BLACKSBURG, Va. – Carson-Newman swimming went on the road to nationally ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday, Oct 12 in Blacksburg, Va.
The Eagles fell to the Hokies by a score of 287-212. Carson-Newman ended the day with 14 total first place finishes and 28 second place finishes on the day.
"This was a great meet for us," said Eagles head coach Ben Young. "From a standpoint of Division I competition, in past years we have gone into the meet defeated and this meet was totally different in the sense that the team went in, executed very well, and ultimately came out in a very positive way."
The men's squad battled against the Virginia Tech team finishing with a score of 143-108 and six first place finishes. Men's swimmers racked up 6 first place finishes and 14 second place finishes. The team was led by performances from Daniel De Oliveria with a first place finish in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 48.98 as well as first place finishes from Jake Sell, Ryan Berry, and Aurthur Gluzman.
On the women's side, the Eagles hung with the Hokies but ultimately fell by a score of 144-104. The squad wrapped up the meet with 7 first place finishes and 14 second place finishes. Top performers on the women's team were Megan Corcoran with a first place finish in the 200-yard IM 2:06.54 and Maria Tirulli in the 200-yard butterfly in 2:05.19.
"Standouts on the day were Daniel De Oliveria, Olivia Muir, and Megan Corcoran," said Young. "They had three incredible races from those swimmers. A newcomer that stood out today was Ryan Berry 200-yard Breaststroke."
This is the first of three Division I trips that the Eagles will take this season with meets at South Carolina and Georgia Tech coming down the line.
"The environment against the Hokies was fantastic and our approach was great across the board," said Young. "I think we've usually approached these meets already defeated and prepared to lose. We've tried to change the narrative and not focus on the final score. We focus on how we can get better and move forward as a program. I thought the team kept the energy up and we were consistent, so I was really proud to see that."
The Eagles get a week off before going back on the road to face SAC opponent Mars Hill who placed fifth in both Preseason Coaches Poll this season. That meet will be Saturday, Oct. 26 at Harrell Pool, in Mars Hill, N.C. beginning at 11:00 a.m.
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