History was made at the Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium as Marshall Swimming & Diving hosted in-state rival West Virginia University.
The highly anticipated “Duel in the Pool” lived up to its name with both programs battling it out until the final event. Despite falling narrowly by a 212–208 margin, the Thundering Herd turned in one of the strongest performances in program history, recording several all-time top-10 times.
“This is what swimming and dual meets should be all about,” Marshall head coach Ian Walsh said. “Head-to-head, two rivals for the first time ever going punch for punch, coming down to the last relay.”
Marshall opened the night with a standout performance in the 400-yard medley relay as the team of Kseniia Luniushina, Madelyn Akin, Lauren McNamara and Elyse Wood set a new pool record and registered the second-fastest time in program history at 3 minutes, 39.28 seconds. The performance had the Natatorium full of energy and set the tone for an evening that was packed with intensity and personal bests.
“I think the rivalry between Marshall and WVU will carry over with every sport,” local fan Pam Francis said. “There’s a great crowd here today, so it’s wonderful for these girls to get that recognition.”
Freshman Madison Emment made a memorable collegiate debut, winning the 1000 freestyle with the fourth-fastest time in program history with a time of 10:04.24. She continued her breakout performance by placing second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:52.46, also the fourth-fastest time in school history, and winning the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:49.49, the fifth-fastest mark ever for the Herd. Emment also excelled in the 200 freestyle relay, joining Luniushina, Wood and Karley Wolfgram to clinch first place with a time of 1:33.73.
“It’s pretty intense,” Emment said about the Marshall and WVU rivalry. Emment, a London, England native, was unaware of the long-time rivalry before coming to Marshall. “I know how much it means to the team in the time that I have been here.”
The Herd continued to dominate in other swim events as well. Wood claimed victories in both the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle skins events while Luniushina swept the 50 backstroke skins and 100 backstroke. Luniushina earned the first rank in the 100 backstroke record book with her time of 52.49 last season.
Several Herd swimmers were able to etch their names into the program record book this season as well. Sophomore Abby Adams recorded the 10th-fastest time in program history in the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.73 while Molly Warner captured a win in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:01.96.
The Herd’s divers fell in comparison to WVU and were led by Ella Houk, who placed fifth on the 1-meter diving with a score of 212.63. Marshall’s diving team finished with a combined score of 215.33, according to HerdZone.
The historic meet also drew attention from outside the university. Popular swimming social media personality Kyle Sockwell attended as part of his Dual Meet Tour, which brought visibility to the event online.
The Duel in the Pool not only marked a milestone for Marshall, but also for swimming in the state of West Virginia, bringing together the state’s two Division I programs in an exciting and competitive showcase.
Marshall will return to the water Oct. 24–25 for a tri-meet in Athens, Ohio, where the Herd will face Ohio and Buffalo.
Ella Hatfield can be contacted at [email protected]
