Gardner-Webb Women's Swimming Wins, 173-142, on Senior Day
February 01, 2014 | Swimming
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Faith Kempf, Giorgie Graves, and Charity Byrum each won two individual events to help Gardner-Webb seal a 173-142 dual meet win over College of Charleston on Senior Day Saturday.
The dual meet between the Runnin' Bulldogs and the Cougars spanned Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Up 24 points entering Saturday, Gardner-Webb saw Charleston close the gap in the first four events of day two. The Cougars posted the fastest time in the 200 medley relay (1:48.16) to open Saturday, but Kaylee McCallan (27.80), Byrum (30.63), O'Doherty (25.04), and Maria Seward (25.01) teamed up for 2nd (1:48.48) and GWU's Caroline Andrews (28.55), Samantha Shelley (31.44), Adél Kiss (27.81), and Anna Springer (24.83) combined for 3rd (1:52.63) in the event.
GWU got a big swim in the next event, the 1,000 free, from Taylor Schwartz. The sophomore was a late addition to the event and responded by turning in a 2nd place effort and time of 11:04.03 to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event.
In the 50 free, O'Doherty helped Gardner-Webb break up a strong trio of Cougar sprinters, touching the wall 1st with a time of 24.49 to gain a point in the event.
Charleston pulled within four points of the Runnin' Bulldogs after the 100 back, as the Cougars' Sarah Boyle (58.29) and Meredith Smith (1:00.38) went 1-2 in that event. McCallan (1:00.62) and Ballinger (1:01.20) were 3rd and 4th, respectively, in the event.
With the lead in jeopardy, Gardner-Webb responded with a momentum-changing 1-2-3 finish in the 200 breast. Byrum led the way with a time of 2:25.80, Shelley raced to finish 2nd in 2:30.18, and Springer got to the wall fast in a tight race for 3rd in a time of 2:32.58.
Graves and O'Doherty kept the momentum in GWU's favor in the 100 fly, racing to finish 1st and 2nd, respectively. Graves cruised to the win with a time of 56.96, and O'Doherty closed fast to take 2nd at 58.57.
In the next event, Kempf made it three consecutive event wins for her Runnin' Bulldogs. The senior turned in a strong back half of the race to take 1st place in the 200 free, earning a time of 1:55.60 in the event.
Saturday's last individual event, the 400 I.M., saw GWU's Kiss (Székesfehérvár, Hungary) pull away to finish in an event-fastest time of 4:37.69. Kiss's winning time was complemented by Niccolai's 2nd place effort, as the sophomore finished fast for a time of 4:44.42 in the event.
The Cougars took 1st (3:33.15) in a tight race in the meet-closing 400 free relay. GWU took 2nd behind fast swims from Graves (53.22), Byrum (54.24), Ballinger (53.90), and Kempf (53.11), as the quartet combined for a time of 3:34.47 in finishing off the dual meet win for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
On Friday night, Gardner-Webb got individual wins from Kempf, Niccolai, Graves, and Byrum in addition to a win in the 400 medley relay to close day one of the dual meet on a high note. GWU led College of Charleston 86-62 heading into Saturday.
Kempf (Sterling, Kansas) set a GWU pool record in the 200 fly, winning the event with a strong back-half of her race. Kempf's time of 2:08.09 was the first in a 1-2 finish for the Runnin' Bulldog women in the event, as Graves (Riverview, Fla) prevailed in a tight race for 2nd with a time of 2:09.24. Sarah Singleton (Elkin, N.C.) added to GWU's strong event by finishing 4th at 2:12.31.
Niccolai (Naperville, Illinois) won the 200 back, sparking another 1-2 finish for Gardner-Webb with a time of 2:07.12. McCallan sprinted home to hold off the Cougars' Sarah Boyle, taking 2nd place in the event with a time of 1:07.39, and Jenna Ballinger (Lexington, Kent.) added 4th place (2:10.18) in the event for GWU.
Graves pulled away for the win in the 500 free, making her move at the 300 yard mark en route to a 1st place time of 5:12.19. Taylor Schwartz (Westerville, Ohio) added a 4th place effort after racing to a time of 5:21.80.
Byrum (Winston-Salem, N.C.) took 1st place honors in the 100 breast, overtaking Charleston's Taylor Hollingsworth with a strong second 50 to win with a time of 1:06.38. Springer (Snellville, Ga.) was 3rd fastest in the event, turning in a time of 1:09.10.
Saturday night opened with an outstanding race in the 200 free relay, with the Cougars coming out on top with a 1st place time of 1:38.17. GWU's O'Doherty (24.88), Springer (25.00), Clayton (24.36), and Maria Seward (24.46) raced to a 2nd place finish in the event, finishing at 1:38.70.
Charleston's Sarah Boyle won the 200 I.M., but the Cougars gained only one point thanks to a 2-3-4 effort from Kempf, Kiss, and Niccolai. Kempf raced to a 2nd place finish in 2:09.61, Kiss finished 3rd at 2:10.85, and Niccolai finished in 4th place with a time of 2:13.01 in the event.
An event after GWU went 1-2 in the 200 back, the Cougars responded by going 1-2-3 in the 100 free to get right back in the meet. Kempf and Graves followed with a 1-2 finish of their own, turning in a momentum-changing effort in the 200 fly.
The Runnin' Bulldogs closed Saturday night with a win in the 400 medley relay, getting fast splits from McCallan (59.09), Byrum (1:05.73), Graves (56.97), and Kempf (53.17) to end day one on a high note. The 'A' team's time of 3:54.96 was complemented by the 'B' team's 4:04.26, as Niccolai (1:01.04), Shelley (1:09.01), Singleton (59.40), and Ballinger (54.81) teamed up for 3rd place in the event.
Prior to Saturday's competition, four Runnin' Bulldog seniors were recognized for their contributions to Gardner-Webb University and its women's swimming program: Kristina Grayson, Faith Kempf, Samantha Shelley, and Anna Springer.
Gardner-Webb turns its attention to preparation for 2014 CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships, held February 20-23 in Knoxville, Tenn. on the campus of the University of Tennessee.
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