Lady Flames swim and dive to fifth CCSA Championship title in a row, sixth overall
February 19, 2023 : By Liberty University Athletics
Liberty University’s women’s swimming & diving team claimed its fifth consecutive CCSA conference crown, and sixth in program history, over the weekend at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn., where it also won in 2014 and 2020.
The Lady Flames, who tied Florida Gulf Coast University (2009-13) for the most consecutive CCSA Championships titles in league history, scored 1,441.5 points to hold off James Madison University (1,339), Queens (N.C.) University (1,119), and FGCU (931). Liberty Head Coach Jake Shellenberger was voted CCSA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the fifth time, and second in a row.
After winning four events through the meet’s first three days, the Lady Flames posted 12 top-eight finishes on Saturday night, including one event champion — junior Abbie Shaw in the 200 backstroke in 1 minute, 55.44 seconds. That was the fifth podium finish of her career after also winning the 100 back and placing third in the 100 butterfly earlier in the meet.
Senior Eva Suggs, who placed second in the 200 back in 1:56.40, completed her four-year career a perfect 12-for-12 in qualifying for A Finals in all of her events at the CCSA Championships. She and former teammate Emma Hazel (2019-22) are tied for second in program history with nine total CCSA podium finishes, trailing only Alicia Finnigan (2016-19), who earned 10 career conference medals.
Suggs and Shaw swam legs of Liberty’s second-place 400 free relay that finished in 3:19.37, the second-fastest clocking in program history and only 0.04 seconds behind Queens’ winning time.
Lady Flames swimmers earned six NCAA B cuts and three NCAA Zone Qualifying times while four of its divers — junior Maddie Freece, sophomores Meagan Tuohy and Grace Gooding, and freshman Elizabeth Mumau qualified to compete in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships set for March 6-8 in Morgantown, W.Va.
>> Read the complete report and follow the Lady Flames’ swimming & diving team on LibertyFlames.com.
