| SMU at Texas A&M | |
| Date & Start Time | Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014 – 1 p.m. CT |
| Live Video | Live Video |
| Location | College Station, Texas |
Looking Ahead… Following the Texas A&M dual meet, SMU hosts North Texas on Jan. 31, a team they saw at the UNT Relays on Oct. 4, before gearing up for the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship Feb. 19-22. Continuing in championship fashion, the NCAA Zone Diving Championship (March 9-11) and NCAA Championship (March 20-22) close out the 2013-14 schedule. Select Mustangs will also make stops at the Austin (Jan. 17-19) and Mesa (April 24-26) Grand Prix events.
Top Times… Juniors Rachel Nicol and Isabella Arcila are making a splash on the national stage. Nicol’s times rank 16th-best in the nation in the 200 breast (2:10.02) and 21st in the 100 breast (1:00.51). Arcila is also in the top 50 in the 100 (43rd, 53.66) and 200 back (47th, 1:56.61).
Relay Success… SMU holds the top spot in The American Conference in three relays (200 free, 400 free and 400 medley). The Mustangs rank second, behind Louisville, in only the 800 free and 200 medley. On the national stage, the Ponies sit 10th in the 200 free, 13th in the 400 medley, 19th in the 200 medley, 20th in the 800 free and 21st in the 400 free.
Conference Ranks… The Mustangs hold 26 top-ten times in individual events this season. In the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free, SMU holds three of the top-10 performances. Junior Rachel Nicol owns the fastest times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, while classmate Isabella Arcila registers the top spot in the 200 backstroke.
American Standout… Isabella Arcila was named the American Athletic Conference Female Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 5. The Cali, Colombia, native led SMU at Rice on Nov. 1 with a record-setting performance in the 100-yard backstroke. Arcila finished in a time of 56.41 to break the previous record, which was set by fellow Mustang Therese Svendsen in 2011. Arcila also won the 200-yard backstroke (2:01.37) at the event and finished third in the 100-yard butterfly (57.88). To open the event, she contributed to a first place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a team that included juniors Rachel Nicol and Nicole Parmenter and freshman Ursa Bezan. At Houston on Nov. 2, the 200-yard freestyle relay team (Arcila, Monika Babok, Nathalie Lindborg and Nina Rangelova) picked up the top spot, clocking in at 1:34.84. For the second-straight event, Arcila was the victor in the 100-yard back (56.20), and added a second place finish in the 200-yard back (2:02.46).
Ranking The Competition… At the SMU Classic Oct. 18-19, the Mustangs faced four teams that were ranked in the top 25 of the final 2012-13 NCAA/CSCAA Rankings. USC (1), Indiana (13), North Carolina (15) and Louisville (16) were all present on the Hilltop. The Texas A&M Invite Nov. 21-23 featured the host Aggies, who were then-ranked No. 4, and then-No. 7 Stanford. When the Mustangs travel to College Station this weekend, Texas A&M will hold the No. 2 spot in the polls.
Looking Back… Georgia Diving Invite: On day one, freshman Lauren Lamb recorded a 191.40 in the preliminary round of the one-meter dive, while Margaret Lindsay recorded a 176.00. Day two featured the three-meter dive in which only Lamb competed. She scored a 201.15 for the Mustangs. On the final day, she recorded a 145.08 from the platform.
2012-13 Clash… During the 2012-13 season, the then-No. 16 Mustangs fell to then-No. 6 Texas A&M 153-103 at Perkins Natatorium. Nathalie Lindborg picked up huge points for SMU with her win in the 100-yard freestyle. The sophomore clocked in with a time of 51.05. Nina Rangelova earned a pair of runner-up honors in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles, as the junior recorded times of 1:49.46 and 4:57.88, respectively. Classmate Isabella Arcila also posted a pair of second-place finishes in the 100-yard backstroke (55.82) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:01.49). Rachel Nicol took second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.22. The sophomore followed up that performance with a silver medal finish in the 200-yard event, touching the wall in 2:17.40. Deanna Matthews claimed second in the 200-yard individual medley, swimming the event in 2:07.88
This release was provided to SwimSwam courtesy of SMU Swimming and Diving.