Complete Results
DENTON, Texas - Aimee Burton won a pair of events and the NM State women's swimming & diving team made a strong push at the end but it wasn't enough to overcome a great start by North Texas as the Aggies dropped a 179-118 dual meet to the Mean Green Saturday afternoon Pohl Recreation Center & PEB Natatorium Saturday afternoon.
DIVING
• Junior Italia Aranzabal posted runner-up finishes in both the one-meter (263.93) and three-meter (281.48) diving events. In three-meter diving, Kate Malinowski (231.68) and Casey Schmidt (221.03) finished third and fourth respectively to help NM State grab nine of a possible 18 points in that event.
SWIMMING
• North Texas won each of the first six events to build up an early lead with the Aggies' best finish through that stretch coming in the 100-yard backstroke where Lindsay Puhalski (59.14) grabbed a runner-up spot.
• Burton secured a triumph in the 50-yard freestyle (24.27) and top-five finishes by both Airam Oliva-Aun (24.63, third) and Lauren Hemburrow (25.26, fifth) allowed NM State to lock up 13 of a possible 19 points in the meet's shortest event.
• Oliva-Aun (53.48) and Neza Kocijan (54.04) put forth great outings in the 100-yard freestyle to help NM State notch first and second-place finishes in that event.
• The last of Burton's two victories on the afternoon came in the 100-yard butterfly (57.60) and she was followed closely by Rachel Ponte (58.39) who grabbed a runner-up finish.
• During the final individual event of the afternoon, Puhalski earned the title in the 400-yard IM, finishing nearly six seconds ahead of the runner-up competitor with a time of 4:31.11.
• Burton, Kocijan, Oliva-Aun and Natalia Villa helped NM State finish the dual meet on a good note by picking up a championship finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:36.68).
QUOTABLE | HEAD COACH RICK PRATT
"This was a very challenging road trip for our team and despite the losses we're coming home with a good experience and many learned lessons. This season we wanted to race as much as possible to help us prepare us for the end of the year. We faced two strong programs and learned how to compete through some adversity on the road and that will make us better down the stretch. We've got another hard week of practice before our mid-season invite where I think we'll be ready to do some special things."
COMING UP NEXT
• St. George, Utah, is the Aggies' next destination as NM State preps for the Dixie State Trailblazer Invitational. The three-day meet is set for Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 18-20.
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