SCAD Invitational: Day One

SAVANNAH, Georgia, December 5. THE Wingate University men's and women's swimming teams are number one and number two after the first day of the Savannah College of Art and Design College Invitational. The annual event is held at the Chatham County Aquatics Center.

The Bulldog men are first in the six-team field with 176 points. The Darton (Ga.) College men are second with 70 markers. The Wingate women are second (out of eight teams) with 167 points. The host SCAD Bees top the women's charts with 180 points.

The Wingate men shattered the meet record in the 800 Freestyle Relay on the way to a first-place finish. Bulldog juniors Gus Chagas (Recife, Brazil), Mason Norman (Duluth, Ga.), Kyle Corcoran (Kent, Wash.) and Daniel De Francisco (Cali, Colombia) posted a finals time of 6:48.32, topping the meet record by almost nine seconds (6:57.03).

Bulldog senior Matthew Dugan (Wilson, N.C.) was fifth in the 1650 Freestyle with a time of 16:57.84. The number 11 team in the NCAA Division II poll, Wingate is the defending SCAD College Invitational champion.

The Wingate women had a solid first day. Bulldog freshman Stephanie Nagele (Greer, S.C.) placed second in the 1650 Freestyle with a time of 18:08.04. SCAD sophomore Stephanie McNicol won the event with a meet record time of 17:23.53.

The Bulldogs placed second in the women's 800 Freestyle Relay. Wingate's quartet of sophomore Cheryl Vaccaro (Charlotte, N.C.), freshman Malin Kersmark (Malin-Bjarred, Sweden), junior Samantha Vencl (Wickliffe, Ohio) and freshman Sarah Lawless (Holland, Mich.) recorded a time of 7:58.77.

Wingate is the number 15 team in the NCAA Division II women's swimming rankings. The Bulldogs are also defending their SCAD College Invitational crown on the women's side. The SCAD College Invitational continues Saturday and Sunday.

Special thanks to Wingate for contributing this report.

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