Incarnate Word picked up a pair of victories on day two of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) swimming and diving championships Thursday to remain within striking distance of team leader Grand Canyon.

One of the wins might have been predicted while the other came out of the blue.  Tamiris Nascimento won the 50-meter freestyle in a time of 23.21 which lowered the UIW school mark, a record she already owned from the UIW Invitational in December.  And the win was in the event where she won a Division II national title last spring and the event she has not lost in almost a year's time.

The second win came in the 500-freestyle on the strength and determination of Molly Freeman.  Swimming as far back as fourth with 50 meters to go Freeman turned on the burners to win in 4:58.35.  “They beat me all the time in this event,” Freeman said.  “But I said 'not tonight'”.

UIW Coach Phillip Davis put it more bluntly.  “She was just meaner than all the others.  Winning meant more to Molly than it did to the other swimmers.”

On the night's slate of five women's events the Cardinals also got a second place finish in the 200-freestyle relay when the foursome of Nascimento, Lana Nguyen, Adrienne Morrow and Joy Turner touched in 1:34.28, another school mark.  Morrow had a time of 2:08.05 in the 200-IM and that too was good for second.

In the final event of the night, the 400-medley relay, the Cardinals again came home in second with a time of 3:51.53.  That group included Kelsey Cooke, Celeste Morgan, Turner and Nascimento.

The meet continues at the Aquatic Center at Palo Alto College on Friday with three more sessions.  Swimming prelims are at 9:30 a.m., diving prelims at 1 p.m. and swimming finals at 5 p.m.

THURSDAY RESULTS