FORT WORTH, Texas, September 27. TCU opened its 2014-2015 season at home today with a convincing victory over visiting Tulane, winning 12 events to top the Green Wave, 179-121.<\/p>\n
TCU Press Release<\/strong><\/p>\n TCU women’s swimming & diving team kicked off the season with a dominating victory over Tulane, 179-121, on Saturday at the University Rec Center Natatorium.<\/p>\n The Frogs recorded first-place times in 12 events against the Green Wave.<\/p>\n “Tulane has a solid program,” head coach Richard Sybesma said. “It’s great to come out with a win in our first dual meet. It’s early in the year, but I was really pleased to see how well our team competed.”<\/p>\n The day began and ended with the Frogs capturing wins in both relay events. In the 200-yard medley relay, the team of Lyndsie Gibson, Devin Newton, Emily Gibson and Julia Sanders posted a time of 1:45.58. The 400-yard free relay squad of Sanders, Mackenzie Schuler, Emily Gibson and Mikayla Winkler finished almost two seconds faster than second-place with a time of 3:32.03.<\/p>\n The Gibson sister’s tandem combined for five wins on Saturday. After the opening relay that featured the Southlake duo, Lyndsie, a junior, would win the 100 and 200-yard back events with marks of 56.64 and 2:05.09, respectively. Her freshman sister, Emily, was on the first-place 400-yard free relay squad and also picked up an individual win in the 100-yard fly with a time of 57.49.<\/p>\n “It’s neat when you have a pair of sisters from the same family and they combine for wins,” Sybesma said. “In our meet today, they combined for a total of five wins. So that was cool to see. I thought our team really competed well today.”<\/p>\n Senior Ali Bleasdell, the school record holder in the 200-yard IM, posted the top-time in the event on Saturday with a time of 2:07.48. She also picked up a victory in the 200-yard fly, edging out fellow Frog Catherine Rash. Bleasdell and Rash’s times were 2:06.18 and 2:06.56, respectively.<\/p>\n “Ali Bleasdell winning the 200 fly and 200 IM today were big wins for our program,” Sybesma added.<\/p>\n Junior Mikayla Winkler also recorded two first-place finishes in the meet against Tulane. Her strong start earned her the win in the 200-yard free with a time of 1:53.71 and finished the 500-yard free at 5:06.95, five seconds ahead of second place.<\/p>\n Junior Sara Brzozowski, sophomore Julia Sanders and freshman Lindsay Shabet rounded out the first-place times for the Frogs. Brzozowski picked up the win in 1000-yard free with a time of 10:30.14. In the 50-yard free, Sanders posted a time of 24.14 and Shabet’s time 2:22.29 gave her the victory in the 200-yard breast.<\/p>\n Over in diving, Kristen Connolly racked up a pair of second-place scores in the 1-meter and 3-meter events. Connolly, a junior from San Antonio, recorded marks of 284.25 and 259.20, respectively.<\/p>\n Senior Courtney Cheek and freshman Ty Sides each tallied third-place scores on Saturday. Cheek’s came in the 3-meter dive with a 250.28 and Sides with a 271.27 in the 1-meter event.<\/p>\n The Frogs return to action on Sunday, Oct. 12, against the University of Texas-Permian Basin in Andrews, Texas, at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n