Ozarks Splashdown: Weekend of Record-Breaking Swimming Splits!

Clarksville, Ark. – The Centenary men’s and women’s swimming teams divided a dual Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference meet against the University of the Ozarks Eagles at the Clarksville Aquatics Center.

The Ladies and Gents contended against the Eagles on Friday and Saturday, with combined scores from both days leading to a weekend tally where the Gents secured a 217-90 victory while the Ladies narrowly lost at 166-163.

Sophomore Hannah Waddell (Shreveport, La.) stood out for the Ladies as she achieved five individual victories, bringing her season total to an impressive 11. Freshman Bailey Allemeier (Altus, Okla.) and sophomore Reece Esser (Huntsville, Texas) each garnered two wins, while the Ladies accumulated six second-place finishes, notably three from sophomore Cicely Jackson (Lafayette, La.). Esser also added two runner-up positions and Allemeier one.

Waddell’s victories included the 200-yard breaststroke (2:34.38), 200-yard IM (2:20.73), 400-yard IM (5:01.90), and 200-yard freestyle (2:08.44). Esser triumphed in the 100-yard freestyle (59.07) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:04.21), finishing second in the 50-yard freestyle (26.69), while Allemeier claimed first in the 1650-yard freestyle (20:41.96) with Jackson coming in second (21:12.79).

The Ladies’ relay team consisting of Allemeier, Esser, Jackson, and Waddell triumphed in the 400-yard medley relay, completing it in 4:35.74, and their quartet of sophomore Stacy Brown (Baytown, Texas), junior Adriana de la Fuente (Baton Rouge, La.), sophomore Kennadi St. Clair (Duncanville, Texas), and sophomore Sydney Welch (Moss Bluff, La.) took third with a time of 5:27.08.

Allemeier excelled in the 500 free, finishing at 6:06.42, just ahead of Jackson’s second-place time of 6:07.58. Esser finished second in the 200-yard backstroke (2:35.12), with freshman Ella Walton (Lafayette, La.) securing third (2:39.64) and Welch coming in fourth at 3:03.44. Freshman Isabela Vasquez (Lafayette, La.) placed fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke (3:03.90) with de la Fuente in fifth (3:24.62). Walton claimed third in the 100-yard freestyle (1:02.55), and Vasquez took fifth (1:11.03).

Jackson recorded another second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly (2:39.45), with Brown coming in fourth (3:13.37). Allemeier earned second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:12.48) and finished fifth in the 200-yard IM (2:35.87); Walton also secured third in the 400-yard IM (5:51.39). Esser (1:13.26) and Walton (1:13.98) completed the 100-backstroke in third and fourth, respectively, trailing teammate Allemeier in second. St. Clair (1:30.19) achieved a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, as she finished fifth in the 50-free (30.35), ahead of de la Fuente (34.28) who earned sixth. Jackson (1:10.76) claimed fourth in the 100-fly with Brown finishing fifth (1:25.22). Both Allemeier and Welch gained top-five rankings in the 200-free, as Allemeier clocked a time of 2:15.50 for third and Welch took fifth (2:35.89). Brown, St. Clair, Vasquez, and Welch attained second place in the 400-yard freestyle (4:32.39) and also clinched second in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:58.08).

Freshman Sake Stroderd (Sulphur, La.) and freshman Trey White (Ball, La.) were the leading contributors on the men’s side, each earning two individual victories. Senior Antonio Barbee (Plaquemine, La.), freshman Hunter Hedges (Murphy, Texas), and freshman Noah Bannan (Mandeville, La.) each brought home one victory. Barbee also had three runner-up finishes; freshman Adam Stelly (Opelousas, La.) matched him with three second-place finishes of his own. Hedges and White each claimed two runner-up spots while Bannon and freshman Parker Randolph (Shreveport, La.) each secured one. Barbee’s victory came in the 200-fly (2:11.94).

White conquered the 500-yard freestyle (5:16.92), with Bannan finishing in second (5:26.86) and Barbee in third (5:27.64). Barbee, Hedges, Stelly, and Stroderd swam a victorious time of 3:51.37 in the 400-yard medley relay while Bannon, freshman Kai North (Tyler, Texas), sophomore Ubaldo Ayala (Hallsville, Texas), and senior Daniel Lewis (Alexandria, La.) placed third (4:10.04). Ayala, Hedges, Stelly, and Stroderd clinched the 200-medley relay (1:46.56), while Bannan, North, junior Jameson Feeney (Shreveport, La.), and freshman Cade Campbell (Ruston, La.) teamed up to finish third (1:55.33).

Campbell, North, Lewis, and Randolph collaborated to achieve a winning time of 1:41.21 in the 200-free relay and the same team won the 400-free relay with a time of 3:43.81.

Bannan emerged victorious in the 1650-yard freestyle (19:10.84), with Barbee taking second (19:16.83) while freshman Jordan Jerrigan (Temple, Texas) placed fourth (21:43.57). White (2:17.63), Lewis (2:21.16), and Bannan (2:30.44) finished second to fourth in the 200-backstroke, with Randolph finishing second in the 200-fly (2:13.26) and Campbell trailing closely in third (2:27.68). Stelly (2:08.52), White (2:10.54), and Stroderd (2:11.94) obtained third through fifth in the 200-yard IM.

Hedges (2:21.63), Ayala (2:35.51), and Feeney (2:37.86) took third to fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke, while Stroderd won the 100-free (51.01) with Stelly placing second (51.58) and Hedges in fourth (53.65).

The Gents concluded the 400-yard IM in second through fourth place as White was runner-up (4:44.93), Ayala came third (5:01.02), and Campbell took fourth (5:05.56). The Maroon and White snagged the top three positions in the 200-free, with White achieving a winning time of 1:57.79, Barbee following in second (1:57.83), and Bannan finishing third at 2:02.46. The Gents also placed first and third in the 100-fly, with Hedges winning at 55.15, Barbee coming second (57.49), and Randolph finishing in third (58.94).

Stroderd secured the victory in the 50-free (23.19), Stelly was a close second (23.85), and North completed the race in fourth at 25.44. Stroderd (1:00.39) and Stelly (1:01.93) likewise took first and second in the 100-backstroke, while White secured fourth (1:04.43). Hedges (1:04.22), Ayala (1:09.88), and Feeney (1:12.47) claimed second to fourth in the 100-breaststroke.

View the complete season schedule for the Ladies and Gents here:

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