Wingate Sweep Quadruple Double Dual Meet

The Wingate University men’s and women’s swimming teams swept a quadruple double dual meet Saturday at the Mecklenburg County Aquatics Center (MCAC) pool in downtown Charlotte. The number 14 Wingate men and the number 16 Wingate women picked up three dual meet victories each against Ashland (Ohio) University, Catawba College and Washington & Lee University.
 
The three victories each will help the Bulldog men and women as they prepare for the Blue Grass Mountain Conference (BGMC) meet at the same facility in February. Wingate returns home Saturday, Jan. 17, hosting the BGMC rival Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) for a dual meet at 1 p.m. in the Wingate University Natatorium.
 
The Wingate teams are not the only ranked squads that participated in Saturday’s quadruple double dual meet. The Ashland men are number 11 in NCAA Division II, while the Ashland women are number 21. The Catawba men are number 23 in the NCAA Division II. In the NCAA Division III men’s poll, Washington & Lee is number 13.

Wingate sophomore Cheryl Vaccaro (Charlotte, N.C.) had a career day, winning three individual events and one relay race to lead the Bulldogs to three team victories. Vaccaro set a new team record in the 200 Freestyle with a victorious time of 1:56.57. The old record was held by All-American Tiffany Sochurek (class of 2007), who posted a 1:57.51 at the 2007 BGMC championships.
 
Vaccaro also won the 100 Breaststroke (1:08.90) and the 200 Breaststroke (2:28.57). In addition, she teamed with junior Samantha Vencl (Wickliffe, Ohio) and freshmen Malin Kersmark (Bjarred, Sweden) and Sarah Lawless (Holland, Mich.) to take the checkered flag in the 400 Freestyle Relay. The Wingate quartet posted a 3:43.59.
 
Kersmark had a solid day as well, as she posted one individual victory and two second-place finishes. The Swedish sensation won the 100 Backstroke with a time of 1:01.17. Kersmark was second in the 100 Freestyle (55.52) and the 200 Backstroke (2:11.24).
 
Wingate sophomore Kelsey Trabue (South Lyon, Mich.) won the 1000 Freestyle with a time of 10:55.70. Trabue led a one-two-three 1000 Freestyle finish for the Bulldogs, as freshman Stephanie Nagele (Greer, S.C.) and sophomore Sarah Erickson (Silver Spring, Md.) placed second (10:57.44) and third (11:01.88), respectively.
 
Trabue was second in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 5:24.61. Other top finishers for the Bulldogs included sophomore Nicole Moody (Grovetown, Ga.). A 2008 All-American, Moody was second in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 1:01.73.
 
Lawless was second in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 25.56. Sophomore Sarah Supcoe (Charleston, W.Va.) led a two-three-four placement in the 200 Butterfly. Supcoe posted a second-place finish with her time of 2:17.90. Bulldog freshman Kathrine Kinnett (Chelmsford, Mass.) was third at 2:18.03, while senior Anna Orzechowska         (Toronto, Ontario) was fourth at 2:22.55.
 
Wingate junior All-American Mason Norman (Duluth, Ga.) won three individual events and added a relay victory for good measure, helping the Bulldogs pick up a huge sweep against three ranked teams.
 
Norman teamed with classmates Gus Chagas (Recife, Brazil), Kyle Corcoran (Kent, Wash.) and Daniel De Francisco (Cali, Colombia) to finish the day with a victory in the 400 Freestyle Relay. Wingate’s fearsome foursome posted a time of 3:08.46.
 
An ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® candidate, Norman touched first in the 50 Freestyle (21.28), 100 Freestyle (46.71) and the 100 Breaststroke (58:47). Norman led a one-two-three Wingate sweep in the 100 Breaststroke, as sophomore Marcello Machado (Recife, Brazil) and senior Patrick Blom (Southside, Ala.) placed second (1:01.03) and third (1:01.23), respectively. Machado was third in the 200 Breaststroke (2:11.53).
 
Chagas had a great day as well, as the 2007 National Champion placed first in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 51.90. Chagas was second in the 100 Freestyle (47.39) and the 200 Freestyle (1:43.28). The 2008 All-American was only 0.29 seconds behind the winner in the 200 Free.
 
