ATHENS, Ga. — The LSU women’s 200 medley relay team of Lindsay Staak, Lauren Harvey, Heather Brand and Colleen Bertirotti shattered the school record in the event and in the process improved their NCAA Championship chances to highlight the Tigers’ performance at the Bulldog Invitational held in Athens this past weekend.
The group swam a time of 1:42.15, led by Bertirotti who sprinted to the finish with her final mark of 22.35. Staak was a part of the old school record, which was set in 2002.
Brand, Bertirotti and Miko Malberg achieved what they set out to do this weekend, improving their individual NCAA Championship chances with career-high “B” cut times.
“The Last Chance” meet was the final opportunity for any swimmers with NCAA bubble times to improve their times and qualify before the championships begin next month.
Malberg, a native of Tallinn, Germany, became the first LSU men’s swimmer in eight years to record a 50 freestyle time in the 19-second range. The outstanding freshman swam the fifth-best time in school history (19.95) in the prelims and then won the event outright with a time of 20.12 in the finals.
Malberg entered the meet with an NCAA bubble time of 20.06, recorded at the SEC Championships. His impressive sprint this weekend improved his chances of a quality seed at the Men’s NCAA Championships, which get underway on March 24.
Bertirotti, the holder of the third-fastest time in school history in the women’s 50 free, delivered a career-fast swim in her time trial (23.27).
Brand entered the meet with a bubble time of 54.67 in the 100 butterfly, but the junior upped her mark to 54.54 in a time trial swim.
Freshman Kevin Braud won the 200 backstroke with another “B” cut swim of 1:46.58.
LSU returns to action with the Tiger divers taking centerstage at the NCAA Zone B Diving Regionals, held March 11-13 in Atlanta, Ga.