By Sharon Robb
February 22, 2014
Florida State senior Tiffany Oliver won her second individual event and made collegiate history Saturday night at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
Oliver, making her final ACC Championship meet appearance, left a lasting memory by becoming the first swimmer in FSU history to defend the sprint titles.
The fastest morning qualifier defended her title in the event winning in 48.54, out-touching UNC’s Lauren Earp in 48.67. Oliver’s back half split was 25.05, the fastest among the field.
In prelims, Oliver qualified in a best time of 48.50, lowering her seed time of 48.81.
Oliver was in control for most of the race, accelerating in the final five yards to touch first.
“For sure winning never gets old,” Oliver said. “It’s been an amazing meet and nice way to go out.”
It was her second ACC title of the meet. She also defended her title in the 50-yard freestyle winning in 22.02.
In the women’s 400-yard freestyle relay, the final event of the meet, Oliver led off the relay and touched first in 48.75. The Seminoles finished third.
In the 200-yard freestyle, Oliver tied for 12th in 1:47.00. She swam a personal best time of 1:46.86 in prelims.
Going into the final day of races on Saturday, FSU was third after setting ten new school records and maintained its third place finish under first-year coach Frankie Bradley with 972 points. University of Miami was ninth with 470.5.
Virginia won its seventh women’s team title in a row, a first by any ACC women’s team. The Cavaliers finished with 1,433 points, more than a 200-point cushion.
Notre Dame junior Emma Reaney broke the NCAA record in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:04.34 to win the ACC title and break Breeja Larson’s record. She was named the meet’s Most Valuable Swimmer.
During the meet, North Carolina’s Stephanie Peacock was taken from the meet on a stretcher after breaking the NCAA 1,000-yard freestyle record during the 1,650-yard freestyle. The school did not release any information other than Peacock fell ill during the race.
The men’s competition is next weekend.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
University of Florida men’s team and Georgia women’s team defended their titles Saturday night in Athens, Ga.
The No. 1 ranked Gators were led by Sebastien Rousseau, named SEC Swimmer of the Year and the meet’s high point winner.
The Gators finished with 1,440 points ahead of Auburn with 1,280.50 and Georgia with 1,095.
“Winning the first time was really great, coming back and having the opportunity to repeat shows the character of the guys,” Gators coach Gregg Troy said. “It’s great racing fast. We think we have a lot left in the tank for NCAAs.”
Georgia Bulldogs won the women’s title with 1,589. Texas A&M finished second with 1,204 and Florida was third. Elizabeth Beisel was high point winner for the women.
Texas A&M’s Breeja Larson broke the NCAA, U.S. Open and American record in the 100-yard breaststroke for the second straight year at the SEC Championships. Larson swam 57.24, bettering the previous mark of 57.43. She now holds the three fastest times in history.
AAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Former University of Miami swimmer Kelsi Worrell, a Louisville sophomore, was second in the 100-yard butterfly in 51.76 just behind SMU freshman Marne Erasmus in 51.73. Both were NCAA “A” cuts. She also swam a 51.3 split for Louisville’s second place 400-yard medley relay that finished in 3:33.99, under the existing pool record. Louisville won the men’s title.
CCSA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Five-time champion Florida Gulf Coast fell short of defending its title in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Championships.
The team had its 400-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay disqualified for early takeoff costing them valuable points and eventually denying them their sixth straight women’s title.
Going into the final day of competition, FGCU trailed Liberty, 471-453 and ended up finishing second with 718 points behind team champion Liberty University with 732 points. University of the Incarnate Word won the men’s title with 886 points.
SOFLO’s Marcella Marinheiro, a freshman, is a member of the FGCU women’s team. FGC swimmer Lani Cabrera won the 1,650-yard freestyle in 16:36.
SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tampa, with former SOFLO swimmer Leonie Davies, leading going into the final day of competition at the Sunshine State Conference Championships, captured the women’s title at the Orlando YMCA Aquatic Center.
Tampa finished with 820 points ahead of Florida Southern with 738 and Nova Southeastern third with 556 points. St. Leo was fifth with 326 and Lynn was seventh with 248.
Lynn University’s women’s 200-yard medley relay team became the first relay in the program’s young history to medal at the SSC Championships. Relay members were Thalie Carmigniani, Tyne Potgeiter, Tieri Erasito and Julia Pedersen edged Nova Southeastern for a bronze medal in 1:47.24. Potgieter also took a silver in the 100-yard breaststroke.
PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Florida Gold Coast swimmer Gina Gautieri of Bucknell swam a college best of 2:21.30 in the 200-yard breaststroke to earn the seventh seed for the championship “A” final. Her previous best was 2:22.55. She finished seventh in finals in 2:22.27. In the 100 breaststroke, she was seventh in the “B” final in 1:06.43 after going a best time 1:06.16 in prelims, bettering her previous best of 1:06.39. Bucknell finished second among women’s teams with 580 points. The U.S. Naval Academy won in 778.
NSISC CHAMPIONSHIPS
No. 21-ranked West Florida was second among a five-team field at the New South Intercollegiate Swimming Conference Championship at Delta State Aquatic Center. Host Delta State led with 699 going into the final day ahead of UWF with 653. UWF’s Carla Robles, a Coral Reef alum from Miami and Florida Gold Coast swimmer, was sixth in the 200-yard freestyle.
MAAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
In one of the most exciting 400-yard freestyle relays in Iona College swim history, second leg swimmer Keegan Boisson-Yates swam a 46.72 leg. On the final leg, Iona captain Justin Grigull became the only swimmer in the meet and first in Iona history to break 45, going 44.70 and rallying his team on anchor leg to beat Rider for the win in 3:03.64. Grigull was also second in the 100-yard freestyle in 45.90, an NCAA “A” cut. Boisson-Yates, a freshman, was seventh in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:54.86, after swimming 1:53.36 in prelims. Both Boisson-Yates and Grigull are Florida Gold Coast swimmers.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com
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