Women's Swimming & Diving Battles With LSU, Defeats Loyola in Opener

Friday, September 29

Baton Rouge, LA

6:00 PM

Tulane University

125

175

LSU

Olivia Johnson 400 IM - 2017 AAC Championships

Photo by: N.C. Brown

Women's Swimming & Diving Battles With LSU, Defeats Loyola in Opener

Sep 29, 2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving

Meet Results

BATON ROUGE, La. – Tulane women's swimming and diving had its best performance ever against LSU and defeated Loyola-New Orleans at the LSU Tri-Meet on Friday evening.

Despite losing to LSU by a score of 175-125, the Green Wave defeated the Tigers in six events: the 50 free, 500 free, 1000 free, 100 back, 200 breast and 200 IM. Besides putting up a fight against LSU, Tulane defeated Loyola in dual scoring.

Sophomore Olivia Johnson set a new personal best time of 2:05.37 in winning the 200 IM, and freshman Kate McDonald shone as well in the 200 IM with a personal-best time of 2:06.10.

"These women swam extremely well tonight with highlights coming from two personal-record times set and six individual wins," Coach Katie Robinson said. "Against the super tough competition of LSU and a building team like Loyola, we stepped up unafraid which is exactly the attitude we've been working to create on our team."

The Tigers' 50-point margin of victory over the Green Wave is its narrowest in Robinson's five seasons as Tulane's coach. In seven dual meets over the previous four years, Tulane finished fewer than 100 points behind LSU just once.

"That kind of improvement is rare," Robinson said. "I'm proud of us and how far we've come in becoming a true team and swimming because of it. These women amaze me with the way they bleed blue and green for each other. We have a tough competition schedule lineup and we couldn't have asked for a better start."

Johnson picked up Tulane's first win of the evening in the 1000 free, finishing that race with a time of 10:09.26. Paris Zhang nabbed win for the Green Wave in the 100 back with a time of 55.68 seconds. Newcomer Courtney Barker got a win in her first college meet, claiming the 50 free race in 24.11 seconds.

McDonald got a win in her Green Wave debut as well, taking the 200 breast in 2:19.59, and Morgan Tacik won the 500 free in 5:00.53. Johnson earned the Green Wave's final win of the night as well with her personal-best 2:05.37 in the 200 IM.

The Green Wave return to New Orleans and the The Reily Student-Recreation Center Natatorium on Friday when they host SMU. The meet is set to begin at 3 p.m.