Liberty Downs UNCW 156-144

Liberty earned a 156-144 win over UNCW, Saturday at Seahawk Natatorium.

Due to facility repairs at the Seahawk Natatorium, this weekend’s diving took place at the Liberty Natatorium, while all swimming happened in Wilmington, N.C. The Lady Flames improve to 4-1 on the season, while UNCW falls to 3-7.

Liberty Event Winners

• 400 medley relay – 3:50.99 (Abbie Shaw (56.98), Jessica Schellenboom (1:04.37), Sydney Houtz (58.50), Eva Suggs (51.14))

• So. Abbie Shaw – 100 backstroke (56.63)

• Jr. Jessica Schellenboom – 100 breaststroke (1:05.74)

• So. Chloe Harris – 200 butterfly (2:03.40)

• Fr. Sydney Stricklin – 100 freestyle (51.78)

• Jr. Eva Suggs – 200 backstroke (2:03.63)

• So. Genna Joyce – 200 breaststroke (2:22.32)

• Fr. Grace Isaacs – 400 IM (4:23.47)

Notable

• For the meet, Liberty won seven individual events and the 400 medley relay. Meanwhile, UNCW claimed seven individual-event victories (including both diving events) and the 200 free relay.

• Liberty earned a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 backstroke (Abbie Shaw, Sydney Houtz, Shelby Haines), while UNCW went 1-2-3 in the 200 freestyle.

• Liberty is 3-0 all-time against UNCW in swimming & diving, beating the Seahawks 113-89 (Jan. 30) and 190-107 (Jan. 31) on back-to-back days during the 2014-15 season inside Seahawk Natatorium.

• The Lady Flames are now 40-4 all-time in dual meets contested in North Carolina. Liberty has won 38 straight dual meets inside the Tar Heel State.

• The 2021 CAA Diver of the Year, UNCW’s Courtney Klausen, won both one-meter and three-meter diving in NCAA Zone-qualifying scores. Liberty’s Maddie Freece, the 2021 CCSA Diver of the Year, finished second on both boards. She earned a Zone-qualifying score of 276.53 in one-meter diving, and her 279.83 on three-meter nearly qualified.

• Liberty’s Sydney Stricklin won the most closely-contested event of the day, winning the 100 freestyle in 51.78, just ahead of UNCW’s Tink Niebel (52.07).

• Liberty turned in its best performances of the season in the following events this weekend: 1000 free (Grace Isaacs – 10:31.71); 200 butterfly (Chloe Harris – 2:03.40); one-meter diving (Maddie Freece – 276.53); three-meter diving (Maddie Freece – 279.83); 400 IM (Grace Isaacs – 4:23.47).

Historically Speaking

• Grace Gooding moved into Liberty’s all-time top 10 in both one-meter (seventh place – 232.80) and three-meter (fifth place - 241.65) diving with her scores this weekend.

• Grace Isaacs now holds seventh place in program history in the 400 IM with her 4:23.47 this afternoon.

• Chloe Harris’ 2:03.40 in the 200 fly from today ranks sixth on the program’s all-time top 10 in the event.

Up Next

Liberty will host CCSA opponents Campbell and UNC Asheville for a tri meet, Jan. 21-22 at Liberty Natatorium. The Lady Flames will honor their 11 seniors with a ceremony prior to the Jan. 22 session.