Swimming opens 2021-22 in style at King Invitational

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (October 2, 2021) – The Milligan University men's and women's swim teams opened the 2021-22 season in style with 25 NAIA provisional times, two relays hitting NAIA "A" cuts and a school record falling at the King Invitational in the King Aquatic Center on Friday and Saturday.

Competing against a field entirely comprised of NCAA Division II competition, Milligan's men finished second out of 10 teams while the women were third out of 12 at the King Invitational.

"While we still have a number of areas we need to improve on, our team really stepped up to the challenge of facing off against great competitors from all D2 schools," said third-year head coach Spencer Scarth. "We already had a number of B cuts, best times, and even a school record (along with a couple of close calls), and we set the expectations high for the next seven weeks of training leading into our midseason meet. Our team was very grateful to have an opportunity to start the season in this kind of competitive atmosphere, and with spectators. We have a tough road ahead this month with three duals against teams that we saw this weekend, but we are very much looking forward to how those challenges will push us to perform even better than we did this weekend."

Brazilian freshman Andre Semensato set a program record in the 200 butterfly and hit four NAIA provisional times in his debut for the Buffs. He broke the previous program record in the 200 fly by nearly two seconds with a 1:55.21 effort, good for second place and a provisional time. He won the 200 free (1:43.06) and took second in the 100 fly (51.28) with provisional times. He led off the Buffs' 400 free relay with a provisional time in the 100 free (47.71).

Stephen Gilbert won the 200 IM (1:54.12), 100 back (52.31) and 200 back (1:52.03) with NAIA provisional times. He added another provisional mark in the 100 fly, posting a 51.96 in a sixth-place effort.

Gabby MacPherson took third in the 500 free (5:12.66), third in the 200 fly (2:14.06) and 14th in the 100 free (55.49), logging provisional times in each event. She also finished eighth in the 100 fly (1:01.71)

Maggie Blazo hit provisional times in three freestyle events and in the 100 yard backstroke. She led off the 200 free relay with a 25.36 mark in the 50 free, took sixth in the 200 free (2:00.03), swan to a seventh-place finish in the 100 back (1:01.58) and posted a 55.80 100 free in the 400 free relay.

Freshman Ethan McCosh earned three provisional marks in his first meet for the Buffs. He finished third with qualifying times in the 500 free (4:47.70), fourth in the 100 back (53.84) and ninth in the 100 fly (52.65). He added an eighth-place showing in the 200 back (1:59.77).

Kaylee Williams posted provisional times in both breaststroke events at King. She took seventh in the 200 breast (2:34.27) and was ninth in the 100 breast at 1:09.94.

Tyler Cates had a pair of provisional times after she took third in the 200 back (2:10.63) and logged a 1:00.71 to finish fifth in the 100 back.

In the 400 IM, Bre Coley and Emma Rae Phillips both tied for sixth with a provisional mark of 4:55.82.

Aubin Dulin snagged an NAIA provisional time in the 200 breast (2:11.16) and took fifth in the 100 breast (59.85)

Both Milligan's men's and women's top 400 medley relays achieved NAIA "A" cuts. The men's relay unit of Gilbert, Dulin, McCosh and Semensato swam to a third-place finish at 3:29.99, a full three seconds faster than the qualifying standard. The women's grouping of Cates, Williams, MacPherson and Blazo took fifth and hit the "A" cut with a time of 1:37.78.

The Milligan swim teams return to action on Friday, Oct. 15 at Emory & Henry.