GWU Races to Key Conference Wins Saturday Afternoon
November 05, 2011 | Swimming
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Three Runnin' Bulldog freshmen won individual events and GWU was able to knock off CCSA foes Campbell, VMI, and NC A&T.
Gardner-Webb held off a Campbell rally that kept the meet close until the final event, ultimately prevailing 109-96.
GWU's youth came through in a big way Saturday, as freshmen CJay Wiley, Charity Byrum, and Jenna Ballinger all won individual races to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs on the day. Wiley gave Gardner-Webb a win in the 200 IM, touching first in a time of 2:13.83.
The freshman from Savannah, Ga. also swam the butterfly leg on GWU's winning 400 medley relay team. Wiley teamed up with fellow freshmen Kaylee McCallan, Byrum, and Ballinger to race to a first place finish with a time of 4:02.11, touching out the second place team by less than a tenth of a second.
Byrum picked up a win in the 200 breast for the second consecutive meet, pulling away with a time of 2:26.67. Senior Kiah Bellows held off Campbell's Charlotte Cornet to finish second, finishing at 2:29.19.
Ballinger took home the win in the 200 back, getting a crucial win late in a tight meet vs. Campbell with a time of 2:12.00. McCallan and sophomore Emily Black followed Ballinger to complete a 1-2-3 finish for the Runnin' Bulldogs, timing in at 2:13.14 and 2:15.13 respectively.
Faith Kempf stepped up for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the last half of the meet, winning the 200 fly in a season-best time of 2:09.91 and providing a key leg on GWU's 400 free relay which finished second after a come from behind leg by junior Liz Van Halsema with a time of 3:45.03. The sophomore from Sterling, Kan. added a second place individual finish in the 400 IM with a time of 4:40.71.
Newcomers Laurenn Singleton and Jessica Robinson gave the Runnin' Bulldogs third and fourth place finishes in the 200 IM, touching in at 2:18.84 and 2:21.13 respectively.
In the 100 free, Byrum paced Gardner-Webb with a time of 56.16, good enough for second place. The freshman from Winson-Salem, N.C. was followed by senior Jenna Voelkert and freshman Mary O'Dougherty, who finished third and fourth at 56.84 and 56.93 respectively.
GWU will be back in action for its midseason invitational meet at the Wingate Fall Frenzy Nov. 18-20 in Charlotte, N.C.
| Meet Results - GWU vs. Campbell, VMI, NC A&T |
| Dual Scores - GWU vs. Campbell, VMI, NC A&T |
