Kearney, Neb. – Freshman Oliva Forrest broke a 28-year hold record in the 200 individual medley to lead Nebraska-Kearney on the first day of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championships in Grand Junction, Colo.
The four-day meet is hosted by Colorado Mesa at the El Pomar Natatorium and features nine womens and five mens teams. Action resumes Thursday at 9:30 a.m. with preliminaries. Altitude conversions are in effect as Grand Junction sits at 4,593 feet.
Forrest (Danvers, Ill.) swam a converted 2:13.12 in the morning prelims to best the 2:13.79 Aqualoper great Yohara Salinas swam in March 1992. She went on to place 20th as she clocked a converted 2:12.26 in the evening finals. In December Forrest broke a 21-year old UNK mark in the 400 I.M. (4:50.33).
To close out the long day Forrest swam lead for UNKs “A” 200 medley relay team that came in seventh with a 1:50.53, good for 28 team points. That time also is a new school record, besting the 1:52.81 achieved in February 2016. The other swimmers joining Forrest were Grand Island freshman Hannah Wilson, Lincoln senior Mikara Feit and Kansas sophomore Claire Nash.
UNK picked up two more points when a “B” relay team came in 18th (2:04.26). Defending champion CMU leads (313.50 points) the team race with Colorado School of Mines second (151).
In other individual events Nash was 22nd in the 50 free with a time (24.67) just off her career best of 24.63. Norfolk freshman Audrey Stelling was 39th thanks to a 25.57 which is good to tie her for 10th place in Aqualoper lore. Finally Feit placed 27th (converted 11:32.90) and Omaha sophomore Emily Wheeler 31st (converted 12:45.29) in the 1,000 free.
