Swimming & Diving Finishes Strong in Final Day of Vandal Invite

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s swimming and diving program’s weekend came to an end Sunday at the Vandal Invite as they finished in fourth with 892 points.

The finals started with a bang as freshman Annaleagh Stahl swam a season-best 2:00.62, earning second in the 200 backstroke. With that time, Stahl hit the bonus cut for the National Invitational Championship (NIC). Stahl is the first Vaquero to hit a bonus standard for the NIC.

Freshman Ida Rudelius finished a team-high sixth in the 200 butterfly.

Freshman Madiana Lofgren captured seventh for the Vaqueros in the 100 free while freshman Sarah Garcia swam a personal-best 57.16 in the event.

In the 200 breaststroke, sophomore Olivia Votava finished in seventh while freshman Diara Aleman set a new personal-best in the event with a 2:46.36.

Looking Back at the Prelims

The meet kicked off with the 200 backstroke where Stahl finished in third among all swimmers in the prelims with a then season-best 2:03.73. Freshman Lauren Uribe hit a personal-best 2:45.50 in the event.

The Vaqueros had eight swimmers compete in the 200 freestyle, Lofgren led the charge, finishing in seventh with a season-best 57.21. Garcia (57.95) hit a then personal-best while freshman Mia Gonzalez (59.38) and Audrey Trevino (1:00.00) earned season-best times. Freshman Caitlynn Rubio also set a new personal-best in the event with a 1:03.59.

In the 200 breaststroke, Votava secured a new school record and personal-best 2:32.60 to earn seventh while Aleman hit a then personal-best 2:47.87.

In the 200 butterfly, Rudelius finished in seventh to qualify for the “A” Final with a season-best 2:11.06 while Stahl finished in 10^th with a season-best 2:12.09. Freshman Alexia Gonzalez hit a personal-best in the event with a 2:53.69.

In the 400 freestyle relay, the team of Stahl, Lofgren, Votava, and Rudelius set a school-record, 3:42.91, for the “A” relay team while Uribe, sophomores Chloe Siegrist and AJ Rogers, and Gonzalez hit a season-best for the “B” relay team with a time of 3:58.86. Stahl’s leadoff split (55.49) set a season-best time for her in the 100 free.

The last event in the morning session was the finals for the 1650 freestyle where Votava (18:41.82) and Siegrist (18:46.58) finished with season-best times.

The Vaqueros next meet will be on Jan. 11, 2025, when they travel to Colorado for the Air Force Invite.

Final Team Scores
1. Idaho, 2737
2. Seattle U, 1477
3. Whitman College, 1011
4. UTRGV, 892
5. College of Idaho, 377

Sunday Final Results
200 backstroke
2. Annaleagh Stahl, 2:00.64
15. Lauren Uribe, 2:46.04

100 freestyle
7. Madiana Lofgren, 57.47
23. Sarah Garcia, 57.16

200 breaststroke
7. Olivia Votava, 2:36.17
21. Diara Aleman, 2:46.36

200 butterfly
6. Ida Rudelius, 2:11.30
11. Annaleagh Stahl, 2:12.31
13. Alexia Gonzalez, 2:35.95

Sunday Prelim Results
200 backstroke
1. Annaleagh Stahl, 2:03.73
18. Lauren Uribe, 2:43.50

100 freestyle
7. Madiana Lofgren, 57.21
22. Sarah Garcia, 57.95
25. AJ Rogers, 58.36
27. Mia Gonzalez, 59.38
28. Audrey Trevino, 1:00.00
31. Abygail Martinez, 1:03.20
32. Caitlynn Rubio, 1:03.59
33. Caitlyn Brown, 1:08.54

200 breaststroke
7. Olivia Votava, 2:32.68
20. Diara Aleman, 2:47.87

200 butterfly
7. Ida Rudelius, 2:11.06
10. Annaleagh Stahl, 2:12.09
18. Alexia Gonzalez, 2:35.03

400 freestyle relay
1. Annaleagh Stahl, Madiana Lofgren, Olivia Votava, Ida Rudelius, 3:42.91
2. Lauren Uribe, Chloe Siegrist, AJ Rogers, Mia Gonzalez, 3:58.86

1650 freestyle
8. Olivia Votava, 18:41.82
9. Chloe Siegrist, 18:46.58