North Florida earns second place in home contest, makes 26 podium finishes

North Florida earns second place in home contest, makes 26 podium finishes Categories: Latest Latest Stories Sports Swimming North Florida earns second place in home contest, makes 26 podium finishes Rachel Bacchus, Sports Reporter | Oct 12, 2026 Rachel Bacchus The North Florida Ospreys put on a solid performance at the North Florida Invite, earning 26 podium finishes. The University of North Florida Ospreys finished in second place at the North Florida Invite on Oct. 9–10 at the UNF Competition Pool Complex. UNF competed against the Little Rock Trojans, Georgia Southern Eagles and UNC Pembroke Braves. The Ospreys logged 26 podium finishes across 25 events. Day One The meet opened with the 200-yard medley relay. After UNF’s A team was disqualified, the B team — senior Amanda Loomis, junior Kendall Butler, junior Caroline Costantini and Brooke Bourn — earned second place with a time of 1:46.08. In the 500-yard freestyle, the Ospreys placed second and third. Senior Amanda Ulicny finished in 4:55.43, while freshman Payton Griffin clocked in at 4:59.69. UNF claimed its first victory in event nine, when senior Ashley Kirby took first place in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 28.99 seconds. Senior Kayla Daley followed up in event 10, winning the 100-yard butterfly in 55.19 seconds, more than a second ahead of the runner-up. The Ospreys finished the first night in second place with 133.5 points. Little Rock led with 179 points, while Georgia Southern (51 points) and UNC Pembroke (40.5 points) followed in third and fourth place. Day Two Day two opened with the 400-yard medley relay, where UNF narrowly missed first place. In the 1,000-yard freestyle, Griffin, sophomore Grace Burton, and Ulicny swept the podium. The match developed into a tight contest between UNF and Little Rock as both teams traded top finishes. Little Rock eventually pulled ahead, recording 21 podium finishes on the final day. UNF placed second overall in the North Florida Invite with 274.5 points. Little Rock took first place with 378 points, Georgia Southern placed third with 107 points and UNCP finished fourth with 85.5 points. The Ospreys will next travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at the Morcom Aquatic Center. For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected]. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment More to Discover More in Latest 'Suits and Sneakers': UNF Athletics hosts 10th annual fundraising bash Lend-A-Wing food pantry sees surge in student visits this fall UNF Senate addresses attendance, sustainability and student success Hurricane Isaias prompts schedule shifts for UNF teams and Sporting JAX matches More in Latest Stories Hurricane Isaias intensifies into Category 3 storm Tropical Storm Isaias forms in the Gulf: What UNF students need to know The Gay Bar Issue: Queer establishments in Jacksonville at risk of closure How one UNF professor survived a heart condition and began raising money to help others More in Sports UNF men’s flag football goes 1-2 against Tampa and USF, sets sights on Georgia tournament Ospreys swoop up back-to-back victories Soccer seniors shine as Ospreys dominate Trinity College on senior night Two UNF soccer stars nominated for prestigious MAC Hermann trophy About the Contributor Rachel Bacchus, Sports Reporter Rachel Bacchus is a sophomore at UNF and is the current sports reporter. She also volunteers as a photographer, radio DJ, and production member.