Lady Flames complete record season
Standout Jess Reinhardt finishes 46th among the nations best at the national swim and diving championships
When the competition grows fierce in competitive swimming, the difference between first and last place is measured in milliseconds rather than seconds.
This year, the difference between first place and third was a mere five milliseconds.
Teambuilding — Liberty finished 14-2, which was its best ever. Photo credit: Jay Sir
Auburn University’s Olivia Scott beat out the competition with a time of 51.64. U.C Berkley’s Rachel Bootsma took second with a time of 51.68, and University of Florida’s Ellesse Zelewski finished with a time of 51.69 at the 100 meter fly finals event during NCAA DI Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Although she finished only 2.59 seconds behind first place, Liberty University’s Jess Reinhardt finished in 46th with a time of 54.22 and placed above only four other competitors. Reinhardt’s finishing time was 1.35 second off her seeded time of 52.87. She was the only Liberty swimmer invited to the NCAA DI Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships this year. Reinhardt became the second swimmer to participate in the annual championship, with her teammate Brye Ravettine being the first.
Season review
The Liberty women’s swimming team has had a successful season, both individually and as a team. They finished 9-1 in the conference with an overall record of 14-2. They are ranked 37th by Endless Pools/collegeswimming.com and finished second in the CCSA Swimming and Diving Championships this season for the second consecutive time.
During the tournament in Athens, Ga., Emilie Kaufman, Emily Duff, Hannah Wakely and Reinhardt broke the program record for their respective events.
According to the Liberty Flames website, the Lady Flames have finished their regular season and will attend the USA national championships in Indianapolis, Ind., June 25.