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
Originally published by ONU Athletics at onutigers.com
