Elisabeth Holmes and Tommy Thetford Set Records To Start ODACs

Photo Courtesy: Keith Lucas

By Cathleen Pruden, Swimming World College Intern

Two meet records fell in ODAC prelim action this morning. After only one session, the Washington and Lee men and women are already setting themselves up to repeat their conference titles.

Women’s Meet

Elisabeth Holmes of Washington and Lee crushed her own ODAC meet record (5:08.49) in the 500 freestyle this morning, finishing in a time of 5:05.20. She will be chasing the ODAC Open record tonight (5:03.57), set in 1999. Her teammate, Jordan Watson finished third (5:12.68), while Randolph-Macon’s Kata Kylliainen grabbed the second seed (5:11.07).

The Washington and Lee women took the first top seed of the day. The team of Abigail Sterns, Shannon Belforti, Cassidy Fuller, and Kira Tomenchok stopped the clock at 1:38.72. Emory and Henry’s Nicole Powell, Taylor Guardalabene, Marina Moore, and Adaire Brewer posted a 1:41.95 for second. Randolph Macon (1:42.59) rounded out the top three with the team of Rachel Leigh, Amanda Bengston, Lindsey Oteyza, and Megan Granger.

The General women went on to take the top three seeds in the 200 IM. Emily Rollo (2:08.32), Emma Swabb (2:09.03), and Haylee Rademann (2:12.41) will race in the center of the pool tonight.

Emory and Henry claimed a top seed in the 50 freestyle. Jessica Richardson clocked in at 24.17, ahead of Washington and Lee’s Stephanie Foster (24.18) and Sarah Schaffer (24.20).

In this morning’s 400 medley relay, the Generals swam Sterns, Kaitlyn Gardner, Tomenchok, and Belforti to earn a top seeded time of 4:03.35. Emory and Henry’s Moore, Brianna Chessock, Nicole Powell, and Kelsey Jones swam a 4:13.64. Bridgewater College was third with a time of 4:28.63, behind the swims of Emily Carr, Jenna Walmer, Gabrielle Harbour, and Sammie Arnold.

Men’s Meet

Washington and Lee’s Tommy Thetford crushed his own ODAC meet and open records (20.47, 20.10), finishing the 50 freestyle in 19.70 this morning. This was a tenth under the NCAA A cut, as well. His teammate Andrew Botelho (21.62) claimed third. Mohamed Saleh from Randolph-Macon was second (21.30).

It was the Randolph-Macon men who were first to the wall in their 200 freestyle relay. Saleh, Alex Daube, Daniel Whitehead, and Robert Redenz stopped the clock at 1:26.42. John Carmody, Thomas Agostini, Sam Childress, and Harrison Westgarth finished second for Washington and Lee (1:27.90). Hampden-Sydney’s Calvin Charles, Hudson Elmore, John Dickerson, and Ryan Mitchell rounded out the top three (1:34.25).

The General men claimed the top six seeds in the 500 freestyle. Childress (4:45.07), Agostini (4:47.47) and Alex Fox (4:49.41) will be racing for the title and meet record (4:43.75) tonight. That record is held by Thomas Caldwell, who finished fourth (4:49.52) this morning.

Ivan Fadeyev of Randolph-Macon earned lane four for the 200 IM tonight, finishing in a time of 1:54.96. Washington and Lee teammates Thomas Ferguson (1:55.33) and Patrick Lawrence (1:55.77) followed for second and third.

It will be a two team race in the 400 medley relay tonight. Washington and Lee’s Patrick LAwrence, Westgarth, Ferguson, and Austin Jennings clocked a 3:34.88. Hampden-Sydney’s Elmore, Dickerson, Conor O’Heir, and Mitchell earned second (3:49.96). Randolph-Macon was DQed.

Results available on Meet Mobile.

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