Liberty University
Florida Gulf Coast
FGCU's Meet-Ending Relay Win Seals 137-125 Victory Over Liberty
1/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
In a meet that went down to the last race, Florida Gulf Coast won the 200 free relay to clinch a 137-125 victory over the visiting Liberty Lady Flames, Saturday at FGCU Aquatics Center.
With the win, two-time defending CCSA champion Florida Gulf Coast improves to 9-3, including 3-0 in CCSA meets. The Lady Flames' record stands at 5-2 with a 1-1 conference mark. Saturday's meet featured the top two teams in the CCSA, as FGCU (seven times) and Liberty (2014) have combined to win the last eight conference titles.
Liberty won eight events, including seven individual races and one relay, while FGCU earned six total event victories.
Alicia Finnigan recorded three event victories, swimming season bests in the 200 fly, 500 free and 400 individual medley. Lady Flames Brittany Weiss (100 back), Rachel Hoeve (50 free) and Morgan Noonan (200 breast) also won races on Saturday.
With the Eagles leading the meet, 124-121, entering the final race, the winner of the 200 free relay would earn the meet victory for their team. FGCU's A team edged Liberty, winning in 1:33.49, while the Lady Flames' quartet of Hannah Baker, Hoeve, Prudence Rooker and Colleen Donlin clocked a 1:34.09.
To begin the meet, Liberty's 400 medley relay of Weiss, Rooker, Finnigan and Hoeve won in 3:47.38.
Weiss gave Liberty its first individual event win of the day, swimming a season-best 56.62 to claim the top spot in the 100 back.
In the 100 breaststroke, Liberty's Rooker narrowly defeated 2016 CCSA 100 breaststroke champion Evita Leter of FGCU, 1:05.06 to 1:05.26.
Finnigan's first victory came in the 200 fly, as her time of 2:00.25 was her fastest this season. Christina Kaas Elmgreen of FGCU, the defending CCSA 200 fly champion, placed second in 2:03.60.
Hoeve out-touched the Eagles' Katie Latham at the wall, 23.49 to 23.69, to win the 50 freestyle. Latham is the defending CCSA champion in the event, and holds the fastest time in the 50 free this season, at 22.57. Donlin's season-best 24.01 was good for third, while Baker (24.19) took fourth.
Noonan and Rooker took first and second, respectively, in the 200 breaststroke, with Noonan winning in 2:21.40 and Rooker following closely behind in 2:21.50.
Finnigan held on for a tight victory over Linda Shaw in the 500 free, as Finningan clocked a season-best 5:01.76 and Shaw came in at 5:02.02. Delia Weber placed third in 5:05.80, followed in fourth by Ashlee Sall (5:09.71).
Finnigan capped off her successful day, outdistancing the field by over four seconds to win the 400 IM with a season-best time of 4:26.14.
Earlier in the meet, Weber (10:30.43) earned second place for the Lady Flames in the 1000 free, while Dani Jordan placed third in 10:39.06.
Hoeve took second in the 100 free, at 52.45, while Baker swam 53.15 for fourth place.
FGCU's Sandra Wilk narrowly defeated Tschoke in the 200 backstroke, 2:04.76 to 2:04.98.
The Eagles earned the top two places in both the 200 free and 100 fly. Noonan finished third in the 200 free in 1:54.51, while Baker was fourth in 1:54.85. In the 100 fly, Weiss placed third in a season-best 56.72.
Liberty will next compete at UNC Asheville next Saturday. The Lady Flames' first-ever meet at the Justice Center Pool is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
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