Rice University
Miami-Fla.
Swimmers Defeat Nationally-Ranked Miami Saturday
10/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Meet Results vs. Miami-Fla.
Meet Results vs. FAU
MIAMI, Fla. -- Freshman Marie-Claire Schillinger's won three of individual events over the course of the day to help pace the Rice swim team to dual meet victories over No. 28 ranked Miami-Fla. and C-USA foe Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
A total of four schools, Rice, Florida Atlantic, Miami and meet host FIU, all competed simultaneously in the season-opening two-day Dual-A-Paloosa held in south Florida. The teams went head-to-head in different heats and were scored that way to reflect a dual meet format, but all the teams essentially competed simultaneously.
Saturday's meet format featured two sessions. Rice defeated the No. 28 ranked Miami Hurricanes 110-92 in the morning, then came back to win the "Battle of the C-USA Owls" by defeating FAU 139-55 in the afternoon.
Schillinger won all three of the day's breaststroke events and she swam the second leg on the Owls' winning 200-medley relay (1:45.33). In the morning she swam a 1:04.86 to lead a 1-2 Rice finish with freshman Dani Gordon (1:06.45) in the 100-breaststroke. Schillinger then won the 200-breaststroke with time of 2:20.71. Swimming a 50-yard version of the breaststroke is not an official NCAA event, but after her performance in the meet's unique lineup of races maybe it should be? The Rice rookie from Orinda, Calif., won a 50-yard breaststroke sprint with a steady 29.94.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Swinney posted a pair of big wins, taking a tight 200-backstoke (2:03.00) race and later coasting in the 400-individual medley (4:25.80). The Owls' freshman duo of Sydney Franzen and Hanna Huston went 1-2 in the morning session of the 500-freestyle with a 4:48.35 and 4:58.52, respectively. Huston was later second in the rugged 1,000-freestyle with a 10:10.32 that was even better than her mark in the same event the day before against Florida International.
Sophomore Alicia Caldwell anchored the Rice win in the 200-medley and won the 200-freestyle (1:50). She returned to tally two second place finishes in the 100-free (51.73) and then the 100-backstroke (56.75).
Senior Shelly Patton swam the 200-medley lead, and sophomore Kiley Beall was the third leg of the winning relay. Both returned to post second place times in the in the 100-individual medley (58.72) and 200-butterfly (2:06.49), respectively.
"It was a good day today," said Rice head coach Seth Huston, now in his 14th season at the helm of the program. "We had some strong performances for this early in the season. It was a close one, but we beat Miami. We lost some close races last night (in the season-opening meet vs. Florida International), but came out today and won some close ones with Miami. Those close finishes are real difference makers."
The Owl swim team will host its next meet on Oct. 23-24 as part of the annual two-day Rice Invitational. SEC power Arkansas, crosstown rival Houston and Incarnate Word join the Blue & Gray in a full schedule of events at the Owls' Competition Pool.
Players Mentioned
