Swimming Enjoys Record-Setting Weekend in Dallas
DALLAS, TX— Miami returned home from the SMU Invitational with four team records, one Brazilian record, one SMU pool record, eight new or improved times in the school’s all-time ‘Top 10 Performers’ list, and seven NCAA time standards.
Following an opening night of stellar performances Thursday, the team continued breaking records over the course of the weekend.
Tara Vovk was the star of the show, breaking three individual school records in the 200-yard individual medley (1:57.22), 100-yard breaststroke (58.89), 200-yard breaststroke (2:10.24), and as a member of the 200-yard free relay (1:30.16).
Vovk’s 100-yard breaststroke time also set a new pool record.
“Tara was definitely a leader for us in the pool. She’s walking away from this meet with four school records, one pool record, and some of the fastest times in the country,” head swimming coach Andy Kershaw said. “More importantly, she has been a great teammate out of the pool. She works hard, earns her results, and lifts up her teammates.”
Vovk’s training partners also lit up the scoreboard.
Team co-captain Zorry Mason continued her comeback from hip surgery by beating her previous school record time in the 200 individual medley, and earning NCAA time standards in her other two individual events, the 100 breaststroke (1:00.84 – second place) and the 200 breaststroke (2:13.08 – fourth). She was also a member of the school record setting 200-yard freestyle relay, and led off the 400-yard medley relay with a backstroke time that placed her sixth in school history.
The 200-yard breaststroke proved to be Miami’s most dominant event of the weekend, with their top three swimmers all earning NCAA time standards.
In addition to Vovk and Mason, sophomore Giulia Carvalho also captured that distinction en route to her fifth-place finish with a time of 2:13.43. That time stands as the Brazilian record for short course yards, and places Giulia fifth on Miami’s all-time list. Carvalho showed an ability to compete in a diverse array of events throughout the weekend, placing second in the 50-yard freestyle, third in the 100-yard butterfly, eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke, and was a member of four relays, including the record-setting 200-yard freestyle free relay.
“Having three NCAA time standards in one heat was a great moment for the program,” Kershaw said. “That is something that hasn’t been done in my previous seasons here, and is a testament to how hard this team is working to climb the national rankings.”
Mason, Vovk, Carvalho, and Hinton placed first in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:38.34.
In the 400-yard free relay, Mason, Carvalho, Jane Fitzgerald, and Savannah Barr placed third with a time of 3:20.25.
“It was great to see Zorry and Savannah returning to their elite performance standard after going through some injuries,” Kershaw said. “For Zorry to break her previous school record in the 200-IM after having hip surgery is a testament to her drive and desire.”
In the 800-yard freestyle relay, Adrianna Cera, Fitzgerald, Barr and Aino Otava placed third with a time of 7:18.83. Cera placed fifth in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:55.37. Cera, Vovk, Lucy Miller, and Emma Sundstrand placed fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:22.47).
Otava placed second in both the 400-yard IM (4:19.58) and 500-yard freestyle (4:48.71). In the 200-yard butterfly, Otava placed fourth with a time of 2:00.23.
“Adrianna and Aino continue to show how versatile they can be, and how much hard work pays off,” Kershaw said. “Their events are the hardest to hit best times at the mid-season mark and they were right there.”
Despite not having diving points, the University of Miami women’s swim team beat three teams that had swimming & diving competing, and ended up with the second-most swimming points of all teams.
“We saw a lot of great things this week,” Kershaw said. “Our team represented the U with amazing class, great energy, and tremendous poise. We experienced some program and personal best times and had the opportunity to evaluate where we can improve going forward. Whether people were faster than ever or not, they are all hungry to do what’s necessary to evaluate our team’s standard as the season progresses.”
Miami’s next competition will be on December 17th when they host Northwestern and Army. Vovk, will not be part of that competition as she will be representing Slovenia at FINA World Swimming Championships.
