FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The LSU women’s swimming and diving team dropped its second Southeastern Conference meet in a row on Saturday with a 161-139 loss to Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.
“This was a tough loss for us today,” said LSU head coach Jeff Cavana. “I have to give a lot of credit to Arkansas, they have improved tremendously, and today they just had too much depth for us in certain events.”
The Lady Tigers fell to a 3-2 overall record on the season and an 0-2 mark in SEC play, while Arkansas improved to a 3-2 record on the season and stands at 1-0 versus conference opponents.
With the victory, the Lady Razorbacks knotched their only win over LSU at home in Fayetteville in the 13-year rivalry between the two schools. Arkansas also broke an eight-season losing streak versus the Lady Tigers. The Lady Razorbacks’ previous win against LSU was recorded in 1992.
Last week, the Lady Tigers lost their SEC-season opener to Alabama, 173-123, at home in Baton Rouge. LSU’s two recent losses versus Alabama and Arkansas represent the first two-meet losing streak versus conference opponents since the 1993 season.
In 1993, the Lady Tigers dropped three-SEC meets in a row. They were defeated by Florida, 173-68, Tennessee, 137-104, and Auburn, 133-96. LSU finished the season with an 11-5 overall record and as the 13th-ranked team in the nation.
“Losing two-meets in a row is always hard to take,” Cavana said. “But in 1993 we did it, and ended up with one of our best rankings of all time. So, we just have to work hard, get this past us, and concentrate on the rest of the season.”
In a losing effort, the Lady Tigers’ Mandy Leach, Donna Leslie, Jaime Watkins, and Lindsey Mooney each won at least two events.
LSU’s Leach was victorious in all three of her swimming events. She dominated the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyle competitions. Leach recorded a time of 24.18 in the 50-free, a 51.49 in the 100-free, and a 1:50.65 in the 200-free.
Watkins, the Lady Tigers’ NCAA one-meter diving champion, handily defeated her Arkansas counterparts in both the one and threemeter springboard events. She scored 278.10 in the three-meter and 321.83 in the one meter. “We’ve been getting great production from our girls in the freestyle, diving, and backstroke events,” said Cavana. “But our lack of depth in the other events is really hurting us right now. We need some other swimmers to step up and get us some points.”
Mooney, the Lady Tigers’ captain, placed first in the 200-yard backstroke and the 400-individual medley events. She won the 200-backstroke easily with a time of 2:09.26, but barely squeaked by Arkansas’ Genny McNeill in the 400-IM. Mooney finished with a time of 4:31.66 and McNeill touched in right behind her at 4:31.83.
The LSU swimming and diving teams will next be in action Thurday, Nov. 16, as they compete in the Nike Cup Invitational being held in Chapel Hill, N.C.