| Date & Start Time | Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 21-23, 2013 |
| Live Video | Live Video |
| Location | College Station, Texas |
Looking Ahead…
Following the Texas A&M Invite, USA Diving Nationals is the last event scheduled for 2013 (Dec. 17-22).
To start 2014, SMU divers are back in action at the Georgia Diving Invite (Jan. 3-5), and the swimmers take to the pool at Texas A&M (Jan. 11). On Jan. 31, the Ponies host North Texas, a team they saw at the UNT Relays on Oct. 4, before gearing up for the inaugural American Athletic Conference Qualification Feb. 19-22. Continuing in championship fashion, the NCAA Zone Diving Championships (March 9-11) and NCAA Championships (March 20-22) close out the 2013-14 schedule.
SMU Head Swimming Coach Steve Collins (Courtesy of SMU)
Ponies In The Rankings…
SMU is receiving votes in the latest version of the NCAA/CSCAA rankings. The Mustangs started the season with a third place finish at the UNT Relays, followed by a fifth place performance at the SMU Classic. Most recently, the team dropped a pair of dual meets at Rice and Houston.
Top Times…
Juniors Isabella Arcila and Rachel Nicol are making waves on the national stage combining for six top-20 national times. Nicol, who once held the top spot in the country in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:10.02, now holds the second spot. She is also fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:00.87. Arcila has a pair of top-10 performances as she sits eighth in the 100-yard back (53.89) and ninth in the 50-yard freestyle (22.78). Her other top times include a 1:56.61 in the 200-back (11th) and a 49.87 in the 100-free (18th).
American Standout…
Isabella Arcila was named the American Athletic Conference Female Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 5. The Cali, Colombia, native led SMU at Rice on Friday evening with a record-setting performance in the 100-yard backstroke. Arcila finished in a time of 56.41 to break the previous record, which was set by fellow Mustang Therese Svendsen in 2011.
Arcila also won the 200-yard backstroke (2:01.37) at the event and finished third in the 100-yard butterfly (57.88). To open the event, she contributed to a first place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a team that included juniors Rachel Nicol and Nicole Parmenter and freshman Ursa Bezan.
At Houston, the 200-yard freestyle relay team (Arcila, Monika Babok, Nathalie Lindborg and Nina Rangelova) picked up the top spot, clocking in at 1:34.84. For the second-straight event, Arcila was the victor in the 100-yard back (56.20), and added a second place finish in the 200-yard back (2:02.46).
Ranking The Competition…
Based on the 2012-13 final NCAA/CSCAA rankings, the Mustangs have already faced four top-25 teams this season. USC (1), Indiana (13), North Carolina (15) and Louisville (16) were all present at the SMU Classic. The Ponies, who were receiving votes in the latest edition of the CSCAA rankings, are slated to see numerous top-25 teams during the 2013-14 season.
SMU also clashes with No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 7 Stanford as part of the Texas A&M Invite.
Art Adamson Invite List…
The Ponies are set to face No. 7 Stanford, Texas A&M, LSU, TCU and Air Force at this weekend’s Art Adamson Invite at Texas A&M in College Station. In dual meets during the 2012-13 season, SMU split with Texas A&M and TCU. On Oct. 26, 2012, the Mustangs fell 153-103 to the Aggies, but defeated the Horned Frogs, 153-86, on Jan. 23, 2013.
Looking Back…
SMU at Rice: Junior Isabella Arcila set the pool record in the 100-yard backstroke as SMU fell, 151-129.
The Cali, Colombia, native finished the event in a time of 56.41, which bested former Mustang Therese Svendsen, for the victory. Arcila also picked up the win in the 200-yard back narrowly out reaching her Owl opponent in 2:01.37, and finished third in the 100-yard butterfly at 57.88.
Senior Nina Rangelova and junior Rachel Nicol also turned in impressive performances for SMU, as the pair combined for five top finishes on the night. Rangelova swept the 50-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, while Nicol picked up wins in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke.
In the relays, SMU outswam four teams for first place in the 200-yard medley. Arcila, Nicol, Bezan and junior Nicole Parmenter clocked in at 1:45.81. To close out the evening, Rangelova, Parmenter, Lindborg and senior Monika Babok finished as the runner-ups in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:29.90).
SMU at Houston: SMU picked up 11 first place finishes, but fell to American Athletic Conference opponent Houston, 158-141.
The Mustangs started and finished the event with a pair of relay victories as senior Monika Babok and juniors Nicole Parmenter, Rachel Nicol and Nathalie Lindborg clocked in at 1:45.44 in the 200-yard medley relay, and Babok, Lindborg, senior Nina Rangelova and junior Isabella Arcila touched the wall in a time of 1:34.84 in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
With wins in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events, Nicol continued to prove why she is a standout performer in the event with finishes of 1:04.98 and 2:19.63. Her time in the 200 was nearly nine seconds faster than her closest competitor. Nicol also finished second in the 200-yard IM in a time of 2:09.36.
Finishing just ahead of Nicol in the 200-IM was senior Deanna Matthews (2:07.25). The Edmonton, Alberta, native also finished the 200-yard backstroke in 2:02.25 for the win and placed third in the 100-back. Just behind Matthews in the 200-back was Arcila, who was second in a time of 2:02.46. Arcila also won the 100-yard backstroke for the second-straight day, after setting the pool record in the Mustangs’ meet at Rice on Friday.
In addition to their contributions in the relays, Nathalie Lindborg and Rangelova also combined for four first place finishes. Lindborg had a dominant individual performance winning the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events in 23.95 and 51.40, respectively, while Rangelova won the 200-yard freestyle (1:50.38) and 500-yard freestyle (4:59.16).
This release was provided to SwimSwam courtesy of SMU Swimming and Diving.