Schultz’ titles push Arkansas to 10th at SEC meet in Texas

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Freshman diver Brooke Schultz proved again Friday night why she is considered the best diver in the Southeastern Conference.

A six-time SEC Diver of the Week, Schultz won her second SEC Championship in as many events, this time claiming the three-meter title with a personal-best score of 385.65.

Entering the week, Arkansas had never had a diver win an SEC Championship. Schultz has won two since Wednesday.

Schultz becomes the ninth SEC diver ever to win the 1m and 3m titles in the same season and the first since Kahlia Warner of Florida in 2016. After finishing second in the prelims with a score of 354.90, Schultz paced the field in finals, winning by 16.65 points.

The day began with the 400 individual medley. Two of Arkansas’ four participants clinched spots in the evening finals, as freshman Peyton Palsha and senior Chloe Hannam each qualified for the C-final.

Palsha, her second finals appearance in her SEC Championship debut, swam the eighth-fastest time in her heat, turning in a then-personal-best 4:13.29.

In the finals, Palsha broke her personal best with a third-place showing in the C-final in 4:11.41, finishing 19th overall.

Hannam swam a 4:14.92 to qualify for the C-final, where she finished seventh in a time of 4:14.04 to finish 23rd overall.

Along with Hannam and Palsha, senior Jessie Garrison also turned in an NCAA ‘B’ cut time in the prelims, finishing eighth in her heat, 32nd overall, in a time of 4:19.38. Junior Madison Umberger touched sixth in her heat, 38th overall, in a personal-best 4:23.72.

Senior Olivia Weekley clocked Arkansas’ only automatic qualifying time in the 100 butterfly with a time of 53.89 in her heat to finish 25th overall.

Junior Marlena Pigliacampi touched sixth in her heat in a season-best 54.73 to finish 32nd overall, while senior Taylor Weiss also recorded a season best with a time of 55.23 to finish 37th overall, fifth in her heat.

The Razorbacks had seven athletes compete in the 200 freestyle. Freshman Ayumi Macias led the way for Arkansas, finishing 28th overall, winning her heat in a time of 1:48.29.

Junior Kiera Michailoff-Russell won her respective heat as well in a time of 1:49.57 to finish 39th overall. Senior Chelsea Tatlow finished 32nd overall finish, after finishing seventh in her heat with a time of 1:48.51.

Junior Annah Carney placed third in her heat in a time of 1:49.07 to finish 35th.Freshman Kenedy Thaman finished fifth in her heat, recording a 38th-place finish in a time of 1:49.36.

Freshman Alyssa Lemon touched in a time of 1:50.91 to finish seventh in her heat and 51st overall, while junior Erin Kelly touched fifth in her heat in 1:54.42 to finish 61st.

Action will pick back up on Saturday morning from College Station at 10 a.m. with the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke.

Standings – Day Three
1. Texas A&M – 737
2. Tennessee – 544.5
3. Georgia – 543
4. Auburn – 374.5
5. Missouri – 355
6. Kentucky – 350
7. Florida – 347.5
8. South Carolina – 333.5
9. Alabama – 319
10. Arkansas – 252
11. LSU – 210
12. Vanderbilt – 120