Thursday, November 21
Houston, TX
All Day
Rice University
307 pts.
vs
Phill Hansel Invitational
Photo by: Tommy Lavergne
Owls Conclude Day 1 At U.H. Meet
11/21/2019 10:35:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Nezelek Blazes To 22.85 In 50-Yard Freestyle
HOUSTON — Senior Kate Nezelek posted the fifth-fastest 50-yard freestyle in school history to highlight the Rice swim team's opening round of action Thursday at the annual Phill Hansel Invitational across town at the University of Houston.
After five swimming events and the first of three diving events, Rice holds second place in the team standings with 307 points. Meet host Houston owns a commanding lead in the 12-team meet with 537 points. Pac-12 power Washington State is third with 270 points, Tulane is fourth (205 pts.) and Colorado State fifth (162). The Owls also lead UC-Davis and Northern Colorado (both 157), Nevada (150), Florida Gulf Coast (148), Air Force (143), North Texas (37) and New Mexico State (2).
Nezelek zoomed to a third place finish among a starting field of 94 entries in the 50-free with a time of 22.85 that is the fifth-fastest in school history. The 50-free proved to be a big scoring event for the Owls as true freshman Madison Howe placed seventh (23.11) while Becca Evans (23.45) and Harper Gillentine (23.57) were 11th and 14th, respectively.
With so many Owl sprinters registering season-best marks on the night the team was looking forward to another chance to compete in Thursday's 4x50 relay — where the Blue & Gray held the best mark in Conference USA. The night's 200-free relay was a bit of good news/bad news. The bad news was that the Owls' top (A) relay was disqualified for leaving the starting block early. The good news was that Rice's B relay of Marta Cano-Minarro, Hannah Sumbera, Gillentine and Lindsay Mathys stepped-up to record a steady 1:32.55 that was the second-fastest time in the meet as well as the new fastest 200-free relay in C-USA this season.
Rice's Zoe Spitz, Phillis Range, Brittany Bui and Minarro likewise posted C-USA's new fastest time in the 400-medley relay (3:43.07) that placed third in the Invitational. The Owls registered a big scoring night in the 500-yard freestyle. Junior Ellery Parish was fourth among a starting field of 67 competitors in the 500 with time of 4:52.49. Senior Sarah Nowaski was sixth with 4:54.94 in the finals after a season-best 4:53.08 in the morning prelims. Shannon Campbell (4:57.10), Virginie Qian (4:53.35) and Claire Therien (4:54.33) also scored for the Blue & Gray by finishing 8th, 11th and 13th, respectively, out of the 67 total entries.
Cano-Minarro (6th, 2:00.79), Bui (11th, 2:01.89) and Sumbera (16th, 2:03.43) closed out the Owls' top three scorers in the 200-individual medley. There are still two more full days of Invitational events scheduled through Saturday. Preliminary races begin at 10 a.m. each day. Event finals are set for 6 p.m. on Friday and for 3 pm on Saturday.
After five swimming events and the first of three diving events, Rice holds second place in the team standings with 307 points. Meet host Houston owns a commanding lead in the 12-team meet with 537 points. Pac-12 power Washington State is third with 270 points, Tulane is fourth (205 pts.) and Colorado State fifth (162). The Owls also lead UC-Davis and Northern Colorado (both 157), Nevada (150), Florida Gulf Coast (148), Air Force (143), North Texas (37) and New Mexico State (2).
Nezelek zoomed to a third place finish among a starting field of 94 entries in the 50-free with a time of 22.85 that is the fifth-fastest in school history. The 50-free proved to be a big scoring event for the Owls as true freshman Madison Howe placed seventh (23.11) while Becca Evans (23.45) and Harper Gillentine (23.57) were 11th and 14th, respectively.
With so many Owl sprinters registering season-best marks on the night the team was looking forward to another chance to compete in Thursday's 4x50 relay — where the Blue & Gray held the best mark in Conference USA. The night's 200-free relay was a bit of good news/bad news. The bad news was that the Owls' top (A) relay was disqualified for leaving the starting block early. The good news was that Rice's B relay of Marta Cano-Minarro, Hannah Sumbera, Gillentine and Lindsay Mathys stepped-up to record a steady 1:32.55 that was the second-fastest time in the meet as well as the new fastest 200-free relay in C-USA this season.
Rice's Zoe Spitz, Phillis Range, Brittany Bui and Minarro likewise posted C-USA's new fastest time in the 400-medley relay (3:43.07) that placed third in the Invitational. The Owls registered a big scoring night in the 500-yard freestyle. Junior Ellery Parish was fourth among a starting field of 67 competitors in the 500 with time of 4:52.49. Senior Sarah Nowaski was sixth with 4:54.94 in the finals after a season-best 4:53.08 in the morning prelims. Shannon Campbell (4:57.10), Virginie Qian (4:53.35) and Claire Therien (4:54.33) also scored for the Blue & Gray by finishing 8th, 11th and 13th, respectively, out of the 67 total entries.
Cano-Minarro (6th, 2:00.79), Bui (11th, 2:01.89) and Sumbera (16th, 2:03.43) closed out the Owls' top three scorers in the 200-individual medley. There are still two more full days of Invitational events scheduled through Saturday. Preliminary races begin at 10 a.m. each day. Event finals are set for 6 p.m. on Friday and for 3 pm on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
Butterfly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Distance
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprints
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprints
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprints
/ Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Fly/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprints/Backstroke
/ Swimming & Diving
Fly/Middle Distance
/ Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
/ Swimming & Diving
IM/Br
/ Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke
/ Swimming & Diving
Fly/Free
/ Swimming & Diving
IM/Breaststroke/Fly
/ Swimming & Diving
Middle Free
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