The nationally-ranked Wingate University men's and women's swimming teams celebrated Senior Day with an NCAA dual-meet sweep over UNC Wilmington Saturday afternoon at the Wingate Natatorium. The number six Wingate men defeated the UNCW Seahawks 133-129, while the number three Bulldog women earned a 185-77 victory. Wingate honored eight senior student-athletes during the event's first break Saturday (complete results; watch on-demand archives).
"I am very excited for our seniors, Wingate head men's and women's swimming coach Kirk Sanocki says. "When we face a quality opponent such as UNC Wilmington, it is hard to put (our seniors) in the exact events to showcase their talents. We had a total team effort today...I am happy our seniors went out with a victory on Senior Day."
#6 Wingate women 185, UNC Wilmington 77
Bulldog sophomore Sofia Petrenko (Arkhangelsk, Russia) won four events, participating in three pool record swims (two individual, one relay). Petrenko won the 200 Freestyle (1:52.85) and the 200 Butterfly (2:06.80) in new pool record times. She also touched first in the 400 Individual Medley (4:33.77).
Petrenko swam the anchor leg on Wingate's record-setting 400 Medley Relay team (3:51.87). She was joined (in order) by sophomore Vika Arkhipova (Seversk, Russia), redshirt sophomore Olga Kosheleva (Yekaterinburg, Russia) and junior Armony Dumur (Amiens, France).
Dumur matched Petrenko in victories, earning three individual gold medals and one relay victory. The Bridgeport (Conn.) transfer set a new pool record in the 100 Butterfly (55.82), while taking the checkered flag in the 50 Freestyle (24.50) and the 100 Freestyle (53.27). Dumur finished second in the 100 Fly at the 2014 NCAA nationals, posting a time of 53.51 for the BU Purple Knights.
Both redshirt junior Julie Wessler (Sprockhövel, Germany) and sophomore Jessika Weiss (Macon, Ga.) won twice each for the hosts. Wessler won the 1000 Freestyle (10:25.22) and the 500 Freestyle (5:08.98), setting a new pool record in the 1000 Free. Weiss won her signature events, touching first in the 100 Breaststroke (1:06.30) and the 200 Breaststroke (2:22.99).
Arkhipova won the 100 Backstroke with a time of 58.08. She had a hand in both of Wingate's two relay victories, as she swam the second leg on the 400 Freestyle Relay quartet as the Bulldogs set a new pool record with a triumphant time of 3:36.77. Arkhipova was joined (in order) by juniors Ana Fish (Carthage, N.C.) and Rita Koryukova (Omsk, Russia) and freshman Leigh-Ann Clark (Newport News, Va.).
"Our women's team has been steady all year," Sanocki says. "It was good to continue this trend today."
#6 Wingate men 133, UNC Wilmington 129
Wingate freshman Jerome Heidrich (Hamburg, Germany) won three individual events to lead the Bulldogs. Heidrich touched first in the 100 Freestyle (46.97), the 200 Freestyle (1:41.96) and the 500 Freestyle (4:45.49). Two teammates won twice each to support Heidrich's efforts.
Bulldog sophomore Roman Kanyuka (Moscow, Russia) set a new pool record with his triumphant time of 2:05.47 in the 200 Breaststroke, leading a 1-2-3 Wingate finish. Junior Damjan Petrovski (Skopje, Macedonia) was second (2:08.17), while freshman Mikhail Parkhomenko (Saint Petersburg, Russia) was third (2:12.63). Kanyuka also won the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 56.91.
Wingate junior Ossian Arvidsson (Kungälv, Sweden) also won twice, leading a 1-3-4 Bulldog finish in the 400 Individual Medley with his winning time of 4:08.08. Arvidsson also touched first in the 1000 Freestyle with a time of 9:47.94.
Senior Samuel Knapp (Madison, Ala.) made a memory in his final appearance in the Wingate Natatorium, earning the gold medal in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 52.18. "It was good to see the men bounce back after a tough Jan. 3 loss at Florida Southern," Sanocki says. "Back-and-forth meets like this one...against quality opponents...help us get ready for conference and national competition."
Knapp's seven senior teammates include men's swimmers David Collum (DeLand, Fla.), Chris Morris (Millville, N.J.) and Issam Zeraidi (Brussels, Belgium) and women's student-athletes Jasmine Arzadon (Lorton, Va.), Kellie Gervas (Imperial, Pa.), Luisa Santiesteban (Chihuahua, Mexico) and Victoria Tormenti (Willow Spring, N.C.).
These eight student-athletes have helped Wingate win the last three Bluegrass Mountain Conference men's swimming titles and the last two BMC women's swimming crowns. On the NCAA national championship scene, the Wingate men have finished fifth, sixth and eighth during the last three years, while the Bulldog women have finished 18th, fifth and sixth.
Both Wingate teams venture to the University of South Carolina Friday and Saturday. In addition to the Bulldogs and the host Gamecocks, Queens University of Charlotte and Vanderbilt University will also compete. The 2015 Bluegrass Mountain Conference championships are Feb. 11-14 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatics Center (MCAC) pool in downtown Charlotte.
