The William & Mary women's swimming team turned in another strong session on Thursday morning at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, advancing 13 of 19 swimmers to tonight's finals including eight in the championship heats. After the three swimming and one diving prelims, James Madison has taken the team lead with 205 points, ahead of the Tribe with 161 points. UNCW and Towson are tied for third with 105 points apiece.
500 Free
- Leading things off in the morning was the 500 free, where the Tribe advanced all six entrants to finals, including four in the championship heat.
- Sophomore
Megan Bull (Hillsborough, N.J.) is seeded second overall tonight after swimming 4:48.25, the second-fastest time in school history behind only her school record to win the CAA title last year.
- Senior
Morgan Smith (Verona, N.J.) swam 4:55.37 for fifth, just ahead of classmate
Maria Oceguera (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 4:55.48 for sixth, and sophomore
Tara Tiernan (West Hartford, Conn.) stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 4:55.52 for seventh overall. That improved Tiernan to 11th all-time among Tribe athletes.
- Junior
Norah Hunt (Stuarts Draft, Va.) will compete in the consolation finals, touching the wall in 4:57.25 for 10th place overall.
- Also finishing in a lifetime-best time was freshman
Inez Olszewski (New York, N.Y.), who finished 15th overall and cracked the 5-minute barrier for the first time in 4:59.07. That moves Olszewski to 16th in school history.
200 IM
- W&M had another three qualifiers in the 200 IM, including the top seed for tonight's finals and two in the championship heat.
- Leading the way was junior
Julia Bland (Sea Girt, N.J.), who chopped nearly a second off her lifetime-best to take top honors in 2:02.77. That's the sixth-fastest race ever at W&M, and ranks Bland fifth all-time among athletes.
- Freshman
Ellie Henry (Southern Pines, N.C.) also cruised into the A finals in lifetime-best fashion, timing 2:05.05 for eighth overall in prelims. That ranks Henry 13th all-time among W&M athletes.
- Sophomore
Diana Tramontano (Greenwich, Conn.) made the consolation finals in her first CAA event, cutting nearly two seconds off her previous best to take 14th overall in 2:05.99.
50 Free
- In the 50 free, the Tribe broke the freshman record and earned an NCAA qualifier while advancing four women to finals, two each in the championship and consolation heats.
- Freshman
Missy Cundiff (Leesburg, Va.) made her CAA debut in dominant fashion, timing 22.69 seconds for the third seed in tonight's finals. That broke the freshman record of 22.91 set by
Jaimie Miller '17 back in 2014, and was also an NCAA provisional. Cundiff's time cut nearly half a second off her lifetime-best and vaulted her up to fourth all-time among Tribe athletes.
- Also making the championship heat was senior
Annie Miller (Houston, Texas), who swam 23.17 for sixth overall. Miller has made the championship heat in the 50 free all four years of her career.
- Swimming the consolation finals for the Tribe will be senior
Katie Sell (Fredericksburg, Va.), who took 11th in a season-best 23.55 seconds, as well as freshman
Anna Kenna (Chantilly, Va.), who chopped two-tenths off her lifetime-best to place 16th overall in 23.85 seconds.
The finals of all three swimming events as well as the 1-meter dive and the 200 free relay begin tonight at 6 p.m., streaming live and for free on CAA.TV.
2019 CAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships
Projected Team Scores Following Prelims
1. James Madison 205
2. William & Mary 161
T3. Towson 105
T3. UNCW 105
5. Drexel 92
6. Northeastern 81
7. Delaware 63
