McMurray earns All-American recognition at NAIA Championships

Emma McMurray became the second Mustang in TMU Aquatics history to earn NAIA All-American honors, doing so in the 100-yard fly at the NAIA Swimming & Diving Championships.
 
Her time of 56.99 seconds placed her fourth, the highest-ever individual finish by a Mustang at the national championships. That mark improved her preliminary time by .03 seconds, moving her up from fifth place in the prelims to fourth in the finals.
 
"It was a great day for us as a team with a highest-ever finish and All-American performance from Emma McMurray," Master's Interim Head Coach Curren Bates said. "We had top-16 swims from JT, Kugler and Nilton as well."
 
JT Sears finished 11th overall and third in the 'B' final of the men's 200-yard freestyle (1:42.20) after placing 15th in the prelims.
 
Nilton Dos Santos de Oliveira placed 14th overall and sixth in the 'B' final of the men's 100-yard fly, touching the wall in 50.71 seconds, to jump up a spot after the prelims.
 
David Kugler finished 16th overall and eighth in the 'B' final of the men's 400-yard IM in a time of 4:26.76.
 
The women's 200-yard medley relay of Allyn-Ashley Bennett, Cassandra O'Connor, McMurray and Lezly Plahn placed 17th in a time of 1:52.24.
 
Xavier Gutierrez just missed out on a spot in the men's 200-yard freestyle 'B' final, finishing 18th in the prelims (1:44.01), with Dos Santos de Oliveira placing 36th in the same event (1:48.24).
 
Plahn finished 24th in the women's 200-yard free (1:59.13), while McMurray placed 25th in the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.91).
 
After the first three of four days of the national championships, the Mustang men are in 16th place with 32 points, while the women are in 18th with 33 points. Master's is ranked 17th in the combined team standings (65 points).
 
"We are in a great position heading into our final day," Bates said. "For a new program with our short history we are definitely punching above our weight."
 
The NAIA Swimming & Diving Championships conclude on Saturday with a morning session at 6 a.m. PST / 9 a.m. EST followed by an evening session 2 p.m. PST / 5 p.m. EST.