Lady Flames Surge Into CCSA Lead With Big 3rd Day

Liberty surged into first place in the 2023 CCSA Championships team standings with a big third day, Friday at Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

The four-time defending conference champion Lady Flames entered today in second place, but a standout day sent Liberty ahead of James Madison into first with 1,006.5 points. The Dukes are now second, 96.5 points behind Liberty with 910, while Queens sits in third at 767. FGCU (612) and UNC Asheville (609) continue to battle for fourth.

Liberty is the third different team to lead team standings this week, as Queens led after day one before giving way to James Madison atop the leaderboard last night.

Team Standings

1. Liberty – 1,006.5

2. James Madison – 910

3. Queens - 767

4. FGCU – 612

5. UNC Asheville – 609

6. Georgia Southern – 400

7. Old Dominion – 378

8. Campbell – 377

9. Gardner-Webb – 242

10. North Florida – 221.5

11. Bellarmine – 155

Liberty A Finalists

• 800 free relay – 1st place in 7:12.00 (Sydney Stricklin (1:47.66), Kate Baker (1:49.14), Eva Suggs (1:47.01), Shelby Kahn (1:48.19))

• Jr. Abbie Shaw – 100 backstroke (1st place in 53.22 – qualified in 54.03)

• So. Sydney Stricklin– 100 backstroke (3rd place in 54.30 – qualified in 54.43)

• Sr. Eva Suggs – 100 backstroke (6th place in 54.79 – qualified in 54.24)

• Jr. Sydney Houtz – 100 backstroke (7th place in 55.01 – qualified in 54.70)

• So. Jamyson Robb – 100 backstroke (8th place in 55.26 – qualified in 55.14)

• Jr. Heather Gardner – 100 breaststroke (3rd place in 1:01.03 – qualified in 1:01.69)

• Jr. Genna Joyce – 100 breaststroke (5th place in 1:02.06 – qualified in 1:02.83)

• Sr. Jessica Schellenboom – 100 breaststroke (6th place in 1:02.23 – qualified in 1:02.30)

• Jr. Chloe Harris – 200 butterfly (2nd place in 2:00.07 – qualified in 2:01.14)

Notable

• Liberty posted 10 top-nine finishes on Friday night, including two event victories, five podium finishes and two NCAA B cuts. For the meet, Liberty has earned 25 A Finals, 15 podiums, four event victories and two NCAA B cuts.

• Liberty extended lengthy winning streaks in two events tonight, beginning with the 800 free relay. The Lady Flames won that relay for the sixth year in a row, with Sydney Stricklin, Kate Baker, Eva Suggs and Shelby Kahn winning in 7:12.00.

• Junior Abbie Shaw captured her third career CCSA gold medal and fourth career podium finish, pushing Liberty’s winning streak in the 100 backstroke to seven years with her NCAA B cut time of 53.22. Sydney Stricklin earned her third career CCSA podium finish, placing third in 54.30. The Lady Flames put five into the 100 back A Final.

• Junior Chloe Harris earned her seventh career CCSA podium finish and second of this week’s meet, placing second in the 200 fly in 2:00.07.

• Gardner swam an NCAA B cut 1:01.03 in the 100 breaststroke, earning her first CCSA podium finish with a third-place showing.

Historically Speaking

• Suggs now ranks fifth on Liberty’s all-time top 10 performers list in the 100 back with her 54.24 today. Stricklin is now sixth by swimming 54.30 in finals. Houtz moved into eighth place (54.70), the 10th swimmer to break 55 seconds for 100 back in program history.

• Gardner improved to second in program history in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.02), while Joyce is seventh (1:02.06).

• Harris improved to fifth all-time at Liberty in the 200 fly at 2:00.07.

• The Lady Flames’ 800 freestyle relay time of 7:12.00 tonight ranks second in program history, trailing only the program record of 7:10.73, set in 2018.

• Stricklin’s 1:47.66 leadoff of the 800 freestyle relay ranks fifth on the program’s all-time top 10 performers list in the 200 freestyle.

Up Next

Tomorrow will be the final day of the 2023 CCSA Championships. The morning prelims begin at 10 a.m. with the 100 freestyle, followed by 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay, women’s one-meter diving and the 1,650 freestyle.