The nationally-ranked Wingate University men's and women's swimming teams swept a Senior Day meet over St. Andrews University Friday night at the Wingate Natatorium. The number five Wingate men defeated the SAU Knights 105-75, while the number six Bulldog women earned a 118-28 decision. Wingate celebrated Senior Day during the event's first break (watch on demand archives; full results).
"Tonight was all about our seniors," Wingate head coach Kirk Sanocki says. "We set our line-ups to accentuate our seniors. We didn't want to take St. Andrews lightly…we knew they are a first-year program…with a few holes. Our seniors went out on a good note…and we learned areas where we need to work prior to the Bluegrass Mountain Conference meet."
#5 Wingate men 105, St. Andrews 75
Wingate seniors Reed Miller (Mobile, Ala.) and Marko Blazevski (Skopje, Macedonia) participated in two victories each for the Bulldogs. Individually, Miller won the 50 Freestyle (21.57) and Blazevski won the 200 Individual Medley (1:52.48). The duo paired with senior classmates Tim Kniffler (Mulheim, Germany) and Will Meagher (Eagan, Minn.) to take the checkered flag in the 200 Freestyle Relay (1:26.01).
#6 Wingate women 118, St. Andrews 28
Five Wingate seniors won one individual event each Friday. Charlotte Cornet (Brussels, Belgium) got things started with her 200 Freestyle win (1:58.43). Amanda Gilbert (Metairie, La.) touched first in the 50 Freestyle (24.94), while Valerie Dembny (Bremen, Germany) won the 200 Individual Medley (2:10.32).
Bulldog senior Katie Pheil (Ocala, Fla.) triumphed in the 100 Backstroke (58.26), while classmate Alex Andrechuk (Ajax, Ontario, Canada) claimed the gold medal in the 500 Freestyle (5:26.02). Pheil, Cornet, Dembny and Gilbert started the day with a victory in the 200 Medley Relay (1:48.38).
Wingate will host the Bluegrass Mountain Conference championship meet Feb. 12-15 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatics Center (MCAC) pool in downtown Charlotte. The Wingate men have won six BMC titles in a row, while the Bulldog women have have three BMC championship trophies (2004, 2005, 2013).
