CLEVELAND, Ohio - San José State women's swimming and diving closed out their 2019-20 season at the National Invitational Championships, hosted by Cleveland State. The event was intended to last through Saturday, but was shortened after the first day of competition due to NCAA regulations regarding COVID-19.
Before the cancelation, however, the Spartans had a terrific day in the pool, racking up five spots on the school's all-time top-10 list. Chloe Limargo led the charge with a new school record in the 50 yard breaststroke.
Limargo, a native of Lynnwood, Washington, finished 14th in the 50 breast final with a time of 29.08, besting teammate Rebecca Petoe's school record set last month at the Mountain West Championships (29.21).
As a team, SJSU finished 12th out of 33.
Two of the top-10 fastest times were swam in the 50 yard butterfly as Antoinette Loya swam the No. 2 time and Violani Auva'a clocked the No. 4 time. Loya swam the B Final in 24.68 to finish second in the heat and 12th overall. Auva'a's time was in the morning's preliminary. She finished 19th in the final with a time of 25.30. Petoe also competed and finished just behind Loya in 14th with a time of 25.13.
Auva'a also swam her way to another top-10 fastest time in the 50 yard backstroke, finishing the prelim in 26.31, the ninth-fastest in program history.
The 200 freestyle relay of Loya, Gabby Heng, Katie McIntee and Madelyn Sailors, finished third in the event by swimming the fourth-fastest time in program history of 1:31.69.
The Spartans' best event as a whole was the 50 freestyle as all three individuals qualified for the final and finished in the top-15. Heng took seventh (23.18), Sailors took eighth (23.22) and Loya finished 15th (23.43).
The end of Thursday's competition marks the end of the Spartans' season. SJSU finished 2019-20 with a duals meet record of 5-2-1.
Full Spartan Swimmer Results:
200 Freestyle Relay
1. University of Akron – 1:30.64# - CSCAA Record
3. SJSU (Loya, Heng, McIntee, Sailors) – 1:31.69
50 Butterfly Final
1. Sarah Watson (Akron) – 23.58# - CSCAA Record
12. Antoinette Loya – 24.68
14. Rebecca Petoe – 25.13
19. Violani Auva'a – 25.30
50 Breaststroke Final
1. Sara Gyertyanffy (Florida International) – 28.02# - CSCAA Record
14. Chloe Limargo – 29.08
50 Breaststroke Prelim
25. Chloe Limargo – 29.47
28. Rebecca Petoe – 29.54
500 Freestyle Prelim
38. Erin Wayman – 5:04.42
50 Backstroke Final
1. Kate Afanasyeva (UNLV) – 24.79
20. Violani Auva'a – 26.88
200 IM Prelim
30. Kate Hanf – 2:05.59
37. Rebecca Petoe – 2:06.53
50 Freestyle
1. Sofia Henell (Akron) – 22.77
7. Gabby Heng – 23.18
8. Madelyn Sailors – 23.22
15. Antoinette Loya – 23.43
400 Medley Relay
1. Akron – 3:34.94
18. SJSU (Auva'a, Hanf, Heng, Wayman) – 3:50.67