Swimming sets 10 pool records on senior day against Cumberlands

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (January 21, 2023) – The Milligan University swim teams celebrated its seniors and set 10 pool records in the Buffs' final regular season meet of the season against the University of the Cumberlands on Saturday afternoon at the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse pool.

In a matchup of top-five teams nationally on the men's and women's side, Milligan's men triumphed 137-125 and Cumberlands edged the Buffs on the women's side, 132-130.

"Really proud of our efforts this afternoon against one of the top programs in the country," said head coach Spencer Scarth. "The Cumberlands have been at the top of the NAIA for a long time and our team was very excited to race them in our home pool. Our team stepped up their game, big time, for this meet and the results showed it. I'm thrilled that we had this exciting of a meet to send off our seniors, Connor, Noah, Rachel and Ben, and we cannot wait for conference in less than three weeks!"

The Buffs opened the meet with a pair of first-place finishes and pool records in the 200 meter medley relay. Tyler Cates, Kaylee Williams, Gabby MacPherson and Samantha van Vuure won the women's relay in 2:04.72. Stephen Gilbert, Ben Hawkins, Andre Bazzana and Caleb Fry took the men's in 1:44.15.

Riley Renaud took the women's 800 meter freestyle with a pool record time of 9:36.22. Peter Gilbert won the men's 800 meter free with a pool record mark of 8:35.38. Renaud and Gilbert both took meet titles in the 400 meter free with Renaud finishing in 4:44.16 and Gilbert posting a 4:11.75.

Mary Grace Bitting won the women's 200 meter freestyle with a national provisional time of 2:10.74 and van Vuure was the runner-up with a provisional mark of 2:12.92. Van Vuure swam to a pool record and national provisional time in the 200 back (2:22.88).

Bazzana broke his own pool record in the men's 100 meter butterfly with a 55.94 effort. He also collected a win in 1:56.58 in the 200 free and a third-place showing in the 200 fly (2:13.97). All three of Bazzana's individual swims hit national provisional standards.

Williams set Milligan's pool record in the 100 meter breaststroke (1:14.56) with a provisional swim and added another provisional time in the 200 breast (2:45.66).

Hawkins set Milligan's pool record in the men's 100 breast (1:04.75). Caleb Fry (1:04.94) and Jack Allen (1:06.12) joined Hawkins with provisional marks in the event. Fry went on to win the men's 200 breast in 2:24.37, a school record and provisional time. Hawkins notched a provisional swim of his own in the 200 breast in 2:25.08.

Stephen Gilbert set Milligan's pool record in the 400 meter medley with a swim of 4:43.44. Peter Gilbert finished (4:49.13) and Jacob Miller was third (4:50.47) as all three Buffs in the head notched provisional swims. Stephen Gilbert also swam to a provisional mark in the 200 back (2:07.81).

MacPherson won the women's 100 meter butterfly in 1:05.55, a pool record and provisional standard. She finished second in the women's 200 fly with a provisional time of 2:29.12.

Cates recorded provisional swims in the 100 meter backstroke (1:07.99) and 200 back (2:28.49).

To close the meet, Liz Mahan, Bitting, MacPherson and van Vuure took first the women's 200 meter free relay in 1:51.47.

The Buffs turn their attention to the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 9-11 at the Kingsport Aquatics Center. Milligan has claimed the last two AAC men's titles and were AAC women's champions for the first time last winter.