We traveled to the DFW metroplex this past Friday morning in order to attend the TU Southwestern Shootout Invitational, an event we invented a bunch of years ago to give us a good competitive meet just before Thanksgiving. This year, we hosted eleven schools representing six different states at the Carroll ISD Natatorium in Southlake, TX. Coach Bill Christensen (North Texas Nadadores) served as meet director, and again did an outstanding job coordinating all facets of the meet.
We swam pretty well. Not great, but a pretty solid collection of performances after several weeks of hard training. Our women took top team honors, outscoring Mesa State, Grand Canyon University, and Centenary by a 814.5 - 740.5 - 673.5 - 601.5 margin. Mesa State took the men's meet, by outgunning Centenary, Trinity, and Grand Canyon to the tune of 827 - 796 - 582 - 572.5.
We swam pretty well. Not great, but a pretty solid collection of performances after several weeks of hard training. Our women took top team honors, outscoring Mesa State, Grand Canyon University, and Centenary by a 814.5 - 740.5 - 673.5 - 601.5 margin. Mesa State took the men's meet, by outgunning Centenary, Trinity, and Grand Canyon to the tune of 827 - 796 - 582 - 572.5.
FY Melanie Gustafson had another good weekend of racing. She recorded a 5:19.22 in the 500, putting her in the runner-up spot on the SCAC best times list. Her 4:50.15 in the 400 IM is the SCAC's 4th best performance, while her evenly paced 18:29.73 in the mile has her the current SCAC runner-up there. Meghan Varner and Morgan Briggs hit several season PRs, with Varner now in the three spot among conference 500 competitors and Briggs jumping to 5th in the SCAC in the 200 breaststroke. Jennifer Ince keeps dropping time in the backstroke events. Rachel Berude posted several good freestyle times, and Lisa Tucci is looking and racing better with each passing week. Not to be overlooked, Ana Price hit a 25.35 in the 50 freestyle and is now on the top of the SCAC leaderboard in the short sprint. More training will hopefully help everybody keep getting better.
Our divers performed quite well both days and on both boards. Competing against both NCAA Division I and II athletes, All-American Hayley Emerick won both the 1-meter six dive and the 1-meter 11 dive events, both with NCAA entry scores (273.65 and 464.85 points). Katie Sheldon and Ruth Hahn finished 2 - 3 in the 1-meter eleven dive contest, each hitting the NCAA entry point total in the process. Ruth finished runner-up to Mary Beth Gesse of North Texas in the 3-meter six dive event, and then edged by Hayley (457.1 to 440.0) to win the 3-meter eleven dive competition. The scores put both on the NCAA entry list.
Our divers performed quite well both days and on both boards. Competing against both NCAA Division I and II athletes, All-American Hayley Emerick won both the 1-meter six dive and the 1-meter 11 dive events, both with NCAA entry scores (273.65 and 464.85 points). Katie Sheldon and Ruth Hahn finished 2 - 3 in the 1-meter eleven dive contest, each hitting the NCAA entry point total in the process. Ruth finished runner-up to Mary Beth Gesse of North Texas in the 3-meter six dive event, and then edged by Hayley (457.1 to 440.0) to win the 3-meter eleven dive competition. The scores put both on the NCAA entry list.
Most of our men competed with a lot of pizazz, and some had top 5 finishes in several of their races. FY Lucas Belury came to race, and was the sole TU event winner for the weekend. After posting good times in the 500 and 400 IM, he got disqualified in the 200 fly after posting a 1:57.77 (which would have ranked him 3rd in the SCAC top times chart). To his credit, he came back an hour later with a 16:26.38 in the 1650 freestyle to win the event. He had to reel in team-mates Alex Miranda (16:33.01) and Andrew Battles (16:38.19) over the last 700 yards of the race, no easy feat as Alex is the SCAC 500 freestyle record holder and Battles holds the best-ever SCAC mile time. Mirand, Battles, and Belury went 2 - 3 - 4 in the Southwestern Shootout 500, posting the season's top 3 conference times in that event (4:46.00, 4:46.38, and 4:47.61). Miranda was runner-up in the 400 IM (4:13.21), Battles hit 1:59.10 in the 200 backstroke, and Aaron Shaver had improved performances in his freestyle races (22.39, 49.39, and 1:48.91). Sophomore Sean Fronczak had his best meet of the fall, finishing 3rd in the 200 IM (1:57.87) and 3rd in the 200 backstroke (1:57.23). Those put him at the top of the SCAC leaderboard in both of those events.
Andrew Snead and Richard Hawley led the TU men's diving team this weekend, finishing 3 - 5 in the 1-meter six dive and 3 - 4 in the 1-meter eleven dive events. They scored out the same in the men's 3-meter six dive and the 3-meter eleven dive contests, tallying 391.55 and 329.35 points in the latter event. Coach Randall had an interesting observation about the team's diving over the weekend. "We were awful in the warm-up and then dove great in the meet. I like that better than the reverse. By the end of the season, we want to dive great both ways!"
-Coach Ryan
Images:
#1 Leigh-Anne Ladymon prepares to anchor the 400 FR Relay.
#2 Senior swimmers Kristen Zinser, Leigh-Anne Ladymon, Sara Griffis and Mary West before the last session of the night.
#3 A few of the mile swimmers from left to right: Michael Brew, Lucas Belury (Event Winner), and Andrew Battles.
#1 Leigh-Anne Ladymon prepares to anchor the 400 FR Relay.
#2 Senior swimmers Kristen Zinser, Leigh-Anne Ladymon, Sara Griffis and Mary West before the last session of the night.
#3 A few of the mile swimmers from left to right: Michael Brew, Lucas Belury (Event Winner), and Andrew Battles.
FY Swimmers Meghan Varner, Lucas Belury, and Marisa Olmo. Leigh-Anne Ladymon and Mary Price make sure to jump in the picture too!
Junior Eric Bassett preparing for his exchange on the men's "B" 400 FR Relay.
CJ Robison preparing to anchor the men's "A" 400 FR Relay!
Sean Fronzcak and CJ Robison celebrating after the 400 FR Relay.
It's high fives all around with FY Meghan Varner!
CJ Robison pictured with Mary West after swimming the anchor leg in the men's "A" 400 FR Relay.
Junior Eric Bassett preparing for his exchange on the men's "B" 400 FR Relay. CJ Robison preparing to anchor the men's "A" 400 FR Relay! Sean Fronzcak and CJ Robison celebrating after the 400 FR Relay. It's high fives all around with FY Meghan Varner! 
CJ Robison pictured with Mary West after swimming the anchor leg in the men's "A" 400 FR Relay. 
Seniors Kristen Zinser and Mary West before warm-up Saturday night, both ready to compete!
Swimmers and divers catching some zzz's in between events. (From l to r: Andrew Snead, Hayley Emerick, and Eric Bassett)
Leigh-Anne Ladymon and Mary West, swimming buddies :)
Andrew Battles and Michael Brew, psyching up for the mile that night.
Leigh-Anne Ladymon and Mary West, swimming buddies :) 
Andrew Battles and Michael Brew, psyching up for the mile that night.
Michael Brew, Lucas Belury, and Andrew Battles, a few of our toughest milers!
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