Lindenwood synchronized swimming team won its second consecutive U.S. Senior High Point Championship Title at the U.S. Senior National Championships April 6-9 Mesa, Ariz.  The Lady Lions finished with an overall point total of 111, an improvement of 31 points over last year's total, and went completely undefeated in every event, taking gold in Solo, Duet, and Team, a historical moment in the eight years history of the program.

Senior and 2012 U.S. Olympian Mary Killman, started the competition off during the technical solo event Thursday morning performing an emotionally charged routine to "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera, and earned a score of 81.8300. Her free routine on Saturday, with a suit that gave a nod to Assassin's Creed, used a remixed version of the song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Lorde, scoring an 83.7000. The aggregate mark of 165.5300 gave her a 3.9265 point lead over second place finisher, Emma Baranski from Ohio State University, earning Killman her fifth overall U.S. National Solo Championship.  In addition to the four

consecutive years of titles, she also claimed the championship in 2010, tying the record for the most solo titles in United States history.

Sophomore Vasilisa Mironova brought what she had learned from Russia with a maturity known to few. Her "Whispering" and "Witch" themed routines earned scores of 78.1559 and 79.3000, winning her the bronze medal in the solo event with a total of 157.4559. Allyson Haylor placed fourth while Kate Goncharova took fifth.  Both performed heart stopping routines, showing the depth and talent in the Lindenwood program.

Killman and Mironova teamed up to prove that two soloists can combine to make a duet that can stop a crowd. The pair performed two very different routines, starting with one to the song "Bringing Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake in the technical event, and ending with a free routine that embodied "Mechanical Puppets." Their overall score of 164.0550 proved to be nearly seven points ahead of second place. Laia Pons and Irene Montrucchio came together to proudly earn a bronze medal with two extremely upbeat routines and an overall score of 154.4390. The trio of swimmers consisting of Hannah Sphatt and Kirsten Hutzler swimming free, but Sphatt and Cosette Leblanc swimming tech, combined to place fourth in the duet event with an energy that made the audience want to dance.

The team event Saturday afternoon was the cherry on top for the Lady Lions. The Lindenwood "Temptation" team of Estafania Garcia, Emily Emmanuele, Erika Guilbault, Kelli Gustafsson, Carol Ross, Natalia Zenoni, Maria Escalona, and Marina Vela proudly took second place with a routine that captivated the viewer and featured lifts that seemed to touch the sky. Team "Hip-Hop" took a risk and swam to music that many wouldn't consider, including songs by Missy Elliot and Lil Jon. Killman, Pons, Montrucchio, Haylor, Goncharova, Sphatt, Hutzler, Leblanc, and Sarah Rodriguez came together with a performances set to "Get Low" and "Out of Your Mind" that earned them an aggregate score of 162.2956 and a gold medal finish.

After so much success at the U.S. National Championships, Killman reflected on the season.

"It was a true test of dedication for us and I'm extremely proud of how we handled it," she said. "We had specific expectations of ourselves, and for each other. My goal has always been to demonstrate the kind of courage and passion it takes to be an elite athlete, and I believe that's exactly what this team has done."
For their role in earning the championship title, coaches Reem Abdalazem and Lori Eaton were named the USA Synchro Coach of the Year.

Swimmers advanced to the event through various qualifying measures, including top placements at zone championships, past national championships, and other qualifying scores.  Medals were awarded for the free aggregate final, a combination of the technical and free routines for Solo, Duet, and Team.
The meet concluded the season for Lindenwood and marked the final swim as Lady Lions for the largest senior class in team history, including Hannah Sphatt, Erika Guilbault, Mary Killman, Kelli Gustufsson, Emily Miller, and Natalia Zenoni.

Coach Abdalazem reflected after the competition. 

"This year started out so differently than every other year, and continued to take a very different route for us," she said.  "We chose to stick together as a team, and swim for each other, for our seniors, for our goals, for us coaches, and it was the most beautiful thing to do. It is such an honor for me to have coached and pushed these girls for two years now, watching them grow into the women they are today while taking on the many challenges thrown at them. Through it all, they continued to represent our values of respect, love and teamwork. I don't know if there are many teams out there that would value this over competition. That's why I am very grateful and proud of every one of the girls this year and proud of what we have accomplished together."

U.S. Senior National Championships Results
April 6-9 -- Mesa, Arizona
Top 5
Solo
1. Lindenwood University: Mary Killman 165.5300
2. Ohio State Synchro: Emma Baranski 161.6035
3. Lindenwood University: Vasilisa Mironova 157.4559
4. Lindenwood University: Allyson Haylor 154.7046
5. Lindenwood University: Kate Goncharova 149.1562

 Duet
1. Lindenwood University: Mary Killman, Vasilisa Mironova 164.0550
2. Ohio State Synchro: Emma Baranski, Monica Velazazquez-Stiak, (R) Lorraine Hack 157.0976
3. Lindenwood University: Irene Montrucchio, Laia Pons 154.4390
4. Lindenwood University: Kirsten Hutzler, Hannah Sphatt, (R) Cosette Leblanc 147.6133
5. University of Arizona: Alexa Stallworth, Ayla Stallworth 140.3103
P. Lindenwood University: Allyson Haylor, Sarah Rodriguez

Team
1. Lindenwood University: Irene Montrucchio, Kate Goncharova, Allyson Haylor, Mary Killman, Cosette Leblanc, Laia Pons, Sarah Rodriguez, Hannah Sphatt, (R) Kirsten Hutzler, (R) Vasilisa Mironova 162.2956
2. Lindenwood University: Estafania Garcia, Emily Emmanuele, Erika Guilbault, Kelli Gustafsson, Carol Ross, Natalia Zenoni, Maria Escalona, Marina Vela, (R) Angelica Rolon, (R) Sommerlyn Stevens 150.5189
3. Pirouettes of Texas: Liliana Lomas, Maddi Long, Alisha Nathani, Rebecca Barlow, Carla Reyes 131.2487
4. Northern Virginia Nereids: Margot Baden, Jacqueline Hafner, Alexandra Marini, Isabel Oh, Mikaela Voegele 129.9611
P. Lindenwood University (Technical Team Only): Cristal Campocasso, Erika Guilbault, Emily Miller, Seiako Shaw, Marina Vela