By Jessica Jimenez – Staff Writer
San Jose State swim team headed to Cleveland, Ohio for the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championship, a three-day meet with 57 teams competing at Cleveland State University’s F. Busbey Natatorium.
On opening day, senior Brenna Bushey swam her morning prelims heat in the 50-meter butterfly where she posted 24.05, once again breaking an SJSU record. The record was previously set by Ashlyn Acosta who clocked in at 25.63 back in 2011.
For the championship final 50-meter fly, Bushey came in at 24.06 putting her in a third place finish. The University of New Mexico freshman Hedda Øritsland posted a meet record win at 23.83 landing her in first place.
Bushey had a fourth place finish in the 50-meter backstroke and posted 25.18, four milliseconds away from a third place finish.
Swimming in the 200-meter freestyle relay, juniors Gabby Heng, Antoinette Loya, freshman Madelyn Sailors and Bushey used their forces and clocked in at 1:32.2 earning them fourth place.
Seniors Bushey, Taylor Lehr, junior Gabby Heng and freshman Chloe Limargo closed out the first night with the 400-meter medley relay coming in at 3:41.87 landing them in fifth place.
Team standings for day one totaled at 146.5 points placing SJSU in fourth position.
Day two, Bushey won a silver medal for the 100-meter fly touching the wall at 53.65, nearly 0.70 of a second from CSU Bakersfield freshman Autumn D’Arcy’s first place win in which she came in at 52.95.
Freshman Chloe Limargo swam the 100-meter breastroke clocking in at 1:02.37, a season best time that landed her in eighth place.
Competing in the 200-meter medley relay, Bushey, Lehr, Limargo and Sailors had a season best time of 1:40.87 that drove them into a fourth place finish with Sailors finishing as anchor.
Closing out Friday night, senior Kendal Guy, junior Katie McIntee, Lehr and Heng swam the 800-meter freestyle relay coming in for a fifth place finish at 7:20.88.
The Spartans standings totaled at 256.5 landing them in fourth place.
For the last and final day at championships, the University Akron took home first place with 637. 5 points. Rice University came in second place with 617.3 points. Florida International University landed in third place with 465.4 points and the Spartans ended up in sixth place position with 301.5 points.
SJSU ended their final night on Saturday with the 400-meter freestyle relay where Bushey, Lehr, Guy and Heng clocked in at 3:22.76 earning sixth place.
For the duration of the three-day meet, the Spartans remained in the top 10 qualifying finishers.
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