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

The Ladies and Gents had a strong start to their seasons on Friday.
The Ladies and Gents had a strong start to their seasons on Friday.

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

 

Nick Gordon, Men's Swimming
October 9, 2023 Nick Gordon, Men's Swimming