Lady Flames Post 164-109 Home Victory Over VMI

Liberty defeated former CCSA foe VMI 164-109, leading from start to finish on Friday at Liberty Natatorium.

With the win, Liberty improves its record to 3-2, while VMI falls to 0-5 on the season.

Liberty Event Winners

• 200 Medley Relay – 1:43.56 (Abbie Shaw – 25.79, Heather Gardner – 29.27, Chloe Harris – 25.21, Eva Suggs – 23.29)

• So. Mary-Ashlynne Gordon – 1000 freestyle (11:15.35); 200 butterfly (2:12.29)

• Fr. Mary Herndon – Three-meter diving (6) (309.75)

• So. Shelby Kahn – 200 freestyle (1:52.46)

• Jr. Sydney Houtz – 100 backstroke (58.02)

• So. Grace Isaacs – 100 breaststroke (1:06.25)

• Sr. Eva Suggs – 50 free (23.99); 200 backstroke (2:00.25)

• So. Sydney Stricklin – 100 freestyle (52.79)

• Jr. Genna Joyce – 200 breaststroke (2:21.52)

• Fr. Isabelle Gomez – 500 freestyle (5:03.57)

• Jr. Abbie Shaw – 100 butterfly (56.77)

• So. Meagan Tuohy – One-meter diving (6) (257.63)

• 200 Freestyle Relay – 1:34.42 (Sydney Stricklin – 24.16; Abbie Shaw – 23.35; Heather Gardner – 24.00; Eva Suggs – 23.41)

Notable

• Liberty won every event contested tonight, including both relays. The Lady Flames posted 1-2-3 finishes in nearly every race. With the win in hand, Liberty contested the final four swimming races as exhibitions.

• Liberty’s Mary-Ashlynne Gordon (200 fly, 1000 freestyle), Grace Isaacs (100 breaststroke, 200 IM) and Eva Suggs (50 free, 200 back) posted two individual-event wins each.

• Liberty’s men’s club team was competing against VMI. For the final event, the teams contested a mixed 200 free relay, which Liberty won, 1:33.64 to 1:33.81, with Raea Farquharson securing the close win with the anchor leg.

• Gordon posted her first and second individual-event wins of the season, giving her three event wins for her collegiate career. Meanwhile, freshman Isabelle Gomez (500 free), freshman Mary Herndon (three-meter diving) and sophomore Meagan Tuohy (one-meter diving)

• Liberty’s Mary Herndon scored 309.75 in three-meter diving, which earned her an NCAA Zone Qualifying score. She joins Grace Gooding (one-meter diving at ECU) as Lady Flames with Zone Qualifying scores this season.

Historically Speaking

• Liberty is 6-0 all-time against VMI in swimming & diving, and the first win in the Lady Flames’ program history was over VMI on Oct. 8, 2010 as part of a tri meet at Radford. VMI’s last visit to Liberty Natatorium was Jan. 26-27, 2018, when Liberty bested the Keydets 290-44 in the first season of the natatorium.

• The Lady Flames are 17-2 all-time in home dual meets at Liberty Natatorium since the opening of the facility in the fall of 2017.

• Herndon’s 309.75 on three-meter diving ranks second on Liberty’s all-time top 10 performers list in the event.

• In one-meter diving, Herndon’s score of 250.28 ranks eighth in program history.

Up Next

The Lady Flames will host Campbell next Friday and Saturday to wrap up their regular season schedule. Liberty will honor its six seniors – Hannah Huenefeld, Maggie Huenefeld, Alexis Plogger, Jessica Schellenboom, Rachel Strickland and Eva Suggs – with a senior day ceremony on Saturday.

Featured in photo: Mary Herndon