellers snared third in 2:14.25. WKU’s Fabien Schwingenschlogl threw down a meet record in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke with a 1:54.33 for the win. That swim clipped Tom Cole’s 2011 mark of 1:54.54 and just missed another NCAA A cut for the German. East Carolina’s Rokas Cepulis (1:55.30) and WKU’s TJ Bland (1:58.05) placed second and third.

Clarke captured yet another gold medal, this time with a 1:59.20 in the women’s 200-yard fly. FAU’s Annette Kovacs touched second in 1:59.36 with WKU’s Susan Marguess placing third in 1:59.76. WKU’s Heitor Rodrigues grabbed the men’s 200-yard fly crown in 1:45.99. ODU’s Reed Mathews (1:46.13) and East Carolina’s Daniel Woods (1:47.63) comprised the rest of the podium.

In diving action, FIU’s Sabrina Beaupre won the women’s 10-meter event with 298.40 points. FAU’s Morgan Wankling (228.55) and FIU’s Kaufmann Lily (214.15) rounded out the top three. FAU’s Greg Cox (269.75) and Tyler Aycock (263.85) finished 1-2 in the men’s platform contest. WKU’s Giorgi Meyer (260.30) took third overall.

Rice’s Cora McKenzie, Casey Clarke, Marissa Konicke and Karina Wlostowska won the women’s 400-yard free relay in 3:19.32, while East Carolina’s Fran Krznaric, Nikola Simic, Shawn Hunter and Trevor Irish took the men’s 400-yard free relay title in 2:57.01.

Results For: Conference USA; Day Four

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