The BL Aqua Friars closed out the 2014-2015 season at the TAPPS Division I State Championships last Saturday in San Antonio, TX.
The Lady Friars finished 4th overall, continuing their five-year run of top four finishes. The Lady Friars were led by a record-setting performance by sophomore Bonnie Nolan, who broke an eight year-old Bishop Lynch school record in finishing 6th in the 500 yard freestyle. Nolan swam the race in 5 minutes, 27.02 seconds, breaking the previous record by 5.28 seconds. Nolan also set personal best times in the 100 yard backstroke and as the leadoff swimmer in the 400 yard freestyle relay.
The Lady Friars kicked-off the day in record-setting fashion, with the Medley Relay team of seniors Amy Hess and Courtney Newman joining with junior Jessica Jordan and sophomore Niamh Tierney to break a ten year-old school record in the event. The team finished 3rd in a time of 1 minute, 55.12 seconds, beating the old record by 0.12 seconds.
The Lady Friars had other fine performances on the day, with Hess taking 3rd place in the 50 yard freestyle and 5th in the 100 yard butterfly. Tierney also had an excellent day, setting personal best times in the 50 yard freestyle (26.15 seconds) and the 100 yard freestyle (56.91 seconds). Other personal bests for the ladies were:
- Jessica Jordan in the 200 yard Individual Medley; and
- Sophomore Jessica Hageman in the 100 yard backstroke.
Hess, Newman and Tierney combined with senior captain Grace Butler to finish 3rd in the 200 yard freestyle relay in a season-best time of 1 minute, 43.67 seconds, and Nolan and Butler teamed with juniors Jordan Carl and Shauna Seidel to finish 5th in the 400 yard freestyle relay in a season-best 3 minutes, 53.37 seconds.
The BL men finished 11th overall, and were led by freshman Paul Pierce, who finished 14th in the 100 yard freestyle in a personal best time of 53.37 seconds, and who finished 9th in the 200 yard freestyle. Other Friars with personal bests were:
- Sophomore Sean O'Hare, who finished 15th in the 200 yard freestyle in a personal best time of 2 minutes, 5.28 seconds;
- Sophomore Will Eckles, who had the best finish of the day in the 500 yard freestyle, finishing 7th in a personal best time of 5 minutes, 10.40 seconds, eclipsing his previous best by 14.17 seconds; and
- Sophomore Eric Bray, who finished 14th in the 500 yard freestyle in a personal best time of 5 minutes, 44.66 seconds.
Pierce, Eckles, and O'Hare were joined by freshman Patrick Kersey to finish 9th in the 200 yard Medley Relay, Pierce, Kersey, O'Hare, and Bray teamed to finish 10th in the 200 yard freestyle relay, and Eckles and Bray combined with Sophomores Will Seidel and AJ Armenta to finish 10th in the 400 yard freestyle relay.
Congratulations to the Aqua Friars on a very successful season.