Liberty Women’s Swimming & Diving Wins Fourth Consecutive CCSA Championship

After last season’s shortened season in which Liberty had to share a Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) championship title with Florida Gulf Coast, the Lady Flames looked to defend their title for the fourth straight year during the championship series Feb. 16-19. The ladies did just that. 

The Lady Flames won the meet handily, tallying 1,830.5 points, and the team racked up some medals and meet award honors.

Freshman Sydney Strickland took home Most Outstanding Freshman Swimmer, sophomore Maddie Freece won Co-Most Outstanding Diver, and Head Coach Jake Shellenberger won CCSA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year.

Senior Emma Hazel won the 500 freestyle on day one, junior Eva Suggs won first place in the 200 freestyle and freshman Grace Issacs won first in the 400-yard individual medleys. Sophomore Abbie Shaw finished first in the 100 backstroke and the 200 backstroke, sophomore Chloe Harris won first in the 200 butterfly and freshman Sydney Stricklin won in the 100 freestyle.  

“We knew she’d good shot to win the 100 backstroke. But we had no idea about the 200 backstroke,” Shellenberger said of Shaw. “Abbie Shaw’s 200 backstroke was a massive swing in our direction.”

On the diving side of things, Freece was the lone top-place finisher in the one-meter diving event and placed third in the three-meter diving event. She was followed by senior Lauren Chennault, who got second in the event and also placed second in the three-meter diving event.

The Lady Flames dominated relays as well. The team finished first in the 800 free relays, second in the 200 medley relay, third in the 200 freestyle relay and third in the 400 medley relay. 

The victory disproved Shellenberger’s doubts about how healthy his team would be during the championship meet.

“I knew we had a great shot to win,” Shellenberger said. “I knew we were the better program. The question was will we be healthy? But yeah, the question was never will we be good enough to win the meet. We knew that we would be in a good position to win, but the question was would we be healthy and ready to go?”

The victory marks the Lady Flames’ fourth straight CCSA conference championship, but after a tie last year with Florida Gulf Coast, Shellenberger said there was added motivation for his team. 

“Last year there was doubt,” Shellenberger said. “People left the meet not knowing who the best program was because you literally had a tie. So my motto for this year was to leave no doubt. And I think they took it to heart. So perhaps more than in other years, they felt like they had something to prove.”

CASH is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter