Vanderbilt Swimming defeated North Florida 160-101 at Centennial Sportsplex to open the 2025-26 season. The Commodores were dominant, claiming the top spot in eight of 14 events. Sophomore Aubrey Hull once again headlined the team’s efforts, but she was complemented by some new faces as well.
A team of Hull, Emily Constable, Ellie Butler and Olivia Solimine won the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 1:46.97, outtouching North Florida’s A-relay by just five-hundredths of a second.
Sophomore Merritt Zieminick kept the momentum going by winning the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 10:40.10. She was joined on the podium by Madelyn Porter, who finished in 10:51.69. First-year Elayne Chen touched the wall in 1:55.36 to claim first in the 200 free. Kate Heintz wasn’t far behind, finishing in 1:57.45 to take third.
Hull made quick work of the 50 backstroke, coming in at 26.51 to win the event. Quinlan Hinerfeld and Sadie Suppiger finished in times of 27.22 and 27.75, respectively, to complete the sweep.
Constable was narrowly outtouched in the 50 breaststroke, but she and teammate Melissa Cowen still took second and third place with times of 30.00 and 30.49, respectively. Heintz (57.88) and Butler (58.10) did the same in the 100 butterfly.
First-year Lane Gooding put the Commodores back on top in the 50 free with a time of 24.44 before turning right around to compete in the 100 free, where she placed second with a time of 53.98.
Hull continued her backstroke dominance by winning the 100, coming into the wall at 57.53. Hinerfeld (58.50) and Suppiger (58.73) once again accompanied Hull to sweep the event. An Osprey finished first in the 100 breast, but Cowen (1:05.63) and Constable (1:06.42) took second and third, respectively.
The Commodores completed another sweep in the 500 free. Chen won her second event of the meet by finishing in 5:10.37. Zieminick followed at 5:14.92 with Porter close behind at 5:15.41.
Meredith DiPasquale and Jenna Ravarino were the top finishers for Vanderbilt in the 50 fly, taking second and third with times of 26.46 and 26.62, respectively. Transfer Natalie Strongyli took first in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:35.83, and Bailey Ratzburg (4:36.56) followed her closely. North Florida won the final event, the 400 free relay, but Vanderbilt’s A-relay of Hull, Gooding, Butler and Solimine wasn’t far behind, finishing in 3:35.71.
Vanderbilt Swimming will hit the road to face Missouri for its first SEC meet of the season on Nov. 1.
