Senior Sonia Perez helped FIU cap what is arguably its best swim season ever. Perez was named Conference-USA Swimmer of the Year, as voted upon by all the C-USA coaches.
Perez was the only C-USA swimmer to qualify for the finals and score at the NCAA Championships. Perez, an Honorable Mention All-American, swam in the 200 IM, 400 IM and the 200 backstroke at the NCAA Championships.
A two-time C-USA Swimmer of the Week, Perez was a conference champion in the 400 IM and rode an undefeated streak in all meets up until competing at the NCAA Championships. Her 400 IM time at the C-USA Championships set a new championship record. Perez finished her FIU career with school records in the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle, 1650 freestyle and 400 IM.
Perez performed extremely well for the Panthers at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first swimmer in school history to qualify for the finals in an NCAA Championship event. Perez swam a preliminary time of 4:10.27 in the 400 IM, qualifying her for the evening session. She went on to swim even faster in the finals, earning a mark of 4:10.17, the second-fastest time in program history. She finished 13th overall at the NCAA’s, the highest-ever finish for an FIU swimmer in any event.
Her accomplishments earned her an appearance on The Morning Swim Show last week to talk about her time at FIU and her recent shine.
“I was really shocked because I was working for [swimming in the NCAA’s] the whole year,” Perez said while on the show. “I was really nervous.”
Perez also commented on being the highest-scoring Panther ever at the NCAA’s.
“I was really happy. I just hope that this is motivation for upcoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors and I hope someone can beat my mark,” Perez said.
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