TWO TIGERS WIN NATIONAL TITLES AT NAIA SWIM & DIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A pair of Tigers won individual national titles as the Olivet Nazarene University men's & women\s swimming & diving teams competed at the 2024 NAIA National Championships Wednesday through Saturday at the Columbus Aquatic Center.
Halle Briner became a national champion Thursday night when she took down the 200-yard individual medley, touching the wall first at 2:05.08. She knocked two full seconds off her preliminary time to pick up the win. Then Saturday night, freshman Kayla Parry collected a gold medal in the 200-yard butterfly with a winning time of 2:03.92.
Briner added two more All-American finishes, finishing runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.09) before placing sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (52.06). Also finishing as a three-time All-American at the 2024 championships was Julie Vega, who placed fourth in all three of her individual events: 50-yard freestyle (23.53), 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.90), 200-yard breaststroke (2:15.62).
ONU finished the championships with 11 NAIA All-Americans, netting nine on the women's side and a pair for the men, while the women added five All-American relays. A total of 23 Tigers earned a top-16 finish. The ONU men tallied 118 points to place 11th, while the women racked up 315 points to take fourth overall.
NAIA National Champions
Halle Briner - 200-yard IM - 2:05.08
Kayla Parry - 200-yard butterfly - 2:03.92
NAIA All-Americans (individual)
Halle Briner - 200-yard IM - 2:05.08 - 1st place
Kayla Parry - 200-yard butterfly - 2:03.92 - 1st place
Halle Briner - 200-yard freestyle - 1:52.09
Julie Vega - 50-yard freestyle - 23.53 - 4th place
Julie Vega - 100-yard breaststroke - 1:02.90 - 4th place
Julie Vega - 200-yard breaststroke - 2:15.62 - 4th place
Taylor King - 400-yard IM - 4:36.70 - 6th place
Halle Briner - 100-yard freestyle - 52.06 - 6th place
Mason Beall - 1650-yard freestyle - 16:18.47 - 7th place
Jack Fries - 200-yard IM - 1:53-12 - 8th place
Katelyn Inman - 200-yard backstroke - 2:08.31 - 8th place
NAIA All-American Relays
Women's 400-yard medley relay: Paige Howell, Julie Vega, Ashley Parry, Halle Briner - 3:52.36 - 3rd place
Women's 200-yard medley relay: Paige, Howell, Julie Vega, Ashley Parry, Halle Briner - 145:81 - 4th place
Women's 800-yard freestyle relay: Halle Briner, Grace Barnhart, Taylor King, Katelyn Inman - 7:44.70 - 5th place
Women's 200-yard freestyle relay: Julie Vega, Ashley Parry, Taylor King, Halle Briner - 1:37.09 - 7th place
Women's 400-yard freestyle relay: Halle Briner, Ashley Parry, Katelyn Inman, Julie Vega - 3:31.71 -7th place
Top-16 Finishes
Women's 500-yard freestyle" Grace Barnhart - 5:10.35 - 10th place; Katelyn Inman - 5:14.21 - 15th place
Men's 500-yard freestyle: Mason Beall - 4:38.50 - 14th place
Women's 200-yard IM: Halle Briner - 2:05.08 - 1st place
Men's 200-yard IM: Jack Fries - 1:53.12 - 8th place
Women's 50-yard freestyle: Julie Vega - 23.53 - 4th place
Women's 200-yard freestyle relay: Julie Vega, Ashley Parry, Taylor King, Halle Briner - 1:37.09- 7th place
Men's 200-yard freestyle relay: Timothy Braun, Mason Beall, Oliver Shead, Jack Fries - 1:23.87 - 9th place
Women's 400-yard IM: Taylor King - 4:36.70 - 6th place; Kayla Parry - 4:33.59 - 9th place
Women's 200-yard freestyle: Halle Briner - 1:52.09 - 2nd place
Women's 100-yard breaststroke: Julie Vega - 1:02.90 - 4th place
Women's 100-yard backstroke: Paige Howell - 58.68 - t-12th place, Katelyn Inman - 58.68 - t-12th place
Men's 100-yard backstroke: Jack Fries - 50.63 - 12th place
Women's 400-yard medley relay: Paige Howell, Julie Vega, Ashley Parry, Halle Briner - 3:52.36 - 3rd place
Men's 400-yard medley relay: Jack Fries, Mason Beall, Oliver Shead, Timothy Braun - 3:27.97 - 11th place
Women's 1650-yard freestyle: Grace Barnhart - 18:08.95 - 12th place
Men's 1650-yard freestyle: Mason Beall - 16:18.47 - 7th place
Men's 200-yard backstroke: Jack Fries - 1:50.79 - 12th place
Women's 100-yard freestyle: Halle Briner - 52.06 - 6th place
Men's 100-yard freestyle: Timothy Braun - 45.94 - 15th place
Women's 200-yard butterfly: Kayla Parry - 2:03.92 - 1st place; Taylor King - 2:13.87 - 15th place
Women's 400-yard freestyle relay: Halle Briner, Ashley Parry, Katelyn Inman, Julie Vega - 3:31.71 -7th place
Men's 400-yard freestyle relay: Jack Fries, Timothy Braun, Oliver Shead, Mason Beall - 3:04.89 - 10th place
--ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu
