ANNAPOLIS – FIU's
Sara Gyertyanffy,
Letizia Bertelli,
Rachel Foord,
Rebecca Quesnel and the 400 Freestyle Relay team all won gold Saturday as the Panthers captured the 2018 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championship on the campus of the United States Naval Academy. The Panthers scored 598.5 points finishing ahead of Rice (483) and Denver (428).
After trailing after the first day of competition Thursday, FIU put up big points on the next two days of competition. Heading into the final day of competition, the Panthers led 320.5-316 over Denver. FIU scored 278 points Saturday to seal the win. FIU Swimming Coach
Randy Horner was named the Women's Coach of the Meet.
"I couldn't be happier than to cap off this weekend with a championship with this team," Horner said. "We started off a little rough on the first day but the ladies got better and better as the week went on. Amazing, amazing last day. Hats off to our ladies, they did a good job. We're looking forward to coming back to this meet next year as it grows and becomes a bigger meet next year."
Gyertyanffy won the team's first gold taking the 100 IM in a new meet record time of 55.77. Bertelli's win came in the 100 Freestyle coming .01 shy of a new meet record posting a 49.14.
Foord won 3-Meter Diving with a score of 286.90 and finished third in Platform Diving with a 239.45. Quesnel won gold in platform with a 285.35. FIU's 400 Free Relay of Bertelli,
Kyna Pereira, Gyertyanffy and
Skye Carey set a new meet record with a 3:18.56 – three seconds faster than the old record – to claim gold.
FIU had five other Top 5 finishes in other events.
Oceane Peretti started the night with a second-place finish in the 1650 Free posting a 16:30.07. Carey completed her last individual swim for FIU with a fifth-place finish in the 200 Backstroke recording a 1:58.60.
Carita Luukkanen and
Nicole Hunnewell went second and fourth in the 200 Breaststroke. Luukkanen swam 2:12.68 to take silver and Hunnewell posted a 2:13.80. Freshman
Stephanie Hussey took bronze in the 200 Fly with a new personal best time of 1:58.05.
FIU's
Naomi Ruele and
Rebecca Quesnel will both compete in next week's NCAA Championships March 14-17. Ruele qualified in the 50 Freestyle and 100 Backstroke. Quesnel qualified in Platform Diving.
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