The FGCU Swimming and Diving team used 12 first-place finishes to take down Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA) conference opponent, Radford, 180-94 in a dual meet at the FGCU Aquatics Center on Monday afternoon.
“It was good to see another conference opponent, we had some fun events today and the girls enjoyed it,” said head coach Neal Studd. “We set some new pool records and I’m very happy to see the divers improve under David Boyko. Butler qualified for NCAA zones which is awesome.”
The Eagles extended its CCSA winning streak to 21 games and are 23-1 since joining the CCSA in 2007. FGCU improved its dual meet record to 6-2 on the year and a perfect 3-0 in conference play.
The Green and Blue jumped out to a good start in the first event, placing first, second and third in the 200-yard medley relay event. The team of freshman Sarah Hamilton (Stonehaven, Scotland/Mackie Academy), sophomore Charlie Molenda (Middletown, R.I./Middletown HS), junior Christina Tanninen (Burlington, Ontario/Nelson) and sophomore Emma Svensson (Upsala, Sweden/Celsiusskolan) took first with a time of 1:52.59.
Svensson also broke pool records in the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 25.79 and the 100-yard IM with a time of 59.76. Senior Danielle Beaubrun (Vieux, Fort St. Lucia/The Bolles School) broke a pool record in the 50-yard breastroke with a time of 29.69.
The Eagles followed that up with a first and second place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle. Freshman Kellie Roedig (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Abington Senior) placed first with a time of 10:50.86, followed by junior McKenzie Cassidy (Lehigh Acres, Fla./Bishop Verot) with a time of 10:52.43. In the 500-yard freestyle, Cassidy took first (5:18.39) followed by sophomore Natalie Rochette (Naples Fla./The Community School of Naples) (5:30.70) in second.
In the 200-yard freestyle, freshman Jennifer Morgan (Edmonton, Alberta/Harry Ainlay) took first with a time of 1:56.77, followed by junior Jessie Porter (Chorleywood, Hertforshire, United Kingdom/Royal Masonic) (1:57.66) in second. Morgan also won the 100-yard freestyle event with a time of 54.22.
Porter also swam in the 100-yard butterfly event and finished in first with a time of 59.81.
Sophomore Maggie Holling (West Palm Beach, Fla./John I Leonard) won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.84 followed by senior Mandy Melymuka (Niagara Falls, Ontario/St. Paul Catholic), who won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:10.37.
In the 50-yard freestyle, sophomores Heather Coutts (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Keeny/Houston) (25.58), Holling (25.87) and Cassie Niles (Helotes, Texas/Sandra Day O’Connor) (26.13) placed first, second and third.
Seniors Shannon Blizzard (Jacksonville, Fla./Stanton College Prep) and Megan Wolfe (Sebring, Fla./Sebring HS/Daytona State College) finished first and second in the 50-yard backstroke with times of 28.48 and 28.63, respectively.
In the final event, the team of Porter, freshman Meghan McGuirk (Plaistown, N.H./Peddie School), Wolfe and Beaubrun finished first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.29.
In diving, senior Maegan Butler (Orangeburg, N.Y./Tappan Zee/FAU) collected a first-place finish on the one-meter board with a score of 271.80. The score helped Butler qualify for the NCAA Diving Zones which will take place Mar. 11-13, in Knoxville, Tenn.
The swimming and diving team will be back in action January 19, when they travel to Miami, Fla. to compete against FIU in a dual meet. The meet is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
