Trahan Takes Home Top Honors, Podmanikova Sets SMU Record At AAC Championships

Wednesday, February 27

Indianapolis, Ind.

SMU

American Athletic Conference Championships

RESULTS Photo Gallery

Trahan Takes Home Top Honors, Podmanikova Sets SMU Record At AAC Championships

Mar 2 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Complete Results

Day One Recap | Day Two Recap | Day Three Recap

INDIANAPOLIS (SMU) – Junior Erin Trahan was named the American Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Swimmer after earning her third individual championship on the final night of the conference meet. The Mustangs finished third overall as a team with a final score of 599. Houston won the team championship at 916 and Cincinnati was second, just ahead of SMU at 604.5.

The Most Outstanding Swimmer honor is the third straight for SMU after Matea Samardzic earned the award in 2017 and 2018.

Trahan's third win came in the 200-yard butterfly where she lowered her NCAA B cut and became the program's second fastest performer of all-time at 1:56.44. It was the junior's first win at the 200 distance after earning back-to-back championships in the 100. Olivia Grossklaus joined Trahan to give the Mustangs a one-two finish, posting her own cut at 1:58.19.

Keiko Derikoletis got her first taste of conference final action and took 12th overall with a career time of 2:03.36.

Andrea Podmanikova was also a repeat winner on the final night, setting the SMU standard and a conference meet record in the 200-yard breaststroke. The sophomore finished nearly two seconds ahead of the field in an NCAA B Standard time of 2:08.66 to give her the conference sweep of breaststroke events. The previous record of 2:09.13 was posted in 2012 by Canadian Olympian and 100-yard NCAA All-American Rachel Nicol.

A pair of Mustangs scored in the 200 breast B Final, led by Fernanda Jiménez Peón who covered the distance in a career-best 2:16.44 for first. Elise Johnson was 16th overall.

Two-time podium finisher Felicity Passon ended her individual competition at the Championships with a fourth place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, dropping her season-best performance to 50.23. Sam Smith also advanced to the evening's A Final and picked up eighth place points for the Ponies in a time of 51.44.

Gabi Grobler was the top Mustang qualifier in the 200-yard backstroke, coming away with a personal-best time of 1:58.50, good for sixth place, while Kiley Vandevier was victorious in the event's Consolation Final with a career-best time of 1:59.23.

El Yellin capped off her career with a sixth place finish in the 1,650 freestyle in a time of 16:50.18. Annabelle Corcoran joined her in the event and finished in 17:08.00 for 11th.

Freshman Johanna Holloway posted a runner-up performance on platform to lead Mustang divers on the final night of the Championships. Holloway was once again over the NCAA Zone qualifying score of 225, finishing with a five-round 234.95. Taylor Ohlhauser was 12th overall, while Giovanna Hnath finished 17th.

Holloway has achieved the NCAA Zone score on both springboards as well, along with Ohlhauser and Katie Crown.

The event closed with a third place finish for Trahan, Passon, Grobler and Smith in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Trahan led off with a career-best 50.00 100 free to help the Mustangs to a time of 3:21.39.

Holloway, Crown and Ohlhauser will compete at the NCAA Zone D Championships in Austin, March 11-13, while Mustang swimmers will await selection for the NCAA Championships taking place March 20-23 also in Austin.