Swimmers Make Their Mark During 22-23 Campaign
3/22/2023 1:02:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
Four school records and four AAC champions
The Rice swimming team concluded a historic season last weekend when sophomore butterflier Arielle Hayon competed in both her signature events at the NCAA Championship held in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Hayon finished 39th in the 100 and 50th in the 200 fly last weekend. She was the fourth Owl to swim the butterfly events for Rice at the NCAA meet and only the third to qualify twice, joining Casey Clark (2013 &2014) and Cory Teague who earned All-America honors in 1997 and 1998 and was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
Hayon's repeat at the NCAA level completed a season that saw a number of historic milestones for the team.
In November, they became the first Rice sport to compete in the American Athletic Conference with a dual win over Tulane and went on to post a 5-0 mark in dual competition in the AAC.
In December, they captured their second CSCAA National Open Water Championship. Freshman Ella Dyson became Rice's first individual champion in the event while Amelia Kane (8th), Shannon Campbell (9th) and Elizabeth Myers (19th) all finished in the top 20.
One year before the Owls join the conference in all sports, the Rice swimmers captured the school's first AAC titles at the conference championships in Dallas. Led by Hayon's sweep of the butterfly events, they captured four individual AAC titles as Zoe Spitz (100 backstroke) and Ella Dyson (1,650 freestyle) joined her at the top of the podium.
The week prior to the NCAA Championships, eight Owls competed in the CSCAA National Invitational Championship. Senior Lauren McDougall wrapped up her Rice career with a thrilling win in the 200 freestyle, becoming the sixth Owl to win an individual title at the National Invitational. Junior Imogen Meers wrapped up her season by finishing second in a pair of events staged just 40 minutes apart, winning a silver in the 100 IM and repeating that effort in the 100 freestyle. She was the top-scoring Owl in the meet, totaling 59 of the Owls' 315 points.
The Owls set four school records during the season. Spitz lowered both the 100 and 200 backstroke marks multiple times during the year and Hayon bettered her freshman record in the 200 butterfly with her AAC-winning time this year. Both swimmers joined with McDougall and freshman Lily Cramer to knock nearly 1.5 seconds off the previous school record in the 400 medley relay.
The school's top five listings also required extensive updating with 11 new entries. In addition to their individual school records, Spitz and Hayon both chipped in legs on the 200 (4th) and 400 (1st) medley relays. McDougall entered the Rice Top Five in the 100 (5th), 200 (3rd) and 500 freestyles as well as with her leg on the 400 medley relay. Meers claimed spots in the 100 free (4th), 100 back (3rd), 200 IM (4th) and with a leg on the 200 medley relay. Dyson posted the second-fastest 1,650 freestyle on the way to her AAC title while fellow freshman Lily Cramer moved to third on the Owls 200 breaststroke standings.
Hayon finished 39th in the 100 and 50th in the 200 fly last weekend. She was the fourth Owl to swim the butterfly events for Rice at the NCAA meet and only the third to qualify twice, joining Casey Clark (2013 &2014) and Cory Teague who earned All-America honors in 1997 and 1998 and was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
Hayon's repeat at the NCAA level completed a season that saw a number of historic milestones for the team.
In November, they became the first Rice sport to compete in the American Athletic Conference with a dual win over Tulane and went on to post a 5-0 mark in dual competition in the AAC.
In December, they captured their second CSCAA National Open Water Championship. Freshman Ella Dyson became Rice's first individual champion in the event while Amelia Kane (8th), Shannon Campbell (9th) and Elizabeth Myers (19th) all finished in the top 20.
One year before the Owls join the conference in all sports, the Rice swimmers captured the school's first AAC titles at the conference championships in Dallas. Led by Hayon's sweep of the butterfly events, they captured four individual AAC titles as Zoe Spitz (100 backstroke) and Ella Dyson (1,650 freestyle) joined her at the top of the podium.
The week prior to the NCAA Championships, eight Owls competed in the CSCAA National Invitational Championship. Senior Lauren McDougall wrapped up her Rice career with a thrilling win in the 200 freestyle, becoming the sixth Owl to win an individual title at the National Invitational. Junior Imogen Meers wrapped up her season by finishing second in a pair of events staged just 40 minutes apart, winning a silver in the 100 IM and repeating that effort in the 100 freestyle. She was the top-scoring Owl in the meet, totaling 59 of the Owls' 315 points.
The Owls set four school records during the season. Spitz lowered both the 100 and 200 backstroke marks multiple times during the year and Hayon bettered her freshman record in the 200 butterfly with her AAC-winning time this year. Both swimmers joined with McDougall and freshman Lily Cramer to knock nearly 1.5 seconds off the previous school record in the 400 medley relay.
The school's top five listings also required extensive updating with 11 new entries. In addition to their individual school records, Spitz and Hayon both chipped in legs on the 200 (4th) and 400 (1st) medley relays. McDougall entered the Rice Top Five in the 100 (5th), 200 (3rd) and 500 freestyles as well as with her leg on the 400 medley relay. Meers claimed spots in the 100 free (4th), 100 back (3rd), 200 IM (4th) and with a leg on the 200 medley relay. Dyson posted the second-fastest 1,650 freestyle on the way to her AAC title while fellow freshman Lily Cramer moved to third on the Owls 200 breaststroke standings.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Breast/Free/IM
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Free/Back/IM
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Free/Fly
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Free/IM
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Free
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Back/Free
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Free/Fly
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Fly/Free
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