Hopkin Takes Third Silver Medal on Final Day of 2020 SEC Championships
AUBURN, Ala. –The Arkansas swimming and diving team had a solid final night at the 2020 SEC Championships as the women saw several big swims across the board with Anna Hopkin taking home her third silver medal.
TOP RAZORBACK
Hopkin continued her winning ways, taking first in the 100 free prelims swimming a 47.06. She then swam a 46.20 to earn her third silver medal, which is a new lifetime best and program best.
The quartet of Kobie Melton, Hopkin, Molly Moore and Andrea Sansores swam in the night’s final event, the 400 free relay. The ladies posted a time of 3:14.51, to earn an NCAA ‘A’ cut and posted the fastest time in Arkansas program history.
In the 1650 free prelims, the trio of Peyton Palsha, Lexi Ljunggren and Rachel Rodriguez all dropped three seconds from their previous personal bests. Palsha swam an astonishing 16:00.93, placing her first in the A final. The junior’s prelim time goes down as the second fastest time in school history and is an NCAA ‘B’ cut. In the finals, she swam a 16:01.99 earning a fifth place finish. Ljunggren also showed out in prelims swimming a 16:40.15. The time seeded her 14th overall heading into the C finals, where she swam 16.24.01 earning herself an NCAA ‘B’ cut. Rodriguez touched the wall in prelims at 6:52.68.
In the 100 free alone, the Razorbacks swam six season bests and four lifetime bests. Sansores swam a 50-flat earning a season and lifetime best. Next was Emma Hultquist swimming a 50.65, the third personal best time the freshman has swam during the SEC Championships. Sarah Dalton Chambliss made her senior debut in the distance, touching the wall at 50.75 for a lifetime best. Pike earned her second personal best of the SEC Championships, swimming a time of 50.69. Kenedy Thaman and Jessie Beckwith both swam season bests, with Thaman coming in at 51.13 and Beckwith at 51.96.
Sophomores Rachel Rodriguez and Maddie Pearl opened day five for the Hogs setting new personal bests in the 200 back prelims. Rodriguez clocked in a time of 2:00.17 and Pearl touched the wall at 2:02.49.
In the 200 breast, Emma Garfield was the sole Razorback to qualify for finals. Garfield’s time of 2:13.44 nabbed her a spot in the C finals seeding her 22nd overall. Her swim was an NCAA ‘B’ cut and a personal best. The sophomore then went onto swim a 2:14.68 getting eighth in her heat.
This concludes the 2020 Swimming and Diving SEC Championships with the Hogs taking home three silver medals and finishing in 10th with 422 points.
Quoting Head Coach Neil Harper
“We had more season and lifetime bests today than any other. Peyton and Anna led the way again with fifth in the 1650 and second in the 100 free (respectively). We also had two new school school records – Anna in the 100 free and the 400 free relay that both recorded an NCAA A-cut. With all those efforts, plus points from Josie and Esti in platform, Arkansas was able to catch and pass LSU. The Razorbacks will now change their focus on to the NCAA Championships in four weeks. ”
-For more information on Arkansas women’s Swimming and Diving follow @RazorbackSD on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