Freshman Lee Sousa (Cornelius, N.C.) continues his winning ways, as he touched first in the 100 Backstroke (52.84) and the 200 Backstroke (54.68). He had company, as sophomore Dwight Richardson (Newport News, Va.) was second in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 54.64. Freshman Danny Palmiotto (Brookfield, Conn.) was second in the 200 Backstroke with a 1:58.33 posting.
 
Sousa, Blom and Richardson teamed with senior Ben Schoenbachler (Monroe, Ga.) to start the day on a good note. The quartet placed second in the 200 Medley Relay with a time of 1:37.98. Sousa was a busy camper, as he teamed with Palmiotto, sophomore Lucas Willers (Tacoma, Wash.) and freshman Santino Viselli (Windsor, Ontario) in the 400 Free Relay. The group finished third with a time of 3:14.94.
 
Corcoran won an individual event in addition to his 400 Freestyle Relay win. The 2008 All-American was the gold medal winner in the 200 Individual Medley (1:55.24). Corcoran was second in the 200 Butterfly (1:59.30). Wingate senior Blake Wright (Jacksonville, Fla.) was third in the 1000 Freestyle (10:10.59).
 
W&L Men's and Women's Swimming Finishes 2-1 vs. Wingate, Catawba and Ashland
The Washington and Lee men’s and women’s swimming teams were in action on Saturday afternoon in a tri-match held at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center. Both the men and women defeated Catawba and Ashland and both fell to Wingate.

The W&L men (9-1) were led by senior Paul Crook (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell), who won the 200 free with an NCAA “B” cut time of 1:42.59, won the 500 free (4:47.27), finished third in the 200 IM (1:56.91) and swam a leg on the third-place 200 medley relay team that finished in 1:38.24. He was joined on the relay team by senior Chris Diebold (Platte City, Mo./Lansdale Catholic), first-year Brian Stirling (Skillman, N.J./Montgomery) and junior Brandon Barnds (Mission Hills, Kan./Shawnee).

Junior Dan Austin (Terrace Park, Ohio/Mariemont) placed second in the 1000 free (10:09.19), while Diebold finished third in both the 200 free (1:46.88) and 500 free (4:56.26). Senior Brett Tatman (Marietta, Ga./Walton) placed third in the 100 back (55.02) and the 200 back (1:58.86).

Senior Lindsey Strachan (Midlothian, Va./Governor’s School) led the women with a first-place finish in the 200 back (2:10.27) and a third-place finish in the 100 back (1:01.77). She also swam on the second-place 200 medley relay team that finished in 1:54.53. She was joined by junior Lynn Bazzel (Atlanta, Ga./Lovett), senior Julianne Miata (Valhalla, N.Y./Westlake), and junior Sarah Simpson (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg).

First-year Elizabeth Starnes (Harrison, Tenn./Girls Prep) won the 500 free (5:21.62) and finished second in the 200 free (2:00.58), while sophomore Tess Hayden (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) placed second in the 500 free (5:23.25). Senior Susan Mahoney (Richmond, Va./St. Catherines) added a second-place finish in the 200 IM (2:15.81).

Both the W&L men and women will be in action again on Jan. 17 as they host Gettysburg for a 2:00 pm dual meet.

Huff and Drakes Lead Swim Teams at Wingate Quad Meet
Catawba College’s women’s and men’s swim teams fell to Wingate, Ashland and Washington & Lee at a quad meet over the weekend at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center.  The results were as follows: Women – Ashland 198, Catawba 60; Washington & Lee 200, Catawba 57.5; Wingate 213, Catawba 45; Men – Ashland 180, Catawba 81; Washington & Lee 208, Catawba 54; Wingate 219, Catawba 43.

Katie Huff (New London, NC/N. Stanley HS) had the best day of the Catawba swimmers, finishing second in two events.  She had runner-up swims in the 100 breast (1:09.03) and the 200 breast (2:31.92).  Meredith Shultz (Richmond, VA/James River HS) and Kira Capano (Waynesville, NC/Tuscola HS) each had three top 10 swims, while Kat Kearney (Wilmington, NC/New Hanover HS) had two top 10’s.

Patrik Drakes (Stockholm, SWEDEN/Rudbechs) had the top swim for the men, posting a fourth place finish in the 100 breast (1:01.45).  He was seventh in the 200 breast.  Mikael Karlsson (Norsborg, SWEDEN/Tullinge) has top 10 swims in the 200 fly and 200 back.