FORT WORTH, Texas — The LSU swimming and diving teams fought hard, putting together the best swims of the season, but TCU earned wins in the final two events of the meet to hold off the visiting Tigers, 127-110 and 124-119, here Friday afternoon at the University Recreation Center.
The LSU women (1-5) held a small lead of 115-111 going into the final event of the day, the 200 freestyle relay. TCU’s “A” team narrowly defeated the Tigers’ team of Lindsay Staak, Heather Brand, Bethany Cottingham and Mallory Neltner with a time of 1:35.48 in the decisive event to overtake the lead and win by five points.
The LSU men (0-5) had the opposite task, trying to overtake the 114-106 advantage the Horned Frogs carried into the final men’s event. Again, it was the home squad who got the swim they needed, winning the 200 free relay with a time of 1:24.90. LSU’s “A” team of Jared Strecker, Eddie Kenney, Christian Clausen and Justin Boyes touched the wall nearly a second later at 1:25.72. TCU escaped with a 17-point victory but one that was fought to the end.
Events began with the women’s and men’s 200 medley relay, and it was LSU who jumped out to an early lead with several impressive swims. The women’s “A” team of Staak, Lauren Harvey, Brand and Colleen Bertirotti handily defeated TCU’s “A” squad with a time of 1:45.33 in the event.
The men’s team of Strecker, Clausen, Ryan Cochran and Miko Malberg answered with a win of their own, swimming past TCU with a mark of 1:32.50 in the men’s 200 medley relay.
The Tigers got their first individual win in the women’s 200 freestyle thanks to Harvey. The senior held off TCU’s Karen Sandifer, taking first-place with a time of 1:53.31.
Malberg added to LSU’s tally when the freshman delivered the best performance of his career. He dashed past TCU to win the men’s 50 freestyle (20.86) and later won the 100 free (46.10).
The LSU men also got individual wins from Clausen in the 200 breaststroke (2:05.82) and Boyes in the 200 individual medley (1:55.82).
Senior Margot Gathings stepped up the challenge and earned first place in the 200 butterfly (2:07.73) over TCU’s Keleight Wentworth.
Closing out the Tigers’ individual swimming victories was Bertirotti, who won the 100 free with a time of 52.03.
In diving, LSU continued its torrid pace taking victories in three of the four diving events. Freshman Niko Dalman collected the first individual victory of his career in the men’s 3-meter. Dalman won with a score of 331.05, while teammate Andrew Keane took second with a mark of 304.20.
Dalman also finished runner-up in the men’s 1-meter with a score of 291.38.
Jessica Wantz continued to add to her accolades on Friday, sweeping both women’s diving events for the third consecutive meet. Wantz, who was named SEC Diver of the Week for her performances last weekend at Kentucky and Tennessee, has now won six straight events.
She captured the 1-meter with a score of 318.05, while teammate Hali Saucier followed right behind her with a mark of 282.68. Later, Wantz took first place in the 3-meter with a score of 330.68. LSU earned the first three places in the women’s 3-meter with Wantz’ victory and second and third-place finishes by Saucier and Paige Brown.
LSU closes its dual-meet road schedule at Texas A&M on Saturday at noon.