Liberty opened its 2014-15 swimming & diving season with a 140-121 victory over CCSA opponent Campbell, Friday at Johnson Natatorium.
The defending CCSA champion Lady Flames are now 4-2 all-time against the Fighting Camels, winning four meetings in a row.
Liberty won both relays, including a 1-2 sweep in the meet-ending 200 freestyle relay. The Lady Flames posted five individual event victories, compared to seven for Campbell.
Liberty sophomore Morgan Noonan pocketed a pair of wins, in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Classmate Victoria Tschoke won the 200 back, while senior Emily Duff took first in the 100 free and freshman Rachel Hoeve claimed the 200 free victory.
The Lady Flames took first and third in the 200 medley relay to begin the meet, with their A relay of freshmen Danielle Boothe, Prudence Rooker, Kendall Hart and Chelsea Pond clocking 1:49.47 for the win.
Campbell freshman Geena Squartino (10:30.15) edged Liberty’s Hannah Wakeley (10:30.57) to win the 1000 free.
Hoeve gave Liberty its first individual event win of the evening, swimming 1:56.09 to narrowly beat Campbell freshman Sindija Silina’s 1:56.17. Lady Flame senior Meghan Babcock took third in 1:57.26.
Junior Lily Tang gave Campbell the 100 back win, in 58.92. Liberty’s Natalie Chambers (1:01.63) and Natalie Beale (1:01.82) followed in second and third.
Noonan picked up her first of two victories, winning the 100 breaststroke with a 1:06.88 clocking. Rooker took second in 1:06.95, just behind Noonan.
Freshman Michelle Case swam 2:05.71, leading a 1-2 Campbell showing in the 200 fly. Liberty’s Wakeley placed third, in 2:10.47.
Campbell junior Erica Wamock narrowly defeated Liberty’s Pond, 25.24 to 25.29, to win the 50 free.
The trend of close races continued, as Duff beat Case by 0.24 of a second in the 100 free, 53.32 to 53.56. Lady Flames senior Chloe Thomas finished in third, at 53.62.
Tschoke out-touched Tang to win the 200 back, as Tschoke swam 2:06.12 and Tang went 2:06.39. Beale clocked a 2:13.10 for third place.
Noonan and Rooker took first and second in the 200 breaststroke, with Noonan clocking 2:21.40 and Rooker posting a time of 2:24.30.
Squartino won the 500 free in 5:10.16, while Liberty’s Hoeve placed third, in 5:18.28.
Campbell’s Caroline Clark won the 100 fly with a time of 58.24, edging teammate Case (58.49) and Liberty’s Kendall Hough (58.64) and Kendall Hart (58.78).
Silina defeated Tschoke by just 0.02 of a second in the 200 individual medley, 2:10.38 to 2:10.40.
The Lady Flames wrapped up the meet with a 1-2 showing in the 200 free relay. Liberty’s A relay of Rooker, Hoeve, Hart and Babcock went 1:37.17.
Following Friday's meet, Liberty will embark on its first West Coast trip, to Corvallis, Ore., for a tri-meet against the PAC-12’s Oregon State Beavers and Seattle on Oct. 10.
