Swimming Teams Record 18 Individual Top-Five Finishes In Season Opener

The Ladies started strong on Friday and will be back in action on Saturday at Hendrix.
The Ladies started strong on Friday and will be back in action on Saturday at Hendrix.

Clarksville, Ark. – The Centenary swimming teams opened their seasons on Friday with a double dual meet against the host University of Ozarks and Rhodes College at the Ozarks Swimming Facility.

Team Results:

MEN:

Rhodes 171.00 – Ozarks 30.00

Centenary 80.00 – Ozarks 62.00

Rhodes 176.00 – Centenary 32.00

WOMEN:

Rhodes 174.00 – Ozarks 60.00

Ozarks 114.00 – Centenary 104.00

Rhodes 179.00 – Centenary 38.00

Senior Antonio Barbee (Plaquemine, La.) finished third in the 1,000-yard freestyle in a time of 11:39.48 and teamed with freshman Ubaldo Ayala (Hallsville, Texas), Nick Gordon (Aurora, Colo.), and sophomore Jameson Feeney (Shreveport, La.) to place third in the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 1:50.34.

Barbee also finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly as he swam a time of 58.96. Feeney finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:11.73). Senior Aiden Peterkin (Zachary, La.) finished third in the 100-yard backstroke (1:13.40), fourth in the 200 IM (2:25.73), and fifth in both the 100-yard freestyle (57.58) and 200 free (2:10.05). Ayala earned a runner-up finish in the 200-yard IM (2:16.62) and finished fourth in the 500 free (5:35.87). Gordon finished third in both the 100 fly (54.57) and 50 free (22.50).

On the women's side, junior Madeline Vacula (Belton, Texas) finished as runner-up in the 1000 free (11:26.73) and third in the 500 free (5:36.30). Vacula teamed with senior Anacelia Galeano-Balam (Baton Rouge, La.), freshman Hannah Waddell (Shreveport, La.), and freshman Reece Esser (Huntsville, Texas) to finish third in the 200 medley relay (2:03.50). Allie Matherne (Cut Off, La.) and freshman Kennadi St. Clair (Duncanville, Texas) St. Clair placed sixth (1:20.23) and seventh (1:26.84) respectively in the 100 breast.

Esser recorded a pair of runner-up finishes as she swam a time of 57.89 to place second in the 100 free and finished second in the 100 fly (1:02.97). Galeano-Balam finished fifth in the 100 fly (1:11.14) and eighth in the 100 free (1:05.40). Freshman Cicely Jackson (Lafayette, La.) earned a top-five finish in the 100-yard backstroke (6:07.49), was seventh (1:15.68) in the 100 fly and also earned a sixth-place finish in the 200 free as she swam a time of 2:17.93.

Waddell finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:12.64) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:19.10). Matherne finished sixth in the 100 free (1:02.98) and was a member of the Ladies' 200-yard freestyle relay that finished third in a time of 2:00.90. Freshman Stacy Brown (Baytown, Texas), freshman Sydney Welch (Moss Bluff, La.), and St. Clair joined Matherne in the 200.

Welch finished sixth in both the 100 backstroke (1:26.30) and 50 free (30.72) and St. Clair placed fifth in the 50 free (30.30). Brown finished eighth in the 200 free (2:39.28). Sophomore Adriana de la Fuente (Baton Rouge, La.) finished seventh in the 100 backstroke (1:28.68).

The Ladies and Gents combined for 18 individual top-five finishes and four runner-up finishes.

Centenary will wrap up the weekend with a second meet on Saturday to face host Hendrix College and Rhodes again Conway, Ark. at 1 p.m.

See the Ladies and Gents' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/wswim/2023-24/schedule

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity