CHARLOTTE, N.C. – School records galore fell for the Carson-Newman swim teams on the first day of the Fall Frenzy at Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center.
The Eagles in Charlotte set seven school records and 10 NCAA provisional times. The men's team is settled into fourth-place on the scoreboard while the women are eighth.
"The Eagles swam phenomenal tonight," coach Paige McCord said. "Every single member of our team was a huge contributor on this record-breaking night."
The men's 200 Free Relay team consisting of freshman Paul Ungur (Baia Mare, Romania), senior Stephen Parsons (Auburn, Ala.), senior Ben Young (Morristown, Tenn.) and sophomore Samuel Schechter (Knoxville, Tenn.) placed third with a time of 1:21.60, less than one second off the time set by winner Queens. The relay also set a school record by a second and set a provisional time.
In the 400 Medley Relay, the team of Ungur, sophomore Kent Eldreth (Knoxville, Tenn.), Schechter and Parsons swam the meet's fourth-quickest time with a 3:19.95. The relay team set a new school record and set a provisional time for the NCAA meet.
In the men's 500 Free, sophomore Tommy Bourgeois (Kingsport, Tenn.) also set a provisional time by swimming the race in 4:38.18, which is also a new school record by six seconds. Bourgeois placed sixth in the event.
Individually, Parsons broke his own school record in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 1:53.87, which was a provisional time. He previously set the record at the Second Splash.
In the men's 50 Free, Young and Schechter finished sixth and seventh respectively and both set NCAA provisional times. Young swam a 20.69 and Schechter followed right behind with a 20.76. Young's time was the quickest for the Eagles this year.
On the women's side, the relay team of sophomore Natalie Burnett (Sevierville, Tenn.), freshman Maggie Melhorn (Knoxville, Tenn.), freshman Margaret Stansberry (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Samantha Starnes (Knoxville, Tenn.) placed seventh in the 200 Free Relay with a time of 1:36.59. The relay broke the school record by half a second.
Stansberry, Melhorn, Burnett and Starnes combined for a second school record in the 400 Medley Relay with a time of 3:55.30 and placed 10th. The Eagles' second relay team consisting of sophomore Amanda Henderson (Bolton, Tenn.), sophomore Nancy Claire Smith (Franklin, Tenn.), freshman Courtlyn Fields (Anderson, S.C.) and senior Aly Kaywork (Fernadina Beach, Fla.) placed 11th, one spot behind their teammates, with a time of 3:56.27, which would have set the school record.
Smith's 5:03.63 performance in the 500 Free prelim broke Lexy Raybon's (Sarasota, Fla.) school record by six seconds and was also quick enough to be classified as a provisional time. In the finals, she swam a 5:04.60 placing her seventh in the event.
Henderson set the team's season best time and set another NCAA provisional time with a 2:07.17 showing. She won the "C" final and finished the event in 17th. Henderson posted the eighth-quickest time by all 24 swimmers in the finals.
Burnett and Starnes finished the 50 Free five-hundredths of a second apart and both set a NCAA provisional time. Burnett swam a season best 24.18 and Starnes finished with a 24.23.
"I'm thankful to have the opportunity to represent Carson-Newman and Christ and our families in this way. And major thanks for all the support from every member of Eagle Nation all over the country and the world," McCord said.
The Fall Frenzy continues Saturday with preliminary races in the morning and the finals Saturday evening. The 200 Medley Relay, 400 Individual Medley, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Back and the 800 Free Relay are on the docket for Saturday.
-CN-
