Bertelli, Ruele Lead FIU on Day Three of Conference USA Championships

Photo Courtesy: Conference USA

Florida International had a strong day three at the 2018 Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships to head into the final day of competition with over a 200 point lead as they seek their fourth-straight championship crown.

The Panthers lead the team scores with 707 points, ahead of Rice (502), Marshall (353), North Texas (297), Old Dominion (221) and Florida Atlantic (204).

Full Results

Women’s 400 IM

Rice’s Kaitlyn Swinney began the night by winning gold in the 400 IM after knocking off nearly six seconds from her prelims time. The senior stopped the clock in 4:12.89 to finish three seconds ahead of the rest of the field, making this her second-straight win in this event.

Marshall’s Emma Lockyer earned the silver in 4:15.51 and Rice’s Jaecey Parham grabbed the bronze in 4:18.98.

Marshall’s Caroline Wanner (4:21.35), Rice’s Hanna Huston (4:22.31), Florida International’s Taylor Grabenhorst (4:23.11), Marshall’s Maddie Schaffer (4:26.62) and Rice’s Rylee Linhardt (4:26.75) completed the top heat.

Women’s 100 Fly

After placing second in this event in 2017, Florida International’s Letizia Bertelli found herself at the top of the podium this year. The senior, who was last year’s C-USA Swimmer of the Year, touched the wall in 53.32.

Florida International took the top two spots after Ally Mayhew finished second in 54.25. Rice’s Kiley Beall took third in 54.70.

Rice’s Brittany Bui (55.06), North Texas’ Brittany Thurstin (55.16), Marshall’s Hannah Robins (55.36), North Texas’ Sydney Buckley (55.54) and Florida International’s Kelsie Campbell (55.72) rounded out the A-final.

Women’s 200 Free

Florida International again found themselves with gold and silver, this time in the 200 free. Panther senior Kyna Pereira, last year’s C-USA Championships Swimmer of the Meet, finished in 1:46.72 to make this her second-straight win in the event.

Pereira’s teammate Skye Carey finished second in 1:47.35 while Rice’s Alicia Caldwell took a close third in 1:47.47.

Marshall’s Catherine Bendziewicz (1:47.73), Florida International’s Megan Bowen (1:48.09), Rice’s Lindsay Mathys (1:48.14), Florida International’s Berta Triola (1:48.84) and North Texas’ Isabelle Morris (1:48.86) also swam in the fastest heat.

Women’s 100 Breast

Old Dominion’s Ashley Brem dropped over one second from her prelims time to win the 100 breast with a time of 1:00.75. This marks the junior’s first-ever C-USA individual title.

Rice’s Marie-Claire Schillinger, the current conference record-holder in the event, took second in 1:00.89 and Florida International’s Carita Luukkanen finished third in 1:01.01.

Florida International’s Sara Gyertyanffy (1:01.62), Florida International’s Nicole Hunnewell (1:01.96), North Texas’ Claudia Kitching (1:02.00), Florida International’s Taylor Grabenhorst (1:02.53) and Rice’s Nicole Limberg (1:02.59) rounded out the A-final.

Women’s 100 Back

After winning the 50 free last night in record-setting time, Florida International’s Naomi Ruele again found herself at the top of the podium, this time in the 100 back. The junior posted a final time of 52.54, dropping nearly two seconds off her prelims time for her second-straight C-USA win in this stroke and distance.

Florida Atlantic’s Abby Marshall got to the wall second in 54.55 and Marshall’s Jordyn O’Dell took third in 54.90.

Beall (55.05), Old Dominion’s Jacklyn VandePoel (55.36), Old Dominion’s Elena Adcock (55.46), Rice’s Julie Litver (55.62) and Florida Atlantic’s Miranda Fellowes (56.86) also competed in the A-final.

Women’s 1-Meter Diving

Just as in the first diving event, Florida International swept the top five spots. After placing second on the 3-meter diving earlier this weekend, Panther senior Becca Quesnel found herself at the top of the podium for the 1-meter with a score of 297.80.

She was followed be fellow Panthers Rachel Foord (291.40) in second and Brittany Haskell (284.30) in third.

Brooke Bouchard (271.00), Laura Coronado (254.95), North Texas’ Averie Ruiz (239.50), Florida Atlantic’s Lauren Beyer (236.75) and Marshall’s Madison Young (232.80) also dove in the A-final.

Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay

Florida International has gone 4-for-4 in relays so far this meet, dominating the 4×100 medley tonight to conclude day three. The Panther quartet of Ruele (52.87), Luukkanen (1:01.01), Mayhew (53.41) and Bertelli (48.73) combined to post a winning time of 3:36.02, dropping over eight seconds from their entry time.

Rice’s Caldwell, Schillinger, Beall and Lauren Rhodes took second in 3:41.17 and North Texas’ Jowita Sienczyk, Kitching, Thurstin and Morris finished third in 1:42.19.

Prelims for the final day of competition will begin Saturday at 10:30 a.m. EST.

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