ALIA ATKINSON IS A DOUBLE WINNER FOR TEXAS A & M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas- The ninth-ranked Texas A&M women’s swimming & diving team produced a strong team effort across the board in earning a dual meet win over No. 25 Oregon State on Friday evening at the Student Rec Center Natatorium.

The Aggies (3-0) defeated the Oregon Beavers (3-4), 153-103, winning 11 of the 14 events contested. Six different swimmers earned individual wins as well as both relays.

“We were really fast today,” A&M head coach Steve Bultman said. “This was our toughest week so far in training so I’m obviously very pleased with how well they swam. I thought we would be pretty good because they have been doing a great job training but I didn’t think they would go this fast. Tonight was a very pleasant surprise, just an outstanding evening for us as a team.”

Freshman Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) was a double winner against the Beavers. Atkinson set a lifetime-best of 2:16.44 in the 200-yard breaststroke to eclipse the NCAA ‘B’ standard by more than a full second. Atkinson also clocked her season-best time in the 100-yard breast, hitting the wall in a consideration standard of 1:02.87. Both of her breaststroke times now rank her No. 4 in Texas A&M history.

The A&M 200-yard medley relay began the meet by just missing the NCAA consideration standard of 1:42.47. The group of Aljand, Atkinson, Marshall and Sturdy clocked a time of 1:42.70 in leading A&M to a 1-2 finish in the event.

The Aggies will spend the next week preparing to host No. 11 Texas in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown. A&M will take on Texas at 5 p.m. at the Student Rec Center Natatorium.

(Adapted from a report on the Texas A & M Website)