University of Miami Invite/Vanderbilt Dual
- Wednesday, November 18-Friday, November 20
- Teams: University of Miami (FL), Vanderbilt
- University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
- Prelims/Finals
- Prelims @9AM Eastern, Finals @6PM Eastern
- Day 1 Finals Results
The University of Miami and Vanderbilt University women’s teams began their mid-season dual Wednesday at the University of Miami’s pool in Coral Gables, Florida. After day 1, Miami had a lead of 291 to 266 over Vanderbilt. Like most meets happening this week, Wednesday’s events consisted of the 200 freestyle relay, the 500 freestyle, the 200 IM, the 50 freestyle, and the 400 medley relay.
Miami won all 5 events contested on Wednesday, and even finished 1-2 in both the 500 freestyle and 200 IM. First, in the 200 freestyle relay, the team of Savannah Barr, Carmen San Nicolas Martinez, Emma Sundstrand, and Sydney Knapp won in 1:33.44, with Knapp producing the fastest split in the field at 22.94. The only other swimmer to crack 23 was Vanderbilt’s Tonner Debeer who anchored her ‘A’ team in 22.98 for a total time of 1:34.20.
Barr switched gears once the relay was over and placed 2nd in the 500 behind teammate Aino Otava who cleaved a massive 7 seconds from her lifetime best and produced the sixth-fastest time in program history. Barr, meanwhile, finished in 4:52.53, which is within 2 seconds of her lifetime best. Otava and Barr were the only competitors to break 5 minutes on Wednesday in the 500.
Knapp claimed the 50 free in 23.22 while Sundstrand placed 2nd in the 200 IM in 2:02.71, just behind teammate Adrea Todorovic who touched first in 2:02.33.
Eleanor Beers was vital to Vanderbilt’s 2nd-place 200 freestyle relay (23.69) and 2nd-place 400 medley relay (51.58), and also placed 2nd individually in the 50 free in 23.72.
Miami was especially dominant in the 400 medley relay where the team of Alaina Skellet, Sundstrand, Isabel Traba, and Barr won by nearly 5 seconds in 3:42.44. Sunderstrand was particularly important to Miami by delivering a 1:01.45 breaststroke split, the fastest in the field by 2 seconds. Debeer, meanwhile, had the fastest butterfly split of the field with a 54.62 for the Vanderbilt ‘A’ team, which finished in 3:47.13. No swimmer went under 50 seconds on the freestyle leg of the relay, but Knapp was the closest to doing so, anchoring Miami’s ‘B’ team in 50.12.
Scoring for this meet is interesting in that the top-4 finishers are awarded points as if they were finishing in the top-4 at a traditional invitational or championship meet, whereas the swimmers that place 5th through 8th score as if they were finishing 9th through 12th in a traditional championship meet. This means that points are awarded accordingly:
- 1st = 20
- 2nd = 17
- 3rd = 16
- 4th = 15
- 5th = 9
- 6th = 7
- 7th = 6
- 8th = 5
- 9th & on = 0
Furthermore, the ‘A’ finals consist of only the 2 fastest swimmers from each team following prelims, ensuring that each school has two representative in the ‘A’ final, though the ‘B’ final may contain up to 8 swimmers, per usual, though only those that place within the top-4 in the heat will earn their team points.
Relays, however, score double (per usual), though only 4 teams, 2 from each Miami and Vanderbilt, may compete in the ‘A’ final for points, meaning 1st place earns 40 points, 2nd place 34 points, 3rd place 32 points, and 4th place 30 points.