SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College swim teams performed well at the Austin College Invitational on Saturday in Hannah Natatorium, with the men taking second place while the women placed third in the three team event that also featured Centenary College and the University of the Ozarks.
The 'Roo women totaled 421 points in the meet, while the men scored 325. Chloe Hunt, Samantha Thiele, Becca Tobias, and Eleanna Martinez got the women off to a strong start with a first place finish in the 200 medley relay. The quartet came in with a time of 1:59.72, while the men's team of Max Saenz, Daniel Hunt, Ben Rafalski, and Charles Stafford took second in the same event with a time of 1:46.92.
Liberty Chanin had a second place finish in the 1650 free with a time of 19:07.42, and Hunt won the women's 100 backstroke with a time of 1:05.15, edging the second place finisher by just 0.17 seconds. Saenz took first in the same event for the men, touching with a time of 58.00, and Thiele gave the women another win in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:09.63, nearly eight seconds faster than the second place finisher.
Martinez gave the women a third place finish in the 50 free with a time of 27.32, while Stafford won the event on the men's side with a time of 23.58. Thiele added another first place finish in the 100 free, coming in with a time of 56.13, and Stafford and Alex Lai took the top two spots in that event for the men. Stafford touched with a time of 49.97, while Lai came in with a time of 50.90.
Thiele added to her big day with a first place finish in the 200 breaststroke, coming in with a time of 2:30.20, which was nearly 18 seconds ahead of second place. Lai took second in the men's event with a time of 2:31.85, and Chanin gave the women a second place finish in the 500 free with a time of 5:36.99. Saenz added a first place finish for the men in the 100 butterfly, touching with a time of 53.87, and the women's 200 free relay team of Hunt, Martinez, Lauren Olivier, and Chanin brought home a first place finish with a time of 1:49.40, winning the event by just 0.01 seconds. Saenz, Stafford, Hunt, and Lai wrapped up the day with a win in that same event for the men, coming in with a time of 1:32.05.