The Marshall University swimming team finished the 2010-11 campaign with a plethora of top-10 program times set, including three program bests. Here is a look back at team and personal accomplishments throughout the season.
Freshman sensation Heather Moore made an immediate impact on the Thundering Herd, with a team-high 15 top program times. The newcomer made a splash when she set program best times in the 1000 freestyle (10:14.37) and 1650 freestyle (16:53.31) at the 2011 Conference USA Swimming & Diving Championships. Her efforts in the events allowed her to collect her first set of Conference Finalist accolades.
Marshall’s other C-USA Finalists include Haley Holmquist, Lauren Rone, Arlie Rykosky, Sarah Kay, Vera Niemeyer, Lauren Tarka, Tiffany Aeling and Jenae Moreno.
Niemeyer set a MU record in the 200 Backstroke at the C-USA Championships with a time of 2:03.50. Over the course of the year she tallied 14 top times in the Herd record books, five of which rank in the top five including a second-ranked time of 58.27 in the 100 Backstroke.
The C-USA Championships served as a hotspot of top times for the Herd, with 37 program record times being set at the event. Among them were: Rykosky’s time in the 100 Butterfly (56.87) which is good for third all-time at Marshall and Tarka’s third-ranked time of 24.30 in the 50 Freestyle.
In the relay events the Thundering Herd complied eight new top-20 times, four of which during the C-USA championships: 200 Freestyle Relay (8th, 1:38.08), 400 Freestyle Relay (5th, 3:33.62), 800 Freestyle Relay (7th, 7:41.54) and 200 Medley Relay (6th, 1:47.51).
Marshall’s second-place finish at the Doug Coers Invitational marked the Herd’s top finish at a regular-season tournament since MU was runner-up at the Western Kentucky Invitational in 2006. During the event Moore chalked up a pair of first-place finishes along with Niemeyer tallying one of her own.
Outside of competition the program placed 17 on the Conference USA honor roll for their diligent work in the classroom. Kay, Madison Lawhorn and Susan Velte were honored with the highest accolade, the Commissioner’s Honor Roll which is given to student-athletes who maintain a grade point average above a 3.75.
TOP 10 PERFORMERS IN 2010-11
Tiffany Aeling
200 Freestyle, 9th, 1:58.61
500 Freestyle, 7th, 5:08.49
1000 Freestyle, 6th, 10:37.31
1650 Freestyle, 8th, 17:45.97
Jamie Holmquist
200 IM, 9th, 2:10.81
Sarah Kay
100 Butterfly, 5th, 57.33
200 Butterfly, 2nd, 2:02.94
200 IM, 7th, 2:10.80
Victoria Mesner
500 Freestyle, 8th, 5:09.77
200 Butterfly, 8th, 2:10.18
Vera Niemeyer
100 Backstroke, 2nd, 58.27
200 Backstroke, 1st, 2:03.50
200 IM, 4th, 2:08.85
Arlie Rykosky
100 Butterfly, 3rd, 56.87
200 IM, 5th, 2:09.92
Lauren Tarka
50 Freestyle, 3rd, 24.30
100 Breaststroke, 4th, 1:07.05
200 Breaststroke, 9th, 2:25.83
Heather Moore
200 Freestyle, 6th, 1:54.00
500 Freestyle, 4th, 4:59.75
1000 Freestyle, 1st, 10:14.37
1650 Freestyle, 1st, 16:53.31
200 IM, 7th, 2:10.80
400 IM, 4th, 4:28.89