FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico women’s swimming and diving team lost to Northern Arizona University on Saturday with a final score of 167.5-132.5, snapping their three-dual meet win streak. The Lobos had eight wins on the day and 19 top-three finishes in 16 events.
Junior Adriana Palomino continued her strong form after being named Mountain West Swimmer of the Week last week, winning her 11th straight individual event. Palomino won the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.43), the 500-yard freestyle (5:00.46) and the 1000-yard freestyle (10:22.12) while also winning the 400-yard freestyle relay along with sophomore Talia Passarelli, junior Konoha Shinada and senior Madison Burns.
Shinada was the only other Lobo to win multiple events on the day, as she won the 50-yard free (23.49) and the 100-yard butterfly (55.44). Along with her win in the 400-yard freestyle relay, Shinada also placed second in the 200-yard medley relay alongside Burns and juniors Carol De Groote Tavares and Raevin Teran-Richardson (1:45.67).
Both De Groote Tavares and Teran-Richardson also came away with individual wins, with De Groote Tavares topping the 200-yard backstroke (2:03.17) and taking second in the 100-yard backstroke (57.52) and Teran-Richardson taking home the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.01).
Four UNM swimmers walked away with top-three individual finishes, including Madison Burns, freshman Matea Sumajstorcic, sophomore Asami Terada and junior Emily Huffer. Burns captured two top-threes in the 50-yard freestyle (third, 23.81) and the 100-yard freestyle (second, 52.45). Sumajstorcic and Terada also finished with two top-three finishes apiece, with Sumajstorcic taking third in the 200-yard freestyle (1:55.13) and taking second in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.24), while Terada got her podium finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke (third, 1:07.16) and the 200-yard breaststroke (second, 2:24.40). Huffer finished third in the 200-yard butterfly (2:08.60), and the Lobos’ final top-three was in the 400-yard freestyle relay, where Terada and freshmen Sumajstorcic, Klara Farkas and Brooke Zukowski took third (3:37.96).
“I think we raced tough and I think we raced hard,” UNM head swimming coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker said. “We won some close races and we lost some close races. In the end, we swam against a well-prepared and a well-coached NAU team. They came out on top, but it was a good meet for both teams.”
The Lobo diving team was led by sophomore Natasha Dark. Dark was the team’s highest finisher in the one-meter dive, finishing fourth with a 266.78, while also placing second in the three-meter dive with a 284.78. Junior Allyson Concepcion also placed in the top-three of the three-meter dive, finishing third with a 278.48.
Sophomore Valencia McDonald also walked away with a personal record on the the three-meter dive, scoring a 258.75, beating her record from earlier in the season.
“I was extremely proud of our team this weekend. We came a day early to train some tower, and the whole team stepped up to the plate. Freshman Hannah Tiendas got a dive off on the 10-meter, and that really revived the team and got them excited,” UNM diving coach Julie Weddle said. “It was a great meet overall. Natasha Dark made Zone Cut on both of her events. Ally got third and just missed zone cut off of the high board. Valencia McDonald set a new personal record on the high board with a 258.75. I was impressed with all of them. We showed some great positives.
“NAU is one of our favorite teams to compete against. They are always very welcoming, and Coach Nikki and I are similar in a lot of ways. It really was a great atmosphere, and once again, I’m really proud of our team.”
The Lobo swimming team will be back in the pool Nov. 16 for the first day of the Houston Invitational, which runs through Nov. 18. The diving team will be back in Flagstaff that same weekend, as the NAU Diving Invitational will be held Nov. 17-19.
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