WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem swim team completed its second dual in as many days on Thursday, February 3rd, with a 71-63 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene in a virtual meet. The win, which marked the first in the collegiate head coaching career of Salem's Vavina Lapham, came less than 24 hours after her unit made the short trek to Meisenheimer, N.C., to face Pfeiffer on Wednesday afternoon.
Spirits, Cougars Clash for First Time in Program History
The two teams faced off in a virtual meet and Salem grabbed its first points when Olivia Nivens picked up nine points by defeating Alison Hartman in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:43.93. Teammate Kylie Clark followed that up with a first-place finish, the first of her collegiate career, in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:50.81.
Clark continued her solid performance in the 50 freestyle as she streaked down the pool in 42.72 to touch the wall in first, edging out Cassidy Turner (46.06) and Britney Robb (47.84) in the process. Clark claimed her third and final first place of the dual in the 100 freestyle (1:40.53), topping Turner (1:56.44) by just under 16 seconds in the 100 freestyle.
Abigail Hawkins' second-place finish in the 200 backstroke, which resulted in a time of 3:31.84, provided Salem with four points. Nivens followed that with a first-place for Salem in the 200 breaststroke, which she closed out in 3:56.72.
Nivens claimed her third first-place finish of the day in the 500 freestyle, tapping the wall in 8:18.32, while Hartman was second with a time of 9:24.97. Hawkins provided Salem with a 67-48 advantage on the team scoreboard by virtue of a first-place finish in the 100 butterfly, which came in a time of 1:50.65. She wrapped up the day, and secured the team victory, with her second-place outing in the 200 individual medley, closing in 3:37.57.
Nivens, Hawkins Claim First in Dual with Falcons
Salem's Abigail Hawkins and Olivia Nivens combined for three first-place finishes in Wednesday's dual against Pfeiffer.
The two first-place performances by Nivens marked the first in her collegiate career. The first of those came in the 200 breaststroke, where she posted a time of 3:59.00. That was quickly followed by a first-place finish in the 500 freestyle, where she touched the wall in 8:08.97. Nivens was also responsible for a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle, logging a time of 2:42.00, resulting in her fifth Top-3 performance of the 2021-22 season.
Hawkins, who entered the dual with six Top-3 finishes on the season, picked up her third first-place finish of the slate in the 200 backstroke with a mark of 3:34.77. Hawkins also competed in the 100 butterfly (1:46.34) and 200 individual medley (3:45.32), grabbing third in both events.
Kylie Clark also competed in three events at the dual for Salem, including the 100 backstroke, where she posted a personal-best time of 1:43.09 and finished fourth. Her best overall finish of the afternoon came in the 100 freestyle, where she touched the wall third in a time of 1:48.93. Clark returned to the pool in the 50 freestyle, placing fifth in the race, as she posted her second-best time of the season (40.60).
Salem will complete its final warm-up for the 2022 Sun Coast Conference Championship this weekend when the Spirits head to Swannanoa, N.C., to clash with William Peace and meet host Warren Wilson.