The Emory University swimming and diving teams continued to rack up event wins and NCAA qualifying times at the Denison University Invitational on Friday at Trumbull Aquatic Center in Granville, Ohio, as the Eagles recorded six event victories and an additional 31 NCAA B Cuts and qualifying marks.
Through two day of competition, the Eagles remain in the same positions they found themselves after Thursday’s finals session with the Emory men in second place as a team with 1,122.5 points, 377 behind the leader Denison, and the women’s squad in third with 1,077 points trailing Eastern Michigan (1,399) and DU (1,380).
For the men, the Eagles sustained their winning way, tallying another five wins to bring their two-day total to eight. Sophomore Lucas Bumgarner was first to capture a solo victory as he claimed the 1-meter win with his score of 324.50. Also contributing individual wins for the men were Nicholas Goudie and sophomore Zach Lorson. Goudie secured his second solo win of the meet as took the top spot in the 200 Freestyle at 1:37.07 and in the 400 IM, Lorson touched with in a winning time of 3:52.05.
The Eagles swept both relay events on the evening as well with the quartet of Goudie, senior Sage Ono and sophomores Jason Hamilton and Hwa Min Sim registering a 1:29.17 in the 200 Medley Relay and in the 800 Freestyle Relay, Goudie, sophomore Pat Pema, junior Kellen Stillman and freshman Jeffrey de Groot teamed to turn in in a time of 6:34.85 in the 800 Freestyle Relay.
The men saw four other top-three finishes during the finals session with sophomore Tyler Russell placing second in the 100 Breaststroke (55.59), Sim earning silver in the 100 Butterfly (48.89), Pema posting a third-place effort in the 200 Freestyle (1:38.03) and Ono tying for bronze in the 100 Backstroke (49.29).
Sophomore Clio Hancock was the lone Eagle on the women’s side to capture an event win Friday night as she nearly broke the Emory record in the 400 IM, throwing down a winning mark of 4:15.59, just .59 ticks off Liz Horvat’s top mark of 4:15.02.
In addition to Hancock, the Eagles totaled eight other top-five showings including six in the individual sector. Sophomore Taylor Leone (3rd, 55.50) and freshman Savannah Sowards (4th, 55.93) led the way in the 100 Butterfly with senior Maria Turcanu earning a fourth-place effort in the 200 Freestyle at 1:51.51. In the 100 Backstroke, senior Caroline Olson was third at 55.54 while sophomore Gaige Elms touched right behind her at 56.08 for fifth. Sophomore Josie Uerling was fifth in the 400 IM, posting a time of 4:24.31.
In the relays, the Eagles claimed second place efforts in both events with the group featuring Sowards, Leone, Olson and sophomore Edie Bates teaming for a time of 1:42.51 in the 200 Medley Relay and in the 800 Free Relay, the foursome of Uerling, Hancock, Turcanu and junior Lucy Daro swam to a 7:26.13 to round of the evening.
The Denison Invitational concludes on Saturday with the 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 400 Freestyle Relay, 1650 Freestyle and the men’s and women’s 3-meter diving.