Numerous Records Fall At Conference Meet; 12 Earn All-Conference Accolades
March 10, 2008 | Swimming
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb men's and women's swim teams put on a strong performance at the first-ever Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association championships, which took place in Huntersville, N.C., recently.
During the meet, 12 Bulldog student-athletes finished in the top three of their respective events, earning all-conference accolades by doing so.
Senior Whitney Hooley won the 100 fly while also garnering all-conference honors in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Fellow fourth-year student-athlete Heather Roka medaled in the 500 free and 400 IM.
Seniors Grace Whiteside and Isabel Olivas each nabbed one all-conference award. Whiteside finished in the top three in the 200 free while Olivas did so in the 200 breast.
After those four seniors, the rest of the Bulldogs' team that were all-conference were underclassmen, which bodes well for the future of the programs.
Sophomore Corey Hughey placed in the top three in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 back to pick up her medals. Rookie Stepheni Stadnik was the only GWU underclassman to win an event, taking the title in the 100 breast. Fellow newcomer Elizabeth Ketterer earned a spot on the podium in both the 500 free and 1,650 free.
On the men's side, elder statesman Patrick Elerding, a sophomore, took home all-conference accolades in the 100 breast and 100 fly events. However, freshman Adam Suggs was the only GWU male student-athlete to post a winning time, with Suggs winning the 1,650 free. Rookies Kyle Hooley placed in the top three in the 200 free while Craig South and Steven Caudill did so in the 200 breast and 200 fly, respectively.
In all, the teams combined to finish the conference meet with 114 lifetime personal bests, 22 men's team records, eight women's team records, six CCSA records, three individual champions and one relay team champion.
As each team finished third, the future looks brighter than ever
in the new league with an abundance of talented swimmers returning
and a multitude of newcomers that will help propel the team to a
higher finish in years to come.
