By Rebecca Noblett
ATLANTA, Georgia, November 9. GEORGIA Tech had no trouble defeating Savannah College of Art and Design in their dual meet today at the GT Aquatic Center, posting wins in 17 of 22 swimming events. The Yellow Jacket men won with a score of 158-57, while the women beat the NAIA SCAD Bees 163-68.
Senior captain Hailey White recorded wins for Georgia Tech in two events. White swam a 1:53.74 to win the 200 freestyle, just minutes after placing second in the 1000 freestyle. White also took the victory in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.98. Junior Kate Woolbright also posted a double for the Yellow Jackets, winning the 1000 freestyle (10:25.26) as well as the 200 back (2:07.97).
The Yellow Jacket women started things off with a win in the 400 medley relay (4:00.07). Freshmen Elise Breaux (24.64) and Xanna Tracy (25.11) went 1-2 in the 50 free, and sophomores Chiara Ruiu (2:08.78) and Frederique Lefebvre (2:09.18) did the same in the 200 IM. Kate Brandus picked up the victory in the 200 fly for the Yellow Jackets in a time of 2:08.65.
Georgia Tech’s Kate Brandus
SCAD sophomore Hannah Legg recorded some impressive times against NCAA Division I opposition today. Legg is the reigning NAIA champion in the 400 IM, 200 back, and 200 fly, and is one of several SCAD swimmers who had already qualified for this year’s championship meet prior to today. Legg placed third in the 200 back (2:09.78) and third in the 200 IM (2:12.23).
SCAD’s Hannah Legg
The Bees snagged one individual win on the women’s side, with Heather Partlow (2:37.26) touching out teammate Tarik Thienapirak (2:37.95). SCAD’s women also won their final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, with a time of 3:46.45.
For the men, Mark Sarman took first in a pair of events for the Yellow Jackets. The junior won the 200 IM (1:55.60) and the 200 fly (1:53.76).
Georgia Tech swept the distance freestyles on the men’s side as well. Yuval Safra posted a 9:39.04 in the 1000 and Elliot Brockelbank took the 500 in 4:42.14.
Georgia Tech’s Yuval Safra
Junior Nico van Duijn won the 200 freestyle for the Yellow Jackets (1:41.57), while classmate Andrew Kosic posted a time of 20.53 for first place in the 50 freestyle. Senior Anton Lagerqvist got the victory for Georgia Tech in the 200 breaststroke (2:09.59).
The teams split the relays, with Georgia Tech taking the 400 medley relay (3:26.45) and SCAD getting the points in the 400 freestyle relay (3:12.11).
SCAD swimmers touched first in two individual events. Junior Ryan Searles, the reigning two-year NAIA national champion in the 200 back, continued his dominance in that event with a winning time of 1:52.56. In the 100 free, senior Pat Cardillo touched out Georgia Tech’s Jacob Johnson (47.44) with a time of 47.18.
The NCAA Division I opposition provided a good motivator for the Bees. They had at least one swimmer or relay post an NAIA championship qualifying time in 21 out of 22 events.
Georgia Tech’s next meet is their own GT Invitational November 22-24, where they will be hosting Emory, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, James Madison, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt.
Georgia Tech head coach Courtney Shealy Hart