Liberty posted seven event victories and broke one Savage Natatorium pool record on Saturday, but the host James Madison Dukes claimed the victory over the Lady Flames, 212-139.
James Madison improves to 5-3 on the season, extending its winning streak to four meets. The Dukes also evened the season series, 1-1, as the Lady Flames defeated JMU, 194-155, on Oct. 18, 2014 at the Virginia Tech Swimming and Diving Challenge. Liberty, which now holds an 8-4 record on the campaign, is 2-1 all-time against James Madison.
The Lady Flames won the 200 free relay in a pool-record time, 1:35.03. Senior Meghan Babcock (50 free), freshman Kendall Hart (100 fly), junior Kendall Hough (100 free), freshman Prudence Rooker (200 individual medley), sophomore Victoria Tschoke (200 back) and junior Kristin VanDeventer all posted one individual event win apiece.
Freshman Madi Long set Liberty’s program record in the 3-meter springboard diving event, placing fourth with 201 points. She later recorded a season-best score of 212.78 to place fourth in the 3-meter springboard.
Liberty won the meet-ending 200 freestyle relay, as the quartet of Hough, freshman Rachel Hoeve, senior Cori Gary and Babcock swam 1:35.03 to break the pool record by 1.03 seconds.
VanDeventer earned the Lady Flames’ first win of the day, touching the wall first in the 1000 free in 10:26.46. Liberty freshman Sarah Browning placed second with a season-best time of 10:27.63, 0.28 ahead of JMU’s Claire Adkins.
Babcock later swam 24.00 to claim the 50 free victory. Hough (24.13) and Gary (24.58) followed in third and fourth, respectively.
Rooker won the 200 IM for the third dual meet in a row, swimming 2:06.23. Classmate Rachel Wasko clocked a season-best 2:10.85 for fourth place.
Hough posted her third 100 free victory of the season, winning in 51.97, just ahead of Babcock (52.05). Gary finished fourth with a time of 52.66.
Tschoke’s winning 200 back swim of 2:03.96 outpaced the closest competitor by 1.52 seconds. Duff placed fourth, in 2:05.72.
Hart gave Liberty its sixth event victory of the day by swimming 57.23 to take first in the 100 fly. Junior Ranndi Grubbs swam 1:00.00, good for a fourth-place finish.
Tschoke and Duff went 2-3 in the 100 back, with Tschoke clocking 57.36 and Duff finishing in 57.87.
Junior Hannah Wakeley swam 2:06.83 to claim second in the 200 fly.
VanDeventer picked up a second-place finish in the 500 free with a season-best 5:06.39, as JMU’s Aimee Hooper edged her out, in 5:06.16.
Browning earned her second runner-up finish of the day by clocking 4:39.31 in the 400 IM. Duff followed in fourth, at 4:40.38.
Liberty’s A 200 medley relay of Hough, Rooker, Hart and Babcock swam a season-best 1:44.50, just .08 behind James Madison’s winning time of 1:44.42.
James Madison also won the 400 free relay, in 3:28.48, while the Liberty group of Hough, Hoeve, Gary and Babcock swam 3:29.62 for second.
The Dukes claimed the 400 medley relay in 3:52.04, with Liberty’s A relay (Duff, Rooker, Hart, Babcock) taking second at 3:52.60.
Rooker took third in both the 100 breaststroke (1:06.89) and 200 breaststroke (2:23.45).
James Madison went 1-2-3 in the 200 free, and Liberty’s Duff placed fourth, in 1:54.53.
Liberty will next compete in a pair of meets at UNCW, Jan. 30 and 31. The Lady Flames will participate in the UNCW Tri Meet on Jan. 30 before concluding their dual-meet schedule, Jan. 31 at the UNCW Quad Meet.
