Following the third day of competition at the NCAA Division III Championships on Friday, March 21, in Greensboro, NC, the New York University women's swimming & diving team continues to hold a first-place lead in the team standings.
The Violets have totaled 368 points so far, putting them 20 points ahead of second-place Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The night was highlighted by the DIII record-breaking performance by
Nicole Ranile,
Elle Motekaitis,
Isabel Oldham, and
Kaley McIntyre in the 800-yard freestyle relay. The quartet registered a time of 7:13.02 to claim first place.
"The highlight of the night was our women's 800 free relay dominating the field, winning the NCAA title, and setting a national record," said Head Coach
Trevor Miele. "Those four have worked tirelessly all season, and to see them perform at that level was absolutely incredible."
Additionally, Ranile claimed another national championship in the 200-yard butterfly, setting a new program record with a time of 1:57.72. Her teammate,
Caitlin Marshall, was just behind at 1:58.18. Both swimmers earned All-America honors for their efforts.
"Nicole and Caitlin went head-to-head in an incredible race, both dropping best times and delivering our program's first-ever 1-2 finish," Miele explained. "Nicole claimed the victory and a new team record, but it was truly one of the best races I've ever witnessed."
NYU's 200-yard medley relay team of Ranile,
Anna Li,
Hope Xayaveth, and Oldham set a new program record with a time of 1:40.91, good for a fourth-place finish. The team earned All-America recognition with the finish.
Reina Gomez placed ninth overall in the 200-yard butterfly, with Bethany Spangler joining her in the consolation final, placing 12th overall. Each earned Honorable Mention All-America.
Li registered a 12th-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke and also earned All-America Honorable Mention distinction.
The Violets return to the pool tomorrow in a quest for the program's first-ever National Championship. The final day of the competition begins with preliminaries at 10:00am, followed by the finals at 6:00pm.
