SAN ANTONIO -- The University of the Incarnate Word synchronized swimming team swept the competition at the US Collegiate South Regionals meet on Saturday, taking first in every event for the High Point accolade with 104 points.
The Cardinals began the day honoring the dedication and commitment of seniors
Rebecca Barlow,
Alexandra McGee and
Lauren Rein.
CARDINALS GONE SWEEPING
UIW's three trio routines topped the podium, with the squad of Barlow, Kruger and McGee leading the pack with a first-place score of 78.4000.
In duet, Julianna Damico and
Natalia Vega had a strong swim in their flamenco-inspired routine for a score of 80.7667. UIW also took second (
Nour Shamala and
Rafaella Catharino, 75.2667), third (Barlow and McGee, 73.5667) and fourth (
Greta Hampson and
Adora Kruger, 73.3333) in the event.
Vega herself nabbed two more golds on the meet, topping the "A" Element competition with a score of 77.8525 and executing a confident solo swim to score 82.1000. Damico and Catharino rounded out the top three with element routine scores of 76.9263 and 75.1571, respectively.
Maintaining composure amidst injuries on the team, the Cardinals' two team routines came into the meet prepared for a solid swim, and that is what the teams had, with UIW taking first and second. The group of Barlow, Damico, McGee,
Amy Parker,
Hannah Ray, Rein and Vega swam their strong drumline-themed routine to a first-place score of 79.1667, while the Elvis-themed routine squad of Catharino,
Claire Ermer,
Nia Kostadinova, Kruger,
Lindsay Papper,
Sofia Puchniak, Shamala and
Leah Sterling scored a 76.6667.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals close in on the US Collegiate National championship, spanning from Mar. 26-29 in Mesa, Arizona. UIW will use these next few weeks to continue conditioning and fine tuning its focus on routine choreography.
FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit
uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.
For the latest information on the synchronized swimming team, follow the team on Twitter @UIWSynchroSwim and on Instagram @uiwsynchroswim.
