The Incarnate Word Synchronized Swimming team opened the 2010 collegiate season with a very successful meet at Lindenwood University, finishing in second place behind Stanford University. However, it isn’t the team’s overall finish that has the team and head coach Kim Wurzel-LoPorto excited.
UIW was able to defeat Stanford in the team events for the first time in the program’s history, which was a major accomplishment for the Cardinals from San Antonio.
“It was a solid performance and now we know what we need to do for the rest of the season,” LoPorto said.
While UIW’s ‘A’ Team took first in team routine with a score of 83.125, the ‘B’ squad finished fourth (72.125) and LoPorto said that the first meet has shown everyone what has to be done to “improve our young squad before collegiate nationals.”
On the UIW ‘A’ squad are Alex Stensby, Rosilyn Tegart, Saki Fujise, Seyeon Min, Briana Andreychuk, Molly Knight, Anna Nelson and Hannah Creaser.
Stanford took second in the team competition with a score of 82.875 and Lindenwood’s ‘A’ team finished third at 80.5. UIW’s ‘B’ team finished ahead of Lindenwood’s ‘B’ team and University of Michigan.
Another place where UIW’s Cardinals made an impact was the trio competition, where the team of Min, Andreychuk and Knight took second place with a score of 76.250 – splitting the two trio groups from Stanford, which took first and third, while the second UIW trio group of Stensby, Tegart and Fujise finished in sixth (73.750).
“This is an awesome start to the year with one of our trio teams beating Stanford,” LoPorto said. “We also see where we can help our second team improve to be just as strong.”
Three swimmers competed for Incarnate Word in the solo competition, with Nelson finishing 5th with a score of 73.375, Ingrid Lundblad finishing 6th with a 73.250 an Natalie Krakoski taking 8th with a 70.125.
In the duets group, UIW took third place through sixth place. Fujise and Min took third (74.375), Stenby and Tegart were fourth (73.625), Elizabeth Norton and Kelsey Smith finished fifth (68.375), and Andrea Patterson and Nikki Neufeld took sixth with a 68.250.
Up next for the synchro team is a trip to Gainesville, Florida, this weekend, where the Cardinals will compete in a meet held by University of Florida and swim in the pool that will host the 2010 South Collegiate Regionals competition on February 26th.