Courtesy: Texas A&M Athletics
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M women’s swimming & diving team will compete in its first dual meet of the year on Friday, Oct. 23 against the Rice Owls at the Student Rec Center Natatorium. The swimming-only meet is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. and is not open to the public.
The Maroon & White closed out the 2019-20 season on an unexpected note due to the cancellation of the NCAA Championships just days before the event was set to take place. The Aggies had a challenging post season with the loss of three-time SEC Champion Anna Belousova, who only competed in one event due to a back injury, and eventually finished sixth.
Five-time All-American, Jing Wen Quah returns for her final season after setting two personal records at the 2020 SEC Championships in the 200 and 400 IM, and was scheduled to compete at the NCAA Championships in three events (200 Fly, 200 IM, 400 IM). Quah is the only individual SEC Champion on the current roster. Her A&M career got off to a strong start in 2018 when she claimed first in the 200 Fly at her first SEC Championships.
Kara Eisenmann, Taylor Pike and Camryn Toney will serve as the team’s swimming captains this year. Eisenmann set personal bests in the 100 fly (52.67), 100 back (53.04) and 200 back (1:54.97), earning NCAA B-cut times in all of those events at the SEC Championships. Pike is a three-time All-American and has qualified for NCAAs in each of her previous three seasons in Aggieland. Toney earned a pair of B-cut times at SEC Championships, setting a personal best in the 200 IM (1:57.76) and recording a time of 4:09.21 in the 400 IM.
Back on the boards this season for the Aggies is senior diving captain Charlye Campbell, who qualified for NCAAs in both springboard events last year for the first time in her career. Also returning is Alyssa Clairmont who advanced to the finals in the platform dive during the SEC Championships and earned a fourth-place finish with a score of 256.20 in her postseason debut.
The Aggies have put together one of their largest freshman classes as they added 14 freshmen to the squad in the offseason, as well as two transfers. In the pool, A&M has added Abigail Ahrens, Oda Borgstrom, Evelyn Bruner, JoJo Daspit, Jade Hallum, Bobbi Kennett, Charlotte Longbottom, Desirae Mangaoang, Emme Nelson, Alaya Smith, Chloe Stepanek, Sarah Szklaruk Traipe, Olivia Theall and Danielle Hepler, while divers Payton Props and Aimee Wilson have also joined the team.
The two teams competed last season at the Rice Competition Pool during A&M’s first road trip of the year. The Maroon & White finished out strong and brought home their 15th consecutive win over the Owls. Junior Emma Carlton had a strong performance earning three first-place finishes on the day.
Live results for the meet can be found here. For updates and results, follow along on Twitter @aggieswimdive.