Little Rock Posts Record-Breaking Day Two at National Invitational Championship

Trojans set new program marks and advance multiple swimmers to finals on second day of competition

Mar. 14, 2026 at 2:53am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Little Rock Trojans swimming and diving team continued its strong performance at the National Invitational Championship on Friday, setting several program records and advancing multiple swimmers to finals events as the team built momentum heading into the final day of competition.

Why it matters

Little Rock's impressive showing at the national meet demonstrates the continued growth and competitiveness of the program, which has steadily improved its results at this prestigious event over the past few years.

The details

In the morning time trials, Little Rock swimmers set new personal and program bests, including Nelanee Fulton's second-fastest 100 butterfly time in school history, Anna Nishizaki's big drop in the 200 backstroke, and Lena Nikolaeva and Beatriz "BiBi" Comini Romero's strong performances in the 100 individual medley. The Trojans then built on that momentum in the evening finals, with Megan Stewart qualifying for the A final of the 400 individual medley and Olivia Elgin resetting her own school record in the 200 freestyle. The team also turned in strong relay results, including a 17th-place finish in the 200 medley relay and an 11th-place showing in the 800 freestyle relay.

  • The Trojans opened the day with several standout performances in the morning time trials on Friday.
  • In the evening session on Friday, Little Rock got off to a fast start in the 200 medley relay and continued its strong individual event results.

The players

Nelanee Fulton

A Little Rock swimmer who swam the second-fastest 100 butterfly in program history with a time of 56.74.

Anna Nishizaki

A Little Rock swimmer who delivered a huge drop in the 200 backstroke, touching in 2:06.94 after entering with a previous personal best of 2:14.39.

Lena Nikolaeva

A Little Rock swimmer who posted the second-fastest 100 individual medley time of her career at 59.39.

Beatriz "BiBi" Comini Romero

A Little Rock swimmer who broke the one-minute barrier in the 100 individual medley for the first time with a 59.71.

Nathan Townsend

The head coach of the Little Rock swimming and diving team.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Coming into this meet, our program had only ever had two A-finalists in its history. This morning we matched that with outstanding performances from Megan Stewart and Olivia Elgin.”

— Nathan Townsend, Head Coach

“Olivia also put together a huge swim in prelims, breaking her own school record and earning the top seed heading into tonight's final.”

— Nathan Townsend, Head Coach

“We also had some really strong relay performances, moving up several spots and scoring more points than we ever have before. It was even our first time swimming the 800 free relay at this meet, and that group turned in a great result with a high finish.”

— Nathan Townsend, Head Coach

“Through just the first two days of competition, we've already surpassed our previous program record for total points scored at this meet, which is a huge testament to the effort and competitiveness of this group.”

— Nathan Townsend, Head Coach

“I'm incredibly proud of how our ladies fought today and the way they continue to represent the Trojans.”

— Nathan Townsend, Head Coach

What’s next

Little Rock will close out competition on Saturday in Ocala. Preliminary action begins at 9:30 a.m. and will feature the 100 individual medley, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 400 freestyle relay. The distance session, including the 1000 and 1650 freestyle events, will conclude at 5 p.m. Finals are set to begin at 6 p.m. with the 1000/1650 freestyle, followed by the 100 individual medley, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly and 400 freestyle relay.

The takeaway

Little Rock's impressive performance at the National Invitational Championship demonstrates the continued growth and competitiveness of the program, which has steadily improved its results at this prestigious event over the past few years. The Trojans' record-breaking swims and multiple qualifiers for finals events highlight the team's depth and talent, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the meet on Saturday.