Florida Gulf Coast Wins Inaugural Triple Distance Classic

Photo Courtesy: FGCU Athletics

After a chilly evening for the first meet of the year, the FGCU swimming and diving team won the Triple Distance Classic with 395 points on Friday night at the FGCU Aquatics Center.

2017 CCSA Runner-up Liberty finished second with 344, St. Louis in 267, and Rutgers closing it out with 245. This is the second time this season the Eagles won a competition against the Scarlet Knights.

“This event is what college swimming is all about,” FGCU head coach Dave Rollins said. “The team support from everyone on the deck, from every team, the enjoyment, the spirit, and cheering. Everyone is in heavy training, and while we wish it was a bit warmer, competed very well. My hat goes off to everyone who was on that deck and in those stands this evening. It was an incredible experience, win lose, or draw didn’t matter. We put this meet together to do something different and to have some fun! We are looking forward to next year.”

Sprint freestylers, butterfliers, backstrokers, and breaststrokers competed in a 50, 100, and 200 of their stroke. The distance swimmers competed in a 200, 500, and 1000 freestyle. Individual medley swimmers swam a 100, 200, and 400 IM. There was also a 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay offered for each team, which contributed to their overall final score. Points were determined based off of the fastest combined time of an overall event.

The evening began with two quartets of Eagle swimmers taking the second and third place spot in the 200 yard medley relay. The team of Doris Eichhorn (Berlin, Germany/HTW Berlin), Sommer Harris (Richmond, Va./St. Catherine’s School), Yee Ching Wong (Hong Kong, China/Diocesan Girls’ School), and Hannah Burdge (Stuart, Fla./Martin County HS) just missed the top spot behind Liberty by less than a second (1:45.20). The team of Courtney Chapin (Bradenton, Fl/Lakewood Ranch High School), Petra Halmai (Dombovar, Hungary/Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School), Gracie Redding (Orlando, Fla/The First Academy), and Rebecca Moynihan (Palmerston North, New Zealand/Waiopehu College) finished in 1:46.88.

Linda Shaw (Leeds, United Kingdom/Roundhay HS) and Antonia Baerens (Ottobrunn, Germany/Max-Josef-Stift Gymnasium) represented for the distance portion of the classic competing in the 1000, 500, and 200 yard freestyle. The duo combined a total of 32 points to contribute to the overall score. Shaw finished second in the 1000 (10:32.97), third in the 500 (5:10.29) and the 200 (1:57.48). Baerens finished in fourth in the 1000 (10:43.77), 500 (5:10.75), and 200 (1:59.26).

Eichhorn competed for the backstrokers on the night as she placed third in all three of her events, the 200 (2:08.22), 100 (57.91) and 50 (27.45). Harris led the way for the Green and Blue in all of the breaststroke events, except for one, which was claimed by Elizabeth White (Fort Myers, Fla./Riverdale HS). Harris finished eighth place in the 200 (2:31.26), second in the 100 (1:06.72) and third in the 50 (30.70). White took third in the 200 (2:24.93) and 100 (1:06.88), while she finished fourth in the 50 (31.29). In the butterfly, Madison Jean’s (Parrish, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS) performance came in the 50 yard, finishing third overall (26.55).

FGCU’s most impressive performance came from the individual medley events as two Eagles swept them in first place fashion. Wong won the 200 (2:06.55) and 100 (59.37) yard, while Elizabeth Zeiger (Cumberland, R.I./Homeschool) won the 400 (4:28.14) and took second in the 200 (2:10.71). Zeiger’s overall time combination from her events won her the overall series win in the IM adding 20 points to the team’s score.

Burdge was unstoppable in the freestyle, and took home the overall win in the triple series with 20 points, as she won the 100 (51.85) and 50 (23.95), while taking second in the 200 by less than a second (1:54.14). Redding finished third in the 200 (1:56.21), fourth in the 100 (53.08), and the second spot in the 50 (24.03).

The Eagles finished off the night by winning the final relay by .34 seconds. The team of Redding, Burdge, Moynihan, and Eichhorn took the win over Liberty with a time of 1:36.12, adding a total of 40 points to the overall score.

Press release Florida Gulf Coast University.

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Ivan Calík

6 years ago

David Calik