Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Vanderbilt
Thundering Herd Drops Tight Contest to Commodores
11/30/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Thursday's Final Results (PDF)
Thursday's Diving Results (PDF)
NASHVILLE, Tn. -- Marshall Swimming and Diving took SEC member Vanderbilt University down to the last relay in dual meet action but fell 103-102 Wednesday evening in Nashville.
In the first event of the meet, Marshall put up a season-best time in the 200 Medley Relay but was no match for the Commodores, who took first and second. Marshall lost the second event after a battle down to the wire. Angelica di Marzio also swam a season-best but was out-touched by two tenths of a second by Vanderbilt's Selah Peacock.
The Herd then fought back with the first of three victories on the night by Catherine Bendziewicz. She dominated the 200 Free, winning by almost two seconds in 1:52.24. The 50 Free was another tight finish, with Vanderbilt's Breanna Sapienza slipping past Marshall's Lauren Cowher by twelve hundredths of a second. Marshall then bounced right back with a 1-2 finish in the 200 IM by Emma Lockyer and Caroline Wanner to cut the deficit to nine points at the first break.
After a win by Vanderbilt in the 100 Fly, Marshall swimmers swept the 100 Freestyle. Bendziewicz won in a 51.29, just off her career-best. Maggie Stovall and Darby Coles completed the sweep. The Commodores came back with a win in the 100 Backstroke before Marshall completed a 1-2 finish in the 500 Freestyle, this time by Anna Lynch and Wanner. At the second period break, Marshall trailed by only one point.
Coming out of the break, the Herd used Bendziewicz's third win to take its first lead at 96-92, setting up a winner takes all 200 Freestyle Relay. In that last event, Marshall posted a season-best time but Vanderbilt slipped by the Herd by only 45 hundredths of a second to win the relay and the meet.
"What a meet," said Marshall head coach Bill Tramel. "I told the team going into the last two events that this is what college swimming is all about. There were so many close races today. Every swimmer counted. I'm really impressed with our team's response coming out of the first period break. The 100 Freestyle sweep turned the meet and put us in position to win."
"While it's difficult to swallow a one-point loss, we had 31 season-best times tonight," Tramel said. "Once again, we succeeded in improving with each new opportunity. We'll head to Knoxville and have a great opportunity to race more Power 5 competition at the Tennessee Invite. I know we'll be great this weekend and have a lot of fun swimming fast and diving fantastic."
The Tennessee Invitational will be contested Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Knoxville.
Players Mentioned
