Salukis Set School Records, Win Third Title in Day Three of MVC Championships

Friday, February 17

Iowa City, Iowa

TBA

Southern Illinois University

Women's MVC Championships

Salukis Set School Records, Win Third Title in Day Three of MVC Championships

02/17/2017 | 10:54:00 | Swimming & Diving

By: By Drew Hoffman, SIUSalukis.com

Southern Illinois University took home an individual title, set two school records and remains in second place with 434 points after day three of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.

Junior Bryn Handley won her second title in as many days, and Southern's third title of the championships, in the 200-yard freestyle race Friday night with a season best time of 1:47.88.

The Louisville, Ky. native's time was six-hundredths of a second away from tying the MVC record set by teammate Kelsie Walker nearly two years ago to the day.

Senior Sarah James etched her name further into the Saluki swimming record books, breaking her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.24 in the preliminary stage. Her finals time of 55.55 gave her the top-five times in the event in school history.

The final event of the evening saw the Salukis break a 30-year old school record in the 400-yard medley relay. The team of Sarah James, Laura Carver, Emma Brazeau and Bryn Handley finished third in the event with a school-record time of 3:45.31, besting the previous record of 3:46.99 set during the 1985-86 campaign.

"We had a good finals night with a school record out of Sarah James in the 100 back, school record in the 400 medley relay and Bryn Handley just missed the 200 free [MVC record] by 0.06," said head coach Rick Walker.

The third leg of the four day championship meet kicked off with the 400-yard IM final. Freshman Laura Carver placed fourth in the 'A' heat with a personal best time of 4:22.55 while Samantha Parsons finished sixth at 4:25.33. Payton Parman finished second in the 'B' heat in 4:27.30, a new personal best.

Five Salukis competed in the 100-yard butterfly, with Brazeau swimming a season best 55.60 in the 'A' heat to place 6th overall at the championships. Senior Kristina Ksarjian had the best time in the 'B' heat at 55.76. Also competing in the 'B' heat were Rita Naude (4th, 57.17), Audrey Snyder (5th, 57.33), and Chandler Ott (7th, 57.59).

In the 200-freestyle final, Jordan Ries claimed fifth place at the MVC Championships with a personal best time of 1:51.43 in the 'A' heat. Lauren Stockton swam the best time in the 'B' final, a season best 1:51.49. Maggie Burke finished third in the 'C' final in 1:55.28.

The Salukis had four athletes, one non-scored, in the 100-yard breaststroke final. Laura Carver (1:03.25) and Jessica Peck (1:04.82) placed fifth and eighth, respectively, at the MVC championships with personal best times. Senior Riley Schroeder finished third in the 'B' heat with a personal best time of 1:04.44.

In the 100-yard backstroke, McKenna Avery gave Southern a third-place finish in the 'B' heat with a time of 57.24 while Naude finished sixth in the same heat at 58.08.

"Everybody is focused on moving up and making an impact. They all want to add to the team so much," Walker said. "We are learning how to trust what got us here and not trying to control what is not controllable."

The Salukis return to the pool tomorrow for the fourth and final day of the MVC Championships beginning with preliminaries for the 200-yard backstroke at 10 a. m.

"Saluki Saturday, it rocks," Walker said. "I have faith and confidence that they will find their way. They always have."