Rice University
North Texas
Swimmers Rally Past North Texas
10/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
The Rice duo of Kiley Beall and Jaecey Parham both won individual events, part nine Owl wins in a 14-event swim program, for a hard-fought come-from-behind Conference USA dual meet victory at North Texas Friday in Denton.
Parham swept won the 200-yard individual medley (2:05.76) and led a 1-2 Rice finish with Rylee Linhardt in the 200-backstroke with times of 2:04.26 and 2:05.25, respectively. Bell led a 1-2 Rice finish in the 100-butterfly (56.67) with Shelbi Ragsdale (57.92), as well as a 1-2-3 Owl sweep of the 100-backstoke (57.39).
Blue & Gray posted three 1-2-3 finishes on the day, but Rice was without the 32 points for diving events (in which the Owls do not compete). Head coach Seth Huston said Rice needed all the swim points it could muster against a North Texas team that was equally hungry for a C-USA victory.
"We won a close one," said coach Huston. "As expected North Texas was ready to go and swam a great meet."
"We were a little sluggish through the first break," Huston explained. "We were down by five before diving, so really 37 points in all. Our backs were against the wall, but we really stepped-up and got back in the meet. We had a three-point lead going into the IM.
"I was really proud of how the team didn't quit" he said. "Not only did we need to win events, we needed depth points (from other finishers in each race). We had big swims from Jaecey in the 200-back and 200-IM, and Sydney Franzen winning the 1000-freestyle and earning a fifth in the butterfly. That alone was a two-point swing.
"Marie-Claire Schillinger and Hanna Huston were part of our comeback by winning the 200-breaststroke (2:17.57) and 500-freestyle (5:00.53)," coach Huston added. "Alicia Caldwell won the 100-free and then came from behind swimming as the anchor leg on the sprint relay to win by .05. It was a total team effort."
The Rice swimmers continue the weekend road swing on Saturday in the Metroplex. The Owls take on longtime rival SMU at 1 pm. The meet will be held at Southlake High School.
Players Mentioned
