Lobos Honor Seven on Senior Day
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s swimming and diving team took on rival New Mexico State University Aggies in the pool on Saturday, ultimately falling by a score of 161-81.
New Mexico honored their seven graduating seniors in a ceremony before the meet began, to recognize what became their final home meet at the Seidler Natatorium on Saturday. Layni Andrle, Jordan Foster, Linda Franco, Asiana Lee, Paige Lyons, Katy McCarter and Brynn Quintana were all honored during the ceremony. The meet was the regular season finale for both the Lobos and the Aggies.
The Lobos won three swimming events in the meet, with the first coming in the 100-yard freestyle event, courtesy of a strong swim from freshman Arianna Stokes (50.94). Sophomore Sophia Corder narrowly won the 100-yard butterfly event (56.32), out-touching the quickest Aggie by just over a half of a second.
New Mexico’s other swimming event victory came in the final event of the meet, which saw the Lobos’ ‘A’ relay placing first in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:33.78). Stokes, Franco, Foster, and McCarter made up the victorious relay.
The Lobos also recorded four second-place finishes in the meet. The team’s ‘A’ relay finished runner-up in the 200-yard medley relay (1:43.66), which saw McCarter, freshman Emily Ford, Foster, and Stokes narrowly finishing behind the Aggies’ top relay. Moments later, freshman Ellie Broughton placed second in the 1,000-yard freestyle event (10:21.11). McCarter finished second in the 100-yard backstroke event (57.28), her top individual finish in her final home meet of her career. The Lobos’ only other second-place finish of the meet came in Franco’s best finish of her final meet as well, taking second in the 50-yard freestyle (24.13).
In the diving end of the pool, the Lobos came away with a split, winning off the 1-meter board and coming in second in the 3-meter event. Junior Isabella Gomez placed first in the 1-meter event (276.53) and second in the 3-meter event (277.05). Sophomore Alice English placed second off the 1-meter board, scoring 270.08 points in the event to qualify herself for the upcoming diving Zone Meet. English also placed third in the 3-meter event (275.33).
New Mexico will return to competition in the pool again for the Mountain West Championships meet from February 19-22, in Houston.