UNK Swimming (Thurs.): Aqualopers Still 5th at RMAC's

Two More School Marks Go Down

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney women's swimming and diving team broke two more school-records and remains in fifth place after the third day of the 2023 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championships in Grand Junction, Colo. The Aqualopers are up to 141 points, ahead Texas-Permian Basin, Colorado State-Pueblo and Adams State. Host and defending champ Colorado Mesa (638) leads the field of eight teams. Action began Tuesday night and runs until Saturday evening. Colorado sophomore Karley Bennett led the way on Thursday as she twice broke her own school-mark in the 100-butterfly and was the third leg for the school-record smashing 400-medley relay team. Individually, she turned in an altitude-adjusted 58.95 in prelims to rank eighth overall. Her "A" finals time of 57.79 was good for 11 team points and easily breaks her old mark of 59.57, set back in November. Previously, UNK's 100-fly record was 59.84 and had stood for 10 years. To close another long night, the 400-medley team swam a straight 4:00.80, besting the UNK standard of 4:01.90 set at the 2022 RMAC's and good for fifth overall (28 team points). Besides Bennett, the altitude time of 4:00.40 also was achieved by Kansas freshman Gabby Grace, Columbus junior Emily Miksch and Colorado freshman Joy Graziano. UNK's "B" team tallied six more points thanks to a converted 4:17.52 Also scoring in swimming was Texas freshman Maggie Wells and Colorado junior Katie Cornelio in the 400 individual medley. Wells had back-to-back career swims, coming in 15th overall (three points) with a 4:53.34. Cornelio was a spot back (career-best 4:58.64) with these times ranking fourth and seventh, respectively, in school-history. On the diving board, UNK tallied 22 team points by placing ninth through 11th at one-meter. The leader was McCook freshman Shayann Parlier (255.05). Action resumes Friday at 10 a.m. Central with prelims in the 500-free, 100 back and breaststrokes, and 200-butterfly. Men's 1-meter then takes place after swimming prelims with the 200-free relay coming at night.