Lady Vols Open NCAAs with Record-Setting Relay

Wednesday, March 14

Columbus, OH

All Day

University of Tennessee

NCAA Women's Championships - Day 1

March 14, 2018 | Swimming & Diving

Results

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Tennessee Lady Volunteers dropped a pair of school records in the opening event Wednesday at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.

Only one event was held in the first evening session of the meet -- the 800-yard freestyle relay -- and the Lady Vols made the opportunity count.

The team of Erika Brown, Stanzi Moseley, Tess Cieplucha and Meghan Small swam six seconds faster than their seed time to take fourth overall in a school-record time of 6:52.15.

Leading off the relay, Brown also broke the Tennessee 200 freestyle record with a time of 1:42.39. It was her fourth UT individual record to set this year, having already recorded new marks in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

While the Tennessee program has traditionally thrived on relays -- winning three of them at the NCAA women's meet in 2013 -- Wednesday marked the Lady Vols' best finish ever in the 800 freestyle relay. It was the first time the Lady Vols made the top-eight awards podium in the race since 2006.

UP NEXT: The first session of preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. with the 200 free relay, 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 free, 400 medley relay and 1-meter springboard.

QUOTES
Tennessee Head Coach Matt Kredich
"It was a great start. We certainly had a plan to go that fast. It was a target coming away from the meet last year, being on the podium in that event. The group and several other put in tremendous work to become better in the 200 this year. It's really exciting that it's a group of sophomores too. Erika gave us a great leadoff, and those who followed had open water and stayed in control. Starting off the meet, it's hard to imagine a better way. A school record. Our best result ever in the event. Four great swims -- those were all best times. It was a statement that we can take control."

2018 NCAA WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING
Wednesday Tennessee Results

800 Free Relay (Final): 4. Brown, Moseley, Cieplucha, Small, 6:52.15.