GRAPEVINE, Texas – Elise Samples and Zoe Garcia turned in outstanding performances in the pool to lead the Southwestern University women's swimming & diving team at the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Natatorium.
The Southwestern Duals featured the host Pirates as well as a pair of NCAA Division II schools in Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and UT-Permian Basin.
Samples got the first individual event win for the Pirates when she finished the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:00.66 including a 29.52 on the first half of the race.
Event 13 of the day saw Garcia edge out Ouachita Baptist's Rachel Del Angel for first place honors. Garcia finished the 50-yard freestyle event in a time of 25.33 while Del Angel was close by with a 25.41.
Garcia and Samples along with teammates Emma Williams and Delaney Anthony finished the women's portion of the meet out with a victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Garcia took the opening leg and raced out to more than a 1.5 second lead for Williams, who completed her leg in a 56.89 time.
Samples would all but put the race away in the third leg with a 55.13 before Anthony anchored the victory with a 56.46.
Samples, Garcia and Williams teamed with Saylor McWhorter to start the meet in the 200-yard medley relay. The foursome would eventually finish in a time of 1:55.04, which was only three seconds back of first for third place.
Molly Spano finished on the podium in two events including the grueling 1,000-yard freestyle event where she finished in third with a time of 11:28.15.
Spano did have time to recover from the long distance race at the beginning of the meet before she competed in and placed second with a time of 2:19.79 in the 200-yard individual medley, which was Event 29 of the afternoon.
Annie LeBlanc narrowly edged out McWhorter for third place in the 100-yard breaststroke. LeBlanc finished in a time of 1:14.79 while McWhorter touched the wall in 1:15.01.
Kristin Mansell was the lone diver of the team to finish an event in the top three when she masterfully jumped, spun and dove her way into the water with a score of 141.65.
Samples would turn in a great performance in the 100-yard freestyle event when her time of 55.29 was good enough for second place. Anthony was just 1.9 behind in fourth.
LeBlanc raced her way to another third-place finish when the first-year Pirate completed the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:37.39.
Garcia would collect a second place of her own at the conclusion of Event 25, which was the 100-yard butterfly. Garcia's time of 1:00.74 was one of three times by the Pirates in the top six of the event participants.
Maysen Hauck came in fourth with a time of 1:03.88 while Ella Harmon was close behind in sixth with a 1:04.22.
In the team points competitions, Southwestern did fall to both competitors, but there were many bright spots to expand upon for future races as the season progresses.
UTPB took home a 156-129 victory over Southwestern while Ouachita Baptist won 197-97. OBU also defeated UTPB 184-114.
UP NEXT
The Pirates will return to the pool on Saturday, Oct. 22 when Colorado College attempts to invade the Walzel Natatorium. The first race of the day is scheduled for 11 a.m. CDT.