CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami women’s swimming & diving team split its Homecoming tri-meet Friday at the Whitten University Center Pool, topping Nova Southeastern but falling to Princeton in the first home competition of the season.
“We have a lot of learning to do still,” head swimming coach Andy Kershaw said. “We can’t rest on the success that we’ve had up to this point. In some ways, that’s a great thing. It means we’ve got a lot of coaching to do – that’s what we do. In some ways, that’s an exciting thing.”
Competing without some of the team’s top point-getters due to injury – including sophomore Manon Viguier and senior captain Julie Suarez – the Hurricanes persevered and delivered a number of strong finishes.
Junior Marcela Maric and senior Wally Layland were the top two finishers in the women’s 1-meter and 3-meter. Maric, coming off a strong showing at the University of Pittsburgh last weekend, finished with 285.68 points to just edge out Layland (282.75) in the 1-meter.
Maric won the 3-meter with a score of 333.23, while Layland came in second with 318.45.
Carmen San Nicolas was another one of Miami’s top performers Friday. The freshman finished with the top time in the 200 freestyle (1:52.06) and tied Princeton’s Madelyn Veith for the best finish in the 100 freestyle (52.37).
“In some regards, this was kind of a neat dynamic for Carmen. She is in our deepest events – Manon is usually in there, Julie is usually in there, Carmen is in there,” Kershaw said. “This actually, because of some illness and injury, gave Carmen a chance to shine and to be the person with the team on her back. That was kind of neat to see that she had a chance to do that and came through and did it.”
Junior Roxanne Yu finished second in the 100 backstroke (57.24) while freshman Annie Kyriakidis – competing despite an injury – took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.88).
Freshman Laurynn Harvard also scored Miami points in multiple events.
“Laurynn improved. Laurynn is one of the ones who can look at the meet and say, ‘I’m getting better. My times are getting better.’ That has come through a lot of work, and more learning than anything else. That’s great to see. It’s a process, and people are in it.”
Harvard was one of many Miami youngsters to contribute Friday as the Hurricanes continue their push towards the ACC Championships and NCAA Championships in the spring.
“I also think we saw that we have a young team, and we have to mature in terms of handling adversity, and you have to go through that to get there,” Kershaw said.