MIAMI – The FIU swimming and diving program opened the calendar year, capturing first place at the FIU Sprint Invite with 571 points Saturday morning at the Doral Aquatic Center.
 
FIU excelled in the 50-yard sprint events, earning top finishes in the 50-backstroke, butterfly and 100-IM.
 
The victory marked FIU's eighth consecutive title at the annual home meet, a streak that dates back to the 2016–17 season.
 
The meet opened with the 50-yard sprint events, which featured a unique knockout-style format. The top six swimmers from the opening round advanced, culminating in head-to-head finals.
 
Freshman Pauline Zeller shined in the sprint events, winning the 50-yard butterfly (25.98) and the 100-yard individual medley (58.56). Zeller also earned runner-up finishes in the 50-yard backstroke (26.08) and the 100-yard butterfly (57.41).
 
Junior Diana Santamaria recorded four top-three finishes on the day, highlighted by a first-place showing in the 50-yard backstroke (25.41). The Málaga, Spain native added a second-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (24.21), placed second in the 100-yard individual medley (59.32), and finished third in the 100-yard backstroke with a finals time of 1:01.86.
 
Freshman Faustine Mercier placed second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:00.28) and added a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (1:03.23).
 
Sophomore Tawannah McLemore qualified for two finals, placing third in the 50-yard breaststroke (30.69) and fourth in the 50-yard butterfly (27.62).
 
Senior Lutnya Bogdanova posted a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 50-yard breaststroke (31.46) and the 100-yard butterfly (59.50), while senior Ana Luiza Daisson recorded two top-five finishes in the 200-yard freestyle (2:02.63) and the 100-yard freestyle (55.50).
 
On the diving boards, FIU placed three athletes inside the top six of the 1-meter event. Ruska Lehtonen led the Panthers with a runner-up finish and a score of 249.70, followed by Sofia Torstensson in fourth (245.00) and Kristina Keenan in sixth (242.65).
 
In the 3-meter event, Lehtonen earned a fourth-place finish with a score of 254.85, while Sydney Soto placed seventh with a total of 235.75.

FINAL SCORES
1. FlU - 571
2. North Texas - 539
3. Concordia University, St. Paul - 315
4. Wisconsin - 84
5. Georgia Southern - 50
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine - 19

UP NEXT
Meet competition resumes on Saturday, Jan. 10 as the Panthers host Harvard and Miami for a tri-meet at the Doral Aquatic Center. Events are set for 12 p.m. and can follow along on MeetMobile.
 
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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