Barbourville, KY – Sophomore Maria Basto has continue her strong season breaking a school as the sixth-ranked Patriots women's swimming & diving team notched five wins on the second day of competition at the Bulldogs Invitational Saturday night.  The Patriots have scored 1048 points to remain atop the team standings.

Basto, who won the 200 IM on day one, followed that up by clipping the "A" standard in and earning the top seed in the 100 back prelims with a time of 57.42. The Bogota, Colombia native followed that up in the finals by pulling away from the field and clocking a 57.28, which is not only a career-best but is also a new school record breaking Christina Klouda's mark of 57.33 set in 2019.  Basto's time is the second fastest in the NAIA this season.

A trio of Patriots also clipped the provisional standard in the 100 back. Anastasiia Shatalova clocked a 1:00.85 to place third, Liberty Poley finished fourth with a 1:01.30, and Emilia Martinez Morales went 1:02.28 to place sixth.

Recording her first individual win of the meet Isabella Cooksey posted the fastest time in both the prelims and finals in the 400 IM.  The Waco, KY native pulled away from the field to clock a 4:43.14 and win the event by three seconds.  That time is the fourth fastest time in the NAIA this season.

UC depth in that event was on full display as Sara Overly clocked a 4:49.90 to place fourth, while Allison Lovell recorded a season-best time of 4:54.00 to finish fifth.  Jami Margolen placed seven with a mark of 4:56.82 as all four Cumberlands swimmers achieved the provisional cut.

Emma Lehmkuhl tallied a pair of wins in diving for UC.  The freshman won the three-meter dive competition with a score of 191.80 on Friday, before take first place on the one-meter board with a score of 191.75. Both of those marks clips the national qualifying score.

In the 200 free, Cumberlands put a quartet of swimmers into the top eight.  Ali Pecore led the charge with a runner-up finish and posting a 1:54.43 in the finals.  Hanne te Velthuis went 1:54.88 in the prelims and placed fourth in the finals, as those two marks rank second and third, respectfully, in the NAIA.  Aurora Stavoy touched the wall in 1:58.72 to finish fifth, while Leah Thomas notched a seventh place finish with a time of 1:59.60. 

The Patriots added a pair of third place finishes on the day.  Izzy Jackson went 1:00.22 in the 100 butterfly, while Kayana Cook clocked a 1:08.64 in the 100 breast.  Ashley Shoenlein and Kaisey Speck went 1:098.23 and 1:10.67, respectfully, to clip the NAIA provisional standard.

Cumberlands closed out the day with Basto, Pecore, Cooksey, and Thomas teaming up to go 7:51.64 to win the 800 free relay.  That mark is the fastest time in the NAIA this season.

The Patriots will return to the water Sunday, November 21, for the final day of competition at the Bulldogs Invitational.  Prelims are set to begin at 10 a.m. with finals starting at 6 p.m.

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