The women’s championship, four new brands, and 29 medals was the positive result of the Swimming Championships of the Interuniversity Athletic League (LAI).
By Nicole Ortiz Marrero
Integrated Communications
The drought ended. Twelve years of hard work for #TeamSagrado to taste again the victory. The stands full of fury: the women’s team brought home the Swimming Championships of the LAI.
The dolphins accumulated 206 points to dethrone the three time consecutive champions from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Rio Piedras campus, which this year only achieved 171 obtaining the third place, the Tigresas of the Interamerican University with 141 (2nd).
The president of the University, Gilberto J. Marxuach Torros, lived the historic moment with our sagrats.
“This is the culmination of a year of hard work and effort on behalf of our dolphins who have left everything in the pool. We are extremely proud of their performance. Thank you to all of their coaches, support team, the Athletic Activities department and the Dean of Student Affairs for contributing to this historic moment. Today we truly demonstrate that a dolphin never surrenders, “said Marxuach Torros.
Four LAI scores were added to the female victories in the hands of the rookie Marissa Lugo. The first in the 100 meters chest with 1: 13.60, then the 200 meters chest with 2: 39.46. I shared the podium with the dolphin Jadiana Pérez, who won bronze, In both events.
It was also incredible to know that the 200 meters combined with 2: 22.17, and the 400 meters combined with 5: 03.88, were marks established 20 years ago by the past dolphin Sonia Alvarez. Fatima Flores also took the podium with silver and bronze medals, respectively.
“It wasn’t easy, but we worked to achieve it and the results are the example. We are super happy for bringing this championship home after twelve years. I feel proud to be part of this group and I am super excited for what the future holds”, explained Marissa excitedly.
The harvest continued. In the 400 meters free, Fatima and Eleonora Capannelli obtained gold and silver medals, respectively. The feat was repeated in the 800 and 1500 free meters.
Also, another historic moment was the relay of 200 combined meters that for the first time was reached by the Sagrado team. The arm strokes were by Nicole Reyes, Alyssa Viner, Fatima and Jadiana. The gold was repeated in the 800 meter freestyle relay, this time with Fatima, Jadiana, Marissa and Eleonora.
In the 400-meter free relay we reached silver, this time with Marissa, Fatima, Eleonora and Alyssa.
Excellent representation in the male branch
In the male branch our dolphins also showed off. Veteran Cherly Sánchez got the gold in the 200 meter butterfly; two silvers in the combined 200 meters and back, and a bronze in the 100 meters back.
The rookie Antony Useche won the gold in the 1500 meters free, three silver in the 200 meters butterfly, and in the 400 and 800 meters free. The bronze in the 400 meters combined.
“It took 170 thousand meters, 685 hours and 114 days of training. I am proud of my boys, not because of the medals they wear on their chest, but because of how they achieved it and what they learned along the way of that conquest “, concluded the athletic director Mari Batista.
Thank you for your effort dolphins, today all Sagrado celebrates with you!