Liberty Set for TYR '85 Invite
11/18/2021 12:11:03 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Liberty will host the third annual TYR ’85 Invite, Friday through Sunday at Liberty Natatorium.
The Lady Flames have competed in a mid-season invitational during this corresponding weekend in every year of program history. This will be the fourth straight year that Liberty has hosted an in-season invitational, and third time this event has been sponsored by TYR. This weekend’s invitational features five women’s swimming & diving teams, including Liberty, Campbell, East Carolina, Marshall and UNC Asheville (divers only).
This weekend’s invitational will give teams experience in a similar meet format as their respective conference’s championship meet. Unlike conference championships, this meet will not feature a predetermined scoring roster limit.
How to Follow the Lady Flames
This weekend’s meet will have live results available both online and through the meetmobile app.
Liberty’s CCSA Award Winners this Season
So. Maddie Freece – CCSA Women’s Diver of the Week (Oct. 26)
So. Chloe Harris – CCSA Women’s Swimmer of the Week (Oct. 26)
Team Notes
• The Lady Flames hosted Penn State and East Carolina in a two-day tri meet, Oct. 29-30. Liberty defeated ECU 339-73 and fell to the Nittany Lions 301-128. The loss to Penn State snapped a 23-meet home winning streak for the Lady Flames and ended Liberty’s overall winning streak at 12 dual meets.
• Liberty earned its 11th straight dual-meet victory, winning 15 out of 19 events contested during a 216-137 win at Marshall on Oct. 23. CCSA Swimmer of the Week Chloe Harris won four events, while CCSA Diver of the Week Maddie Freece won three-meter diving.
• Freece, Lauren Chennault (one-meter diving) and Jamyson Robb (100 breaststroke) all posted their first individual-event win of the season at Marshall. In total, 12 different Lady Flames have won at least one individual event in 2021-22, led by Harris’ four wins. Freece has won three-meter diving both times it has been contested this season, winning by a total of .80 points.
• Liberty, hosting the CCSA Championships for the second time, won its fourth-ever CCSA title in 2021, and third in a row. The Lady Flames and FGCU finished in a tie for the conference championship, as both teams finished with 1,748.5 points.
• 12th-year Head Coach Jake Shellenberger has led the Lady Flames from the program’s inception. He has posted a 117-33 dual-meet record, being named CCSA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year three times (2012, 2014, 2019). His teams have gone 62-14 all-time against CCSA competition.
• Last year at the CCSA Championships, the Lady Flames registered 21 podium finishes and seven event victories, to go along with four NCAA B cuts and one program record.
• Liberty has a packed home schedule, including a tri meet with Penn State and East Carolina on Oct. 29-30. Additionally, the Lady Flames will host the TYR ’85 Invite and 2022 CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships.
• Liberty placed four athletes on the 2021 VaSID All-State University Division Women’s Swimming & Diving team. Seniors Lindsey Cohee and Payton Keiner, along with junior Lauren Chennault and freshman Maddie Freece, were all named to the second team. Meanwhile, Freece was named State Co-Rookie Diver of the Year.
• A total of 11 current Lady Flames have posted CCSA podium finishes in their career, led by six each from Lauren Chennault and Emma Hazel. Eva Suggs has earned five top-three placings, followed by four from Jessica Schellenboom. Olivia Robinson (3). Maddie Freece (2), Chloe Harris (2), Abigail Egolf-Jensen (1), Chloe Rippey (1), Abby Strohmeier (1) and Emily Zimcosky (1) have all podiumed as well.
Student-Athlete Notes
• Sophomore Chloe Harris has the fastest time in the CCSA in the 200 fly (2:04.05), 200 IM (2:06.72) and 400 IM (4:26.40). Liberty also has the fastest time in the conference in the following events: 200 freestyle (1:52.42 – Eva Suggs); 100 backstroke (55.84 – Abbie Shaw); 200 backstroke (2:01.07 – Eva Suggs); 400 freestyle relay (3:28.22); 400 medley relay (3:48.56).
• Sophomore Maddie Freece had a record-setting freshman season in 2020-21, being named CCSA Women’s Diver of the Year. She won both one-meter and three-meter diving at the CCSA Championships, and went on to earn finals appearances on both boards at the NCAA Zone Championships. Freece finished ninth in three-meter diving at Zones, the first Lady Flame all-time to finish in the top 10 in an event at NCAA Zone Championships. She enters the season as Liberty’s record holder in one-meter diving (293.15).
• Senior Lauren Chennault, the 2020 Co-Outstanding Women’s Diver of the CCSA Meet, has finished on the podium in both one-meter and three-meter diving at each of the last three CCSA Championships. That includes a conference title in one-meter diving as a sophomore. Chennault is currently the program record holder in three-meter diving (317.85).
• Junior Eva Suggs, the 2020 Most Outstanding Female Newcomer of the CCSA Meet, posted three podium finishes as a freshman and two last February. She won the 200 freestyle at the CCSA Championships in both 2020 and 2021, leading a 1-2-3 Liberty podium sweep both times. Suggs currently ranks third in program history in the 200 freestyle (1:47.82).
• Senior Emma Hazel is a three-time runner up at the CCSA Championships in the 200 backstroke and finished second in the CCSA 200 freestyle in 2021. She is tied with fellow aviation major Lauren Chennault for the most podium finishes (six) among active Lady Flames. Hazel also ranks third in program history in the 200 back (1:56.53).
Matchup Highlights
• Campbell has competed in Liberty’s home invitational each year, while Marshall and UNC Asheville will both be making their second appearance at the TYR ’85 Invite. Navy won the first two invitationals at Liberty in 2018 and 2019 before Campbell claimed the 2020
• UNC Asheville has placed a program-best fourth at each of the last two CCSA Swimming & Diving Championship. The Bulldogs scored a program-record 1,012.5 points this spring, just edging fifth-place Campbell (996).
• Marshall finished in fifth place with 416 points at the 2021 Conference USA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship.
• Liberty junior Rachel Strickland began her collegiate swimming career at East Carolina before transferring to Liberty following her freshman season of 2019-20.
• The Pirates’ program was reinstated in January 2021 after disbanding following the 2019-20 season.
Up Next
Liberty’s next scheduled dual meet is Jan. 8, when the Lady Flames will compete at UNCW.
Order of Events
Nov. 19, 2021 – 10 a.m. prelims, 6 p.m. finals
200 Freestyle Relay
10-minute break
500 Freestyle
200 IM
50 Freestyle
3-Meter Diving (Full Break)
400 Medley Relay
Nov. 20, 2020 – 10 a.m. prelims, 6 p.m. finals
200 Medley Relay
10-minute break
100 Butterfly
400 IM
200 Freestyle
100 Breaststroke
100 Backstroke
1-Meter Diving (Full Break)
800 Freestyle Relay
Nov. 21, 2021 – 10 a.m. prelims, 5 p.m. finals
1650 Freestyle
200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
400 Freestyle Relay
