The University of Rhode Island women’s swim and dive team turned in its best finish at the Atlantic 10 Championship in a decade across the four-day meet, placing seventh overall.
“No negatives really from the week,” Rhode Island Head Coach Lilli Falconer Deering said. “Overall, I was really, really proud of the team and how they showed up for each other and celebrated each other.”
Rhody totaled 234 points, their most in the championship meet since 2014, while setting numerous personal and program-best times.
“Clearly, we improved a lot from where we were last year, and where we’ve been in the last 10 years,” Deering said. “That progress is always really helpful for the girls to see, as well as for us coaches to know that what we’re doing is working.”
The Rams’ first program record to fall came on day one in the 800-yard freestyle relay. The team of first-year Molly Beckwith, third-year Avery Potyrala, second-year Mary McCormick and fourth-year Rylee Kelly finished over two seconds ahead of the record with a time of 7:23.21.
“We were seeded very well for that relay, and I think it’s definitely our strongest relay,” Deering said. “It just proved to our girls that we can compete in those top heats with the rest of the conference and still do very well.”
With the record-setting relay, beating a time set in 2014, Rhode Island finished sixth to pick up 24 points for the team.
Rhode Island returned for day two, led by top-seeded fourth-year Olivia Winslow in the three-meter dive. Winslow ended a 25-year drought for the Rams, taking bronze with a score of 271.35 and earning the first diving medal for the program since 2001.
“I was really, really happy for her to reach that mark and to achieve a medal,” Deering said. “To be third on three-meter was just a huge, really cool accomplishment for her.”
While it was Winslow’s last time competing at the conference championship, the Rams had first-year Emily Whiteneck and second-year Kelsey Kreuscher also competing. Both could fill Winslow’s shoes to avoid another 25-year wait for more diving medals.
“Our diving program has continued to get better and better,” Deering said. “I think the drive is there and the proof is there that we can do it, so it’s anyone’s shot.”
Sitting in ninth, Rhode Island rose up the leaderboard on day three with 80 team points, led by Beckwith, accounting for 28 of the points in a career performance.
Beckwith brought home a second-place finish in 200-freestyle with a time of 1:49.17, but also broke a program record in the 100-yard butterfly.
In the prelims, she swam in 54.84 seconds to snap the previous mark set in 2018. In the event’s finals, she placed eighth with a time of 54.60 seconds to re-break the record.
“We knew Friday was going to be a big day for her,” Deering said. “I think there’s more to come for her, and I think she’s showing herself what she’s capable of, and I’m excited about what she can set her goals to be in the future.”
Third-year Logan Norrid followed in Beckwith’s footsteps on the final day of the championship as the Rams finished strong with 71 more points. Norrid shattered the program record in the 200-yard breaststroke in the prelims and finals, finishing in third with a time of 2:14.55.
“Logan’s definitely a really fierce competitor and has really high expectations for herself,” Deering said. “I think that that one was really kind of a fun surprise for everyone.”
Norrid crushed her lifetime best by almost two seconds before shaving more time off in the finals for the team’s third medal across the championship meet.
“We haven’t had anyone medal in an event since 2019,” Deering said. “To get three in one meet, I think that was really cool. There’s just a lot for me as a coach to be proud of.”
Wrapping up another year of improvement at the A-10 Championship in Deering’s fourth year as head coach, the program’s five graduating seniors hold a special place as her first recruiting class.
“They kind of took a leap of faith coming and being a part of this program in my first year as head coach,” Deering said. “They’ve turned out to be incredible leaders and role models for the rest of the girls. The group of them is definitely going to be missed.”
