March 16, 2019
Women’s Swimming
NCAA Division II National Championship
Contact: Chad M. Beattie cbeattie@lynn.edu
Indianapolis, Ind. – Karolina Smylek closed out the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship on a high note by reaching the podium with an eighth place finish in the 200 backstroke. The Fighting Knights had two evening swims with Sarah Hughes also qualifying for the 200 breaststroke.
Smylek swam a program-record time of 1:59.04 in the morning’s preliminary swim to qualify eighth in the national championship event. Once there, she posted a time of 2:00.46 to finish eighth. Her championship finish qualifies her for First Team All-America honors, the first in program history. Thalie Carmigniani earned Honorable Mention recognition three times (2013-14, 2016).
Hughes garnered her second evening appearance and did not disappoint, taking fourth in the consolation finals with a time of 2:17.16. She picks up her second All-America nod this year (400 IM) and third of her career (400 IM – 2017).
Catalina Berraud-Galea was the final competitor for Lynn on the day, placing 24th in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 17:16.43. The senior out of La Pompa, Argentina, missed out on All-America accolades this season but finishes with three in her career following Honorable Mention recognition for the 1650 free in 2016-17 and the 500 free in 2017.
Lynn closed out the national championship with 18 points, good for a tie for 28th overall with West Florida. Queens (N.C.) claimed the national title with Drury, West Chester, Nova Southeastern and Tampa rounding out the top-five.
The Blue and White lose prominent swimmers Hughes, Berraud-Galea, Laia Coma and Aliah Maginley to graduation but return young standouts Smylek, Samar Khacha and Clara Monges along with nine other letterwinners.
For more information check out LynnFightingKnights.com.
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Chad Beattie
Assistant Athletics Director for Communications and Digital Strategy
Lynn University
