Milligan Swimming Continues Impressive Season at Gamecock Invite
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Over the course of this week, the Milligan University men's and women's swim teams hit the road to compete at the Gamecock Invite in Columbia, S.C., hosted by the University of South Carolina.
To begin the first session of the event on Wednesday, Riley Renaud (5:11.53, season best), Samantha van Vuure (5:16.45, season best) and Katelyn Williams (5:21.50, season best) were able to post provisional qualifying marks in the 500 freestyle prelims. Additionally, Peyton Brady swam at 5:15.57 for her season best and had already previously reached the provisional mark this season.
Gellert Szedlak's 4:36.15 was a personal-best mark in the 500 freestyle discipline, while he also earned provisional qualifier status.
In the event's 200 individual medley on the women's side, Mary Grace Bitting scored a provisional clip of 2:11.07 in preliminaries, while van Vuure followed suit with a season-best 2:12.88. Then, Teagan Jose had a personal-best time of 2:14.03 to also earn a provisional mark.
Robert Adam was a finalist for the Buffs in the men's 200 individual medley. He finished 16th in prelims with a 1:49.16 time that was his personal-best clip and earned his provisional qualifier. Then, in the final, he clocked in a 1:49.46 to finish 16th overall. Stephen Gilbert also was a finalist, improving on his prelim time of 1:53.31 in the final to post a 1:53.06, which was a season-best. Andre Bazzana, Jack Allen and Nate Halloran also earned provisional times in the event, with Allen posting a personal-best 1:56.92.
Liz Mahan notched a provisional time in the 50 freestyle on the women's side, posting a 25.28, which was her top time this season, as well. Azaliia Gabdrakipova joined Mahan with her own qualifying time of 25.58.
Caleb Fry and Paxton Smith, having already qualified provisionally in the 50 freestyle, nabbed strong times of 20.63 and 20.71, respectively. Four more Buffaloes earned provisional marks, as RJ Brumit (21.54, PB), Sergio Tudor (21.69, PB), Riley Gregor (21.74, SB) and Michael Rinaldi (21.76, SB) had strong swims.
Four Milligan women tallied provisional marks in the 400 individual medley. Brady (4:45.48), van Vuure (4:46.31), Bitting (4:50.20) and Emma Rae Phillips (4:54.77) were the qualifiers.
In the women's 100 butterfly, Madison Akbari and Suzy Aguirre notched provisional times at 58.81 and 59.83.
The Milligan men had seven swimmers earn qualifications in the 100 butterfly, as Bazzana (49.46), Tudor (49.75), Joash Mckonie (49.79), Ethan McCosh (50.50), Brumit (50.80), Rinaldi (50.97) and River Rockholt (52.35) were able to earn their tickets to nationals.
Renaud and Brady then scored times of 1:58.75 and 2:00.68, respectively, in the 200 freestyle on the women's side, earning their spots at nationals with provisional marks.
Four Buffs men had qualifying times in the 200 freestyle, including a new Milligan record set by Szedlak, who clocked in at 1:38.93. S. Gilbert finished in 1:43.38, while Nicholas Harviel came in at 1:44.26 and Jacob Miller boasted a 1:44.38.
The men's 100 breaststroke saw Adam (55.67, PB), Fry (56.13, SB) and Gregor (57.91, PB) reach provisional times for Milligan.
Then, van Vuure would qualify nationally in the 100 backstroke for the Milligan women.
A total of five Buffaloes men were able to score provisional clips in the 100 backstroke, including Smith (49.80, SB), Mckonie (50.21, PB), Jayden Bearden (51.20, PB), Ben Tomberlin (54.12, SB) and Morgan Roszel (54.15, SB).
S. Gilbert (1:50.12, SB), Bearden (1:52.88, PB), Peter Gilbert (1:56.93, SB) and Tomberlin (1:57.42, SB) earned provisional times in the men's 200 backstroke for the Buffaloes.
Akbari and Mahan then came out with 54.35 and 54.47 times in the women's 100 freestyle to earn qualifications to the NAIA National Championships.
Milligan then had a total of eight provisional times in the men's 100 freestyle, with Szedlak leading the way with a personal-best 45.33 time. Then, Rinaldi (46.05, PB), Mckonie (46.79), Tudor (46.95, PB), Brumit (47.80, PB), Rockholt (48.08, PB), Zac Nelson (48.21, SB) and Harviel (48.42, SB) came in with qualifying marks, as well. Smith, already having qualified earlier this year, broke his previous school record with a 44.96.
Jose had a personal-best showing in the women's 200 breaststroke, qualifying nationally with a time of 2:22.19.
Two Milligan men reached personal-best marks and qualified for nationals in the 200 breaststroke, including Adam, who clocked in at 2:02.05. Allen had a 2:06.30 to reach the qualifying standard with a personal-best time, as well. Fry, already having qualified, posted a worthy time of 2:05.54, which was a season-best for him.
Phillips came away with a provisional time in the 200 butterfly on the women's side, as she posted a personal-best 2:17.45 time en route to her qualification.
Bazzana (1:52.71, SB), McCosh (1:55.55, SB) and S. Gilbert (1:56.04, SB) notched provisional marks, while Szedlak had a personal-best time of 1:52.97, which improved upon his already established provisional mark from earlier this season.
In the 1650 freestyle on the women's side, Renaud and Brady notched times of 17:48.32 and 18:12.90, which were both season-best marks and qualifying clips.
P. Gilbert (16:18.07, SB), Miller (16:38.49, SB), Michael Cellucci (16:45.93, SB) and Harviel (17:04.87, PB) qualified for the men's 1650 freestyle event at nationals, as well.
The two squads will now have a hiatus until after the semester break, as their next competition will be a dual meet inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse against University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) on Jan. 4 at 11 a.m.