Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Runnin' Bulldogs got two individual wins apiece from Jordan Denmark and Tate Warden, as well as a win in the 200 medley relay, to highlight the team's two-day dual meet versus College of Charleston on Senior Day Saturday.
Charleston came out on top in the tight Friday-Saturday meet, edging the Runnin' Bulldogs 187-128.
GWU opened Saturday with a bang, turning in a dominant 200 medley relay win from the quartet of Connor Bos (24.26), Denmark (26.24), Matt Anderson (22.38), and Cole Hickey (21.01), who teamed up for an event-best time of 1:33.89.
The momentum stayed with the Runnin' Bulldogs thanks to a dramatic performance from Luke Denman in the 1,000 free. The sophomore from Greenville, S.C. held on after building an early lead, sprinting home to finish 1st with a time of 9:44.92, and fellow sophomore Andy Watts (Sarasota, Fla.) gave GWU 3rd place in the event after finishing with a time of 10:02.14.
The Cougars responded with a 1-2 finish in the 50 free, but GWU's Hickey (21.75), Anderson (21.89), and Nicholas Dyer (22.19) turned in fast swims to finish 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the event, respectively.
In the 100 back, Charleston was able to further build its lead, occupying the top two spots in the event. Bos turned in GWU's fastest time in the event at 53.18.
Another GWU freshman, Josh Hanson (Acworth, Ga.), led the team in the next event, the 200 breast. The Runnin' Bulldog rookie raced to a 3rd place finish in a time of 2:16.61 out of heat one.
Charleston stayed on top thanks to Buckley Powell's win in the 100 fly (51.42). Brandon Searle (52.44) was 2nd in the event, leading GWU, and Anderson (53.74) added a 4th place finish in the event.
Tate "Tater Tot" Warden raced to a 1st place finish in the 200 free, overtaking the Cougars' David Sherrier in the last 50 yards of the race to put his team on top in the event. Warden's 1:44.35 was joined in the top 3 of the event by Hal McKay, who closed fast to finish in 3rd place at 1:45.54.
A pair of seniors turned in top 3 efforts in the 400 I.M. Denmark (4:14.10) finished in 2nd place in the event, and Cody Meyers (4:15.06) surged late in the race to add a 3rd place finish for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event.
The Cougars closed the meet Saturday with a win in the 400 free relay. GWU's Warden (48.27), McKy (47.37), Dyer (48.05), and MacGregor (47.48) turned in fast swims to finish 2nd in the event with a time of 3:11.17.
On Friday night, Gardner-Webb got individual wins from Denmark in the 200 I.M. and the 100 breast. The Raleigh, N.C. native led from start to finish in the 200 I.M., finishing with the fastest time in the event at 1:56.19 and later earned a win in the 100 breast with a 1st place time of 58.45.
In the 200 fly, "Tater Tot" Warden added another individual win for the Runnin' Bulldogs, holding off the Cougars' Pablo Ortiz to finish 1st in the event with a time of 1:55.50. Like Denmark in the 200 I.M., Warden was consistent throughout the race, leading from start to finish to give Gardner-Webb key points in a winning effort.
GWU turned in a great effort in the opening event Saturday night, the 200 free relay, finishing 2nd in a tight race. Anderson (21.99), Hickey (21.20), McKay (21.45), and Warden (21.33) combined for the 2nd place finish in 1:25.97, and Dyer (22.38), Leonard (22.16), Linzie (21.27), and MacGregor (21.87) added 3rd place in the event for the Runnin' Bulldogs with a time of 1:27.68.
Another close race followed, as the margin of victory in the 500 free was also decided by less than 1 second. CofC's Jake Gregory won with a time of 4:43.49, but Denman (4:44.12) and Watts (4:49.07) took 2nd and 3rd, respectively, to gain valuable points for Gardner-Webb in the event.
Denmark followed with a win in the 100 breast. Linzie, a freshman from Monroe, Ga. added a 4th place effort for the Gardner-Webb men in the event, finishing with a time of 1:02.28.
In the 200 back, Bos (Holland, Mich.) closed fast to grab 2nd, preventing Charleston from going 1-2 by racing home for a time of 1:56.52. Taft Kallam (Randleman, N.C.) added a 4th place finish in the event.
The decisive event Saturday night was the 100 free, an race that saw the visitors secure the top 3 spots to seize control of the meet early. McKay (48.12) led Gardner-Webb with a 4th place finish in the event.
Warden helped regain some momentum with his 200 fly performance, but Charleston closed the night with a win in the 400 medley relay to forge a 26 point lead after day one. Bos (52.85), Denmark (57.59), Searle (51.88), and Warden (47.48) teamed up to finish 2nd with a time of 3:29.80.
Prior to Saturday's competition session, seven Runnin' Bulldog seniors were honored for their part in building the men's swimming program at Gardner-Webb University into what it is today: Matt Anderson, Jordan Denmark, Cole Hickey, Taft Kallam, Phil Leonard, Cody Meyers, and Sam Wilson.
Gardner-Webb turns its attention to preparation for 2014 CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships, held February 20-23 on the campus of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.).
