MIAMI – The FIU swimming and diving program kicked off its season at the TYR Fall Classic with a strong showing, finishing third overall at the Doral Aquatic Center.

The Panthers scored 445 points, trailing only Florida Atlantic and FGCU, and recorded 25 top-three finishes across A-Final and B-Final events, including three first-place efforts over the two-day meet.
 
Senior Nicole Frank led the charge with four top-two finishes, highlighted by a first-place victory in the 400 IM with a time of 4:26.51.

She also claimed second in three B-Final events: the 100 Backstroke (58.58), 200 Breaststroke (2:20.84), and 200 Fly (2:12.17), setting the tone for her senior season.
 
Diana Santamaria contributed six second-place finishes, including three relay efforts. She helped the 400 Medley Relay team—alongside Tawannah McLemore, Frida Stretre Løbersli, and Pauline Zeller—finish second in 3:47.70.

Santamaria also swam on the 200 Medley Relay (1:42.29) and 400 Freestyle Relay (3:28.24) teams with Ana Luiza Daisson, Olivia Matson, and Zeller. Individually, she touched in 56.83 in the 100 Butterfly B-Final, 57.29 in the 100 Backstroke A-Final, and 2:04.25 in the 200 Backstroke A-Final.
 
Freshman Pauline Zeller made a splash in her debut, setting a new meet record in the 100 Butterfly A-Final with a time of 54.74, breaking the mark set in 2009. She also helped the 200 Freestyle Relay team of Daisson, Matson, and McLemore capture first in 1:34.08.

Sophomore Tawannah McLemore placed second in the 50 Freestyle A-Final (23.55) and third in the 200 IM (2:10.94), while freshman Olivia Matson posted a B-Final win in the 200 Backstroke (2:05.45) and a second-place B-Final finish in the 50 Freestyle (23.71).

Sophomore Sally Olsson impressed in the breaststroke events, placing second in the B-Final of the 100 breaststroke (1:05.08) and third in the A-Final of the 200 breaststroke (2:20.35).

Daisson earned three individual third-place finishes in the 200 Freestyle (1:54.63 A-Final), 500 Freestyle (5:15.98 B-Final), and 100 Freestyle (52.67 A-Final).

Var Erlingsdottir Eidesgaard added two third-place B-Final swims in the 200 Freestyle (1:57.20) and 100 Freestyle (53.86).
 
On the diving side, junior Kristina Keenan placed second in the 1-Meter A-Final (217.10) and third in the 3-Meter A-Final (239.25).

Brooke Megdall topped the B-Finals with scores of 242.00 (1-Meter) and 237.60 (3-Meter), while senior Ruska Lehtonen posted a 264.95 on the 1-meter board.

OVERALL SCORES
1). FGCU – 504
2). Florida Atlantic – 446
3). FIU –  445
4). Keiser –  378
5). St. Thomas –  371

UP NEXT
FIU prepares for a dual-meet wiht new American Conference member, the Liberty Flames from Friday, Oct. 31 -  Saturday, Nov. 1. It will be held at the Doral Aquatic Center.

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