Gardner-Webb Breaks CCSA Record to Win 200 Medley Relay on Day Two of CCSA Championship Meet
February 23, 2013 | Swimming
Athens, Ga. - GWU's Colin James, Drew Ellwanger, Matt Anderson, and Cole Hickey teamed up to set a new school and conference record in taking first place in the 200 medley relay, and both James and Ellwanger added individual titles later in finals, as Gardner-Webb remained in third place on the second day of 2013 CCSA Championships.
GWU stayed in third place in the men's team standings after accumulating 500 points over the first two days of competition. Davidson leads with 629.5 and College of Charleston stands in second place with 567.5 points.
A strong day two for the Runnin' Bulldog men was highlighted by school records in the 200 medley relay (1st), the 400 I.M. (4th), and the 100 back (1st), as well as a third event title in the 100 breast. The three wins achieved by Gardner-Webb's men's swim team on Friday was the most all-time during one day of the CCSA Championships.
Entering Friday night in third place in the men's team standings and in need of a momentum-changing swim, the Runnin' Bulldogs opened the finals session with a bang, getting a win in the men's 200 medley relay from James (22.42), Ellwanger (24.86), Anderson (21.64), and Hickey (20.40). The quartet left no doubt, leading after all four legs of the race to finish first in 1:29.32, fastest for GWU all-time.
The performance from the four All-Conference honorees marked the first relay win at CCSA Championships in program history.
In the first individual event of the night, the 400 I.M., freshman Nathan Lile (Waynesville, N.C.) set a Gardner-Webb men's record, achieving the fourth best time in the event at 3:59.94. Lile became the first GWU swimmer to break 4:00 in the event on Friday night.
Fellow freshman Luke Denman (Greenville, S.C.) followed with a fifth place finish after touching the wall at 4:02.51, the second fastest time in program history. Junior Cody Meyers (Mobile, Ala.) took 6th (4:05.27) in the event, tacking on points for GWU in the event. Meyers raced to a personal best time of 4:04.60 during prelims of the event.
All three of GWU's Top 8 finalists in the 400 I.M. were under the previous school record time entering the meet.
Senior Tyler Nuss (Hamilton, Ohio) finished 10th (4:10.91) in the event after swimming a season best 4:10.31 during prelims. Freshman Ryan Palmer (Wrentham, Mass.) swam a personal best 4:08.29 during the morning's prelims session.
In the 100 fly, a pair of Top 4 finishes kept GWU's momentum going. Senior DJ Hughes (Snellville, Ga.) raced to a third place finish in the event, earning All-CCSA honors with a season best time of 49.79. Anderson, a sophomore from Fortaleza, Brazil, finaled for the second time on the night, finishing in fourth with a personal best time of 49.83.
Hickey, a junior from Charlotte, N.C., took 12th (52.79) in the 100 fly. Hickey recorded a season best time of 52.29 in prelims.
Tate Warden (Charleston, W.Va.) led the Runnin' Bulldogs in 200 free. The freshman took fifth (1:41.11) in the event, and turned in a 1:40.80 prelims time, his fastest of the season. Sam Wilson, a junior from New Bern, N.C., added a 7th place finish (1:43.85). Wilson swam a season best time of 1:43.33 prelims.
GWU picked up key points during consolation finals of the men's 200 free. Freshman Andy Watts (Sarasota, Fla.) sprinted home to win the heat, setting a season best of 1:42.34 to finish ninth in the event. Sophomore Joe MacGregor (Brooksville, Fla.) added a season best time, 1:43.47, to take 11th, and senior Mitch Turner finished 16th (1:48.08), having achieved a season best time of 1:45.02 in prelims.
Ellwanger, a senior from Newborn, Ga., gave Gardner-Webb another event win in the 100 breast. The four-time All-Conference performer in the event defended his title with a season best time of 55.68.
Turner (Acworth, Ga.) took 10th place (58.87) in the event, having achieved a personal best time of 58.83 during morning prelims. Junior Phil Leonard (Clemson, S.C.) added an 11th place finish (59.31), and established a personal best time of 59.10 in prelims.
James (Greensboro, N.C.) won his first-ever CCSA individual title, and second of the night after leading off GWU's first place 200 medley relay. The sophomore, who won by swimming 50.11 during finals, reset his own school record with a time of 50.03 in prelims of the event.
James' swim Friday night helped establish the first time in program history that GWU's men's swim team won three events in one day at the Conference Championship meet.
Junior Jordan Denmark (Raleigh, N.C.) earned All-Conference honors for the second time in as many days with a time of 50.55 on Friday night. Denmark's time earned him a third place finish in the men's 100 back, his third straight Top 3 finish in the event dating back to his freshman season.
Junior Taft Kallam (Randleman, N.C.) set a new personal best at 51.76 in the men's 100 back, placing eighth in the event. Sophomore Brandon Searle (Melbourne, Fla.) recorded a 13th place finish (53.06) for GWU, following a personal best performance (52.98) in prelims.
GWU closed Friday night with a third place finish in the 800 free relay. Nathan Lile (1:41.49), Tate Warden (1:43.91), Jordan Denmark (1:46.24), and Andy Watts (1:44.24) earned All-Conference honors in the event, combining for a time of 6:55.88.
Day three's prelims session is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning at the Gabrielson Natatorium.
| Results after day two of the 2013 CCSA Championships |
