Young Squad Has Just Two Seniors
Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney Aqualopers tallied 239 points to finish in sixth place at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championships Saturday night in Grand Junction, Colo. The five-night, four-day meet was hosted by Colorado Mesa at the El Pomar Natatorium. UNK was fifth most of the week but Texas-Permian Basin (281) caught the Lopers on Saturday. CMU won a fifth straight league title with a meet-record 1,325 points. Colorado School of Mines (717) was a distant second in the eight-team race with UNK besting Colorado State-Pueblo and Adams State. In the grueling 1,650 free, Oklahoma freshman Miriam Finch (19:19.14) and Texas freshman Maggie Wells (19:34.82) turned in two of the top times in school history. Finch finished 14th overall and ranks sixth in Loper lore with Wells coming in 15th and ranking 10th on the list. Next, Colorado sophomore Karley Bennett had back-to-back career swims in the 200-breaststroke. Her finals time of 2:30.46 ranks second in UNK history and was good for 15th place and two points. NCAA qualifier Yohara Salinas had a 2:23.60 back in 1992. Columbus senior Emily Miksch (2:35.64) was 17th in this event as well. Colorado freshman Joy Graziano was 13th in the 100-free prelims and then 15th in the finals. Her time of 53.39 in the finals ranks her second on the all-time list, trailing only Claire Nash (52.36). Graziano also was the lead for the sixth place (26 points) 400-free relay team. That group managed a 3:38.42 with UNK netting six more points thanks to the "B" team's 14th place effort. Finally, Colorado freshman Caralea Holmberg was 20th in the 200-backstroke (2:13.80) with McCook freshman Shayann Parlier ninth on the 3-meter board (221.30 points). UNK's 2022-23 seniors are Ashley Hein (Hastings H.S.) and Audrey Stelling (Norfolk H.S.), both four-year team members.
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