For the first time since 2015, the FGCU swimming & diving team (4-0, 4-0 CCSA) has started off its season 4-0 after picking up a pair of victories over Campbell (2-2, 2-2 CCSA) (146-94) and host Georgia Southern (0-5, 0-2 CCSA) (172-70) Saturday afternoon at the Recreation Activity Center in Statesboro, Georgia.
"The team had a very solid day," said head coach Dave Rollins. "After shaking off some nerves of their first meet, it was great to see the team rise to the occasion of competing on back-to-back days. In addition to the strong swims in the pool, getting to see our freshmen divers compete for the first time brings a great sense of excitement to the season. Congratulations to Reese on winning both boards in her first collegiate meet. Now, we have three weeks before we welcome Vanderbilt to the Nest and we will be ready."
The Eagles got off to a hot start, grabbing first-place finishes in the opening two events of the meet. The team of freshman Lucija Sulenta, junior Petra Halmai, senior Cassidy Fry and freshman Hailey Jerew edged out Campbell by 0.50 seconds to take the 200-yard medley relay. Freshman Hannah VanDress followed up with her second victory in the 1000-yard freestyle in as many days.
Senior Liz Zeiger and Fry earned back-to-back wins in the 200 IM and the 100 Fly, respectively, to continue the momentum for FGCU. Zeiger also tacked on a win in the 500-yard freestyle, dominating the field by a full six seconds.
In their debut for the Green and Blue, freshmen Reese Wakefield and Delaney Nelson took the top two spots in both the 3M and 1M diving events. Wakefield won both titles, while Nelson was the runner-up. Senior Gretchen Mossburg of Georgia Southern finished third in both events. Along with Wakefield and Nelson, freshmen Isabeau Keene and Alyssa Schmidt also made their debuts.
The Eagles continued to pick up wins, as the team swept the 100-yard breaststroke. Halmai touched the wall first and was followed by seniors Elizabeth White and Emily Glinecke.
Overall, FGCU finished first in eight of the meet's 13 events.
Up Next:
The Eagles will have a few weeks off in preparation for their home opener against Vanderbilt (0-1) on Friday, Oct. 25. The meet at the FGCU Aquatics Complex is set for a 4 p.m. start time and will be a pink out, as the team will be hosting Cancer Awareness Night.
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