Liberty and James Madison, both conference runners-up in 2015, competed in a tightly-contested dual meet on Saturday at Savage Natatorium. The host Dukes narrowly edged the Lady Flames, 155-145.
With the win, James Madison improves to 2-0 on the season, while evening the all-time series against Liberty, 2-2. Liberty (5-3), who wrapped up the dual-meet portion of its fall schedule, had won four straight dual meets prior to Saturday’s result.
The meet could not get much closer, as the teams evenly split the events, winning eight events each (seven individual, one relay).
For the second meet in a row, Liberty’s Kendall Hough won two events, claiming the 100 back and 100 free. Prudence Rooker won the 200 breaststroke and 200 IM, while Kristin VanDeventer (1000 free), Victoria Tschoke (200 back) and Alicia Finnigan (100 fly) earned one event victory each.
Courtney Fox set a new program record in three-meter diving on Saturday, with her score of 222.25 breaking her sister, Brooke’s record of 212.10.
The Lady Flames opened the meet with victory in the 200 medley relay, as Tschoke, Rooker, Hough and Rachel Hoeve clocked 1:45.32.
Hough swam a season-best 56.61 to lead a 1-2 Liberty finish in the 100 back, with Tschoke taking second in 57.13. Hough later won the 100 free in 52.16, out-touching JMU’s Camilla Czulada by .01. Hoeve’s season-best 53.21 was good for third and Chelsea Pond (53.52) finished fourth.
Rooker claimed the 200 breaststroke victory with a season-best 2:22.45 clocking, and Anna Dickinson (season-best 2:23.50) finished fourth. During the final individual event of the afternoon, Rooker won the 200 IM with a time of 2:06.52. Tschoke earned third in 2:08.56.
VanDeventer earned her third 1000 free victory of the season, swimming her best time so far this season, 10:26.08. Sarah Browning placed third in a season-best 10:31.97, while Hannah Wakeley finished fourth in 10:41.21.
Tschoke won the 200 back for the third time this year, swimming 2:04.51. Natalie Beale came in third with a season-best 2:06.29.
Finnigan touched the wall first in 57.00 in the 100 fly, while Beale’s season-best 58.16 placed third.
Fox’s record-breaking three-meter dive (222.25) placed fourth, while Madi Long (182.85) placed fifth. Long earned fourth in one-meter diving with a score of 188.50, while Fox scored 166.55 for fifth place.
Liberty’s 400 free relay team of Ashlee Sall, Hoeve, Finnigan and Pond clocked 3:31.03 during a runner-up showing.
Rooker added a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke to her pair of victories, swimming 1:05.59. Dickinson finished just behind Rooker, in 1:06.79.
Hoeve finished second in the 50 free in a season-best 24.11, while Hough took third with a 24.22 clocking.
Wakeley (2:09.56) and Finnigan (2:10.18) claimed second and third, respectively, in the 200 fly.
VanDeventer swam 5:06.94 for a second-place showing in the 500 free.
Finnigan clocked a season-best 1:54.56 to place third in the 200 free, while Elizabeth Magnusson earned fourth in 1:55.70.
Liberty’s next meet will take place over a month from now, as the Lady Flames are scheduled to compete at the Rutgers Invitational from Nov. 19-22.
