By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

Freshman Caroline Barnett likely spoke for the rest of The Master’s University swim and dive team Thursday when she described her first day of competition at NAIA nationals in Columbus, Georgia.

“I definitely did not swim as fast as I was hoping to in either prelims or finals,” she said. “But I’m grateful for the opportunity to be out here competing, and I’m looking forward to more races.”

Barnett finished tied for 15th in her 50-yard freestyle prelim in the morning, good for a spot in the consolation finals later in the day.

She swam the final in 24.69 seconds, good for 13th place.

Elsewhere, the Mustang women’s 200-free and 400-medley relays posted times that were roughly a second slower than their seed times, both missing the finals. Freshman Journey Werner, one of the team’s most impressive performers to this point, finished 48th in 50 free prelims, recording a time of 25.89 seconds.

Plenty of opportunities remain in what’s already been a compelling season for the first-year program. Werner is slated to swim the 100 backstroke Friday and the 100 freestyle Saturday.

And some grouping of Werner, Barnett, Alisal Perez, Heidi Larsen, Simone Williams and Faith Cancik is expected to swim the 200 medley relay Friday and the 400 free relay a day later.

Barnett will be in the 100 free with Werner and the 100 butterfly on Friday.

She said Thursday that the event, which included a banquet inside the National Infantry Museum in Columbus on Wednesday evening, had lived up to her expectations.

“It’s been very exciting,” she said. “The athletes are here to win and the crowds are pumped.”