Entering the event as the No. 42 seed, Portello competed in the first heat of the event, finishing second in her heat. She placed 24th overall with a time of 16:14.80.
Her time marked a collegiate-best improvement of 8.04 seconds and ranks third in Rice program history, just 0.77 seconds behind Ella Dyson’s 16:14.03 in second place.
Her performance is the best in the event since Rice Hall of Famer Brittany Messengale placed 12th in 2008 with a program record of 16:12.12, highlighting a major milestone for the Rice swimming program.
Head coach Seth Huston said, “Ava raced like she has been training. She has been looking great since the American and really did a great job patiently getting into her rhythm and pace.”
Reese Cole will compete in the 400 IM tomorrow, with prelims starting at 9 a.m., followed by the 100 fly.