ATHENS, Ga.- The Gardner-Webb men's swim team finished first the 200 free relay, and the Runnin' Bulldogs had six All-Conference performances on day two of the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Championships at the Gabrielson Natatorium, on the campus of the University of Georgia.
At the conclusion of Thursday's finals, the GWU men's swim team sits in third place (241), while the women's team remains in fifth place (340.5).
"What a phenomenal night! Lauren got us so excited with a come from behind podium swim in the 500, and we got on another roll. Everyone has bought in this year, and the team chemistry has been fantastic, and it's paying off this week, remarked Gardner-Webb head swim coach Mike Simpson.
The guys picked up huge points in the 200 im.....4 in the top 8 and 7 overall.....and in the 50 free 6 in the finals.
The Gardner-Webb men's swim team continued its momentum from yesterday into the first event of the evening, the men's 500 free, as Mason Hutchinson (4:34.16) and Luke Denman (4:39.53) each qualified for the "A" final, finishing in sixth and eighth place respectively. Hutchinson had a great swim in the finals, finishing almost one second better than his time he swam during the prelims.
Tate Warden also had a great swim for the Runnin' Bulldogs, finishing 10th with a time of 4:35.75.
Following the men's 500, it was the women's turn to take the pool in the same event, and Gardner-Webb continued to display some great swims, as Lauren Oglesby finished the 20 length event in third place (4:34.37) to secure All-Conference honors, for her performance.
"The women had the amazing comeback second half by Lauren, 2nd and 3rd in the im, (Lili and London), an amazing 2 im from CJay & a fantastic 50 from Charity," said Simpson. "The women's relay broke the school record by 2 seconds. It was an incredible night."
In the next two events, the Runnin' Bulldogs garnered three additional All-Conference swims in the 200 IM, two coming from the women's 200 IM, and the third secured in the men's 200 IM. In the men's 200 IM Nathan Lile finished third with a time of 1:48.04, and Lili Tóth (2:02.28) and London Schumacher (2:02.50) each garnered All-Conference honors finishing in second and third respectively.
Lile's time in the 200 IM was an NCAA "B" cut, and for the second night in a row, the junior achieved the NCAA "B" cut status.
Brandon Searle also qualified for the finals in the 200 IM, and the senior finished in seventh place with a time of 1:53.93.
Following the 200 IM, the shortest event of the championships was contested, the 50 free. The Runnin' Bulldogs narrowly missed achieving a top three finish, as Connor Bos (20.58) and Charity Byrum (23.02) each finished in fourth place.
The highlight from day two of the championships happened during the final men's event of the evening, the 200 free relay, where the quartet of Lile, Bos, Tyler Gomez, and Nicholas Dyer sprinted past the field to finish in first place with a time of 1:20.68. Lile led off the relay with an incredible 50 free time of 19.93, and the junior was followed by Bos (20.30), Gomez (20.14), and Dyer, who anchored the 200 free relay with a split of 20.31.
"The men's 200 free relay was so exciting. The guys have never won more than one relay at conference, so winning a 2nd time is sweet," commented Mike Simpson. "Nathan Lile had an amazing night. Ncaa B times in the 200 im, & leadoff in the relay, becoming the first GW male under 20 seconds."
Day three of the four-day CCSA championships continues tomorrow, with the preliminary swims, scheduled to start at 10 am, and the finals commencing at 6:00 p.m.
