Houston, TX- The University of St. Thomas swimming team stayed local in Houston, facing Rice University at the Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center. After nearly a month away from the competitive atmosphere, the Celts returned to the pool with confidence and energy, pushing through the meet with strong support from both teammates and coaches.

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On the men's side, Tanner McKay delivered an impressive day in the breaststroke events. McKay claimed first place in both the 50-yard Breaststroke and the 100-yard Breaststroke. He capped off his performance with a second-place finish in the 200-yard Breaststroke. Benjamin Tercero dominated the backstroke events, sweeping all three races. Tercero took first in the 50-yard Backstroke, followed by wins in the 100-yard Backstroke and the 200-yard Backstroke. Oliver Spencer continued the strong showing for the Celts with a clean sweep of the freestyle events. Spencer earned first place in the 50-yard Freestyle, followed by victories in the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle, showcasing both speed and endurance.

On the women's side, Kelsy Elgar raced across the freestyle events, finishing fourth in both the 50-yard Freestyle and 100-yard Freestyle, and ninth in the 200-yard Freestyle. Ava Verret turned in solid breaststroke performances throughout the meet, placing sixth in the 50-yard Breaststroke, fifth in the 100-yard Breaststroke, and fourth in the 200-yard Breaststroke.

Overall, the Celts showed resilience and depth in their return to competition, using the home meet against Rice as an important step in regaining race rhythm and building momentum for the remainder of the season.

Up Next:
The Celts will continue their season as they prepare for the next upcoming competition, taking on both Centenary and Austin College as they travel to Shreveport, Louisiana. The meet will take place Saturday, January 17th. Stay tuned for updates and coverage on ustcelts.com and the UST Swimming social media platforms.