Liberty University Flames

The Liberty swimming & diving team claimed its fifth straight conference title, winning the 2023 CCSA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship, which finished on Saturday night at Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

The Lady Flames earned their sixth CCSA title in program history, with the first one coming in 2014 and the last five in succession. Liberty has now won the CCSA Championship every time it has been held at Allan Jones Aquatic Center (2014, 2020, 2023).

With its five straight CCSA titles, Liberty has tied FGCU (2009-13) for the most consecutive CCSA Championships won in league history.

Liberty won with 1,441.5 points, 102.5 points clear of second-place James Madison (1,339). Queens finished third with 1,119, followed by FGCU (931) and UNC Asheville (791).

Team Standings

Liberty – 1,441.5

James Madison – 1,339

Queens – 1,119

FGCU – 931

UNC Asheville – 791

Campbell - 546

Georgia Southern - 526

Old Dominion - 475

Gardner-Webb – 332

North Florida – 293.5

Bellarmine – 192

Liberty A Finalists

Fr. Isabelle Gomez – 1650 freestyle (2^nd place in 16:44.17)

Fr. Eden Troxell – 1650 freestyle (8^th place in 17:00.71)

So. Sydney Stricklin – 100 freestyle (4^th place in 49.96 – qualified in 49.84)

Jr. Abbie Shaw – 200 backstroke (1^st place in 1:55.44 – qualified in 1:56.63)

Sr. Eva Suggs – 200 backstroke (2^nd place in 1:56.40 – qualified in 1:58.71)

Jr. Sydney Houtz – 200 backstroke (5^th place in 1:59.01 – qualified in 1:58.40)

Jr. Genna Joyce – 200 breaststroke (2^nd place in 2:12.66 – qualified in 2:14.73)

Jr. Heather Gardner – 200 breaststroke (3^rd place in 2:12.94 – qualified in 2:15.89)

Sr. Jessica Schellenboom – 200 breaststroke (4^th place in 2:15.82 – qualified in 2:16.52)

Jr. Maddie Freece – One-meter diving (6) (3^rd place in 295.25 – qualified in 281.65)

So. Meagan Tuohy – 200 breaststroke (6^th place in 268.20 – qualified in 256.15)

400 freestyle relay – 2^nd place in 3:19.37 (Eva Suggs (49.55), Sydney Stricklin (49.95), Abbie Shaw (49.74), Shelby Kahn (50.13))

Notable

Liberty posted 12 top-eight finishes on Saturday night, including one event victory, seven podium finishes and four NCAA B cuts. For the meet, Liberty earned 37 A Finals, 22 podiums, five event victories, six NCAA B cuts and three NCAA Zone Qualifying scores.

Liberty 13^th-year head coach Jake Shellenberger was voted CCSA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. It is his fifth Coach of the Year honor and second in a row.

Suggs finished her career a perfect 12-for-12, qualifying for A Finals in all of her events over her four-year CCSA Championships career. Also, she is tied for second in program history with nine total CCSA podium finishes, joining former teammate Emma Hazel (2019-22). They trail only Alicia Finnigan (2016-19), who earned 10 career conference medals.

Liberty went 1-2 in the 200 backstroke, led by Abbie Shaw, who won in NCAA B cut time of 1:55.44. She was followed in second by Eva Suggs (B cut 1:56.40). Liberty also extended its CCSA winning streak in the 200 backstroke to six years.

Shaw earned two event victories this week, the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke. This is the fourth year in a row that a Lady Flame has won both backstroke events, as Payton Keiner did so in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Shaw won the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke this week along with a third-place finish in the 100 butterfly. That gives her five CCSA podium finishes for her career.

Liberty took second through fourth in the 200 breaststroke, in Genna Joyce (NCAA B cut 2:12.66), Heather Gardner (NCAA B cut 2:12.94) and Jessica Schellenboom (2:15.82). Joyce (400 IM, 200 breaststroke) and Gardner (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke) both earned two podium finishes this week.

Gomez led off the finals with a runner-up finish in the 1650 freestyle, swimming 16:44.17 in the afternoon heats. That time beat all but champion Sophie Lange of Queens from the evening final. Freshman classmate Eden Troxell finished eighth in 17:00.71.

In one of the closest relay finishes in CCSA history, Queens won the 400 free relay in 3:19.33, followed by Liberty in second (3:19.37) and James Madison in third (3:19.94).

Freece earned her fifth career CCSA podium finish, scoring 295.25 for third place in one-meter A Final.

Historically Speaking

Suggs’ 1:56.40 from tonight’s 200 backstroke A Final ranks third on the program’s all-time top 10 performers list. Houtz moved into seventh in program history with her 1:58.40 in prelims, becoming the seventh Lady Flame to break 1:59 in the event all-time.

Joyce now ranks second in program history in 200 breaststroke (2:12,66). Gardner moved into fourth place at 2:12.94. They are the third and fourth Lady Flames to break 2:13 in the 200 breaststroke.

Tuohy movers into fifth place in program history in one-meter diving with her 268.20 from tonight. Mumau is now 10^th place after scoring 234.20 in prelims.

Gomez ranks third in program history in the 1650 freestyle with her 16:44.57 today. Her 10:08.73 for the opening 1000 freestyle ranks fifth.

The Lady Flames’ 400 freestyle relay time of 3:19.37 ranks second in program history.

Suggs’ 49.55 leadoff leg of the 400 free relay ranks fifth all-time at Liberty for 100 free.

Up Next

Liberty’s qualified divers will compete in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, March 7-9 in Annapolis, Md.

Schedule

Liberty Earns 5th CCSA Title in a Row