ATLANTA – (Feb. 29, 2020) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s swimming and diving team finished the 2020 Conference USA Championships in third place with 453 points. That finish is the best feat for the Owls since belonging in C-USA with FAU’s previous best finish at the C-USA Championships being fifth place. The third place finish is also a best for FAU since 2008, where the Owls rounded out in second at the Sun Belt Championships.
Quick Hits:
- Spence Atkins delivered another podium finish to cap off her senior year, capturing the bronze medal in the 1650 free (16:45.86). Kirsten Hobson tallied 12th with a lifetime best time of 17:23.00
- Abby Marshall captured sixth in the 200 back with a lifetime best time of 2:00.17. Miranda Fellowes finished in 13th (2:03.64), while Hobson rounded out in 16th (2:08.86)
- In the 100 free, Fatimah Westbrook claimed 18th (51.64)
- Haley O’Meara logged sixth in the 200 breast finals with a personal feat time of 2:19.31, while Ana Neff-Jendrasko followed in eighth (2:22.56). In the B-final, Hailee Trotter claimed 10th with a big personal record (2:20.17) and Shae Clifton tallied 16th (2:23.82)
- Atkins finished just off the podium stand in the 200 fly for fourth place (1:59.25). Danica Garbett tallied 13th (2:04.61) and Molly Jordan followed in 14th (2:05.38)
- On the platform, Taylor Downs captured sixth place (219.70) in the A-final. Malvina Catalano racked up 214.95 points for seventh, while Alicia Mora tallied 208.40 points to round out in ninth
- The 400 free relay team finished the weekend with sixth place. Marshall, Westbrook, Mackenzie Brown and Atkins tallied a time of 3:32.14
Personal Best Times/Scores:
- Catalano – Platform Diving Prelims (219.80)
- Downs – Platform Diving Prelims (226.05)
- Hobson – 1650 Free (17:23.00)
- Marshall – 200 Back Finals (2:00.17)
- Grace Molinaro – 200 Fly Prelims (2:07.65)
- Mora – Platform Diving Prelims (208.40)
- O’Meara – 200 Breast Prelims (2:19.31)
- Trotter – 200 Breast Finals (2:20.17)
Up Next:
The divers that qualify will head to Athens, Georgia for the Zone B Diving Championships from March 11-13. For complete coverage of FAU swimming and diving, follow along on Twitter (@FAUSwimDive), Instagram (@FAUSwimDive) and Facebook.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 4-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 52-28 victory over SMU in the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
