Eagle Swimmers Prepare for Fall Frenzy

Eagle Swimmers Prepare for Fall Frenzy

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Eagles men's and women's swimming teams return to action this weekend, participating in the "Fall Frenzy" hosted by Wingate University at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center in Charlotte, N.C., from Friday to Sunday.

Carson-Newman is coming off wins over the Milligan Buffaloes men's and women's swimming teams with victories in men's action of 166-36 and on the women's side 159-37 at the Maddox Swimming Pool on Nov. 5.

"We have to be prepared for the back end of our races," said Carson-Newman head swimming coach Paige McCord when asked what she thought the Eagles needed to do to prepare for the Fall Frenzy. "That's always an area where we have to stay really focused no matter what the race is. That back end is really important – getting your hand on the wall and finishing it well."

The Milligan meet marked the first in school history for Carson-Newman, undergoing its inaugural season, and the Eagles collected victories in all 22 events in front of a capacity crowd at Mossy Creek.

Carson-Newman opened the event with victories in the men's and women's 400-yard medley relays, with the Eagles winning the women's event with a time of 4:04.91 and the men beating Milligan with a time of 3:41.05.

The Eagles proceeded to win the next 20 events en route to a sweep of Milligan.

Leading the way for the Carson-Newman men's team was junior Stephen Parsons (Auburn, Ala.). He collected individual victories in the men's 50-yard freestyle race with a time of 21.34 and then won the men's 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.20.

Parsons had a counterpart on the women's side for Carson-Newman in freshman Natalie Burnett (Sevierville, Tenn.). Burnett earned wins in the women's 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.84 and also the women's 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.55.

The field at the Fall Frenzy includes: host Wingate, Queens, Catawba, College of Charleston, Gardner-Webb, Georgia Southern, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mars Hill, North Florida, Pfeiffer, St. Andrews and Soka (Calif.).

Wingate is ranked third in the Endless Pools/CollegeSwimming.com top 25 poll, while the Bulldog women's swimming team is number four in the same listing.

This weekend's meet marks the first three-day competition for the Eagles this year after single-day meets against Limestone and Milligan.

Results and a full recap of each day's events as the Eagles participate in the Fall Frenzy will be available on www.cneagles.com throughout the weekend.