By Delaney Lanker, Swimming World College Intern
The New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference Championships concluded this evening. The finals of the men’s and women’s 1560 freestyle, 100 IM, 100 free, 200 back, 200 breast and 400 free relay were swam. The women’s 1560 free, 200 breast and both men’s and women’s 400 free relay NSISC records were broken. Delta State University men won the Championship title and West Florida took the win for the women.
Melanie Tomber‘s of Delta won the women’s 1650 freestyle tonight. She went a 16:51.97 and with this time she set a new NSISC record, breaking the 2015 record of 16:55.05. West Florida took second and third on the podium with Madeline Pitt taking silver with a 17:07.09 and Angie Gallastegui coming in at a 17:24.61 for bronze.
Delta swept the podium in the men’s 1650 freestyle. Nathan Sawicki took gold with a 15:444.09. His teammates Makis Jorgensen came in second place (15:54.70) and Bryce Anderson came in third (15:59.06).
In the women’s 100 IM Theresa Michalak of West Florida, bested her morning swim and won the event with a 54.80. Minnesota State Mankato took second and third on the podium with Cheyenne Rova going a 57.68 and her teammate Taylor Bass finishing with a 57.94 for the bronze.
Max Pohl of Henderson won the men’s 100 IM tonight with a 50.62. Ouachita’s Artemii Orekhov went a 51.76 for silver and Delta’s Fabrice Wendel finished in a 50.77 for third place.
Peggy de Villers of West Florida swam to gold in the women’s 100 free with a 51.28. Delta took the silver and bronze. Chloe Bennett finished in second place touching in at a 51.87 and her teammate Celina Batsel finished two one hundredths behind with a 51.89 for the third place spot on the podium.
In the men’s 100 free, Delta came in first and second place. Mattia Schirru swam to the gold medal with a 43.73. His teammate Dylon Johnson went a 45.27 for silver and St. Cloud’s Triston Ferguson came in third place (45.90).
Delta’s Kiersten Page won the women’s 200 back with a 2:00.04. Rebecca Halfast of West Florida finished with a 2:01.09 for second place and Minnesota State Mankato’s Chelsea Calhoun came in third place with a 2:02.16.
Ouachita’s Alexander Poguzov won the men’s 200 back with a 1:46.06. Cody Lavoie of Delta took silver with a 1:48.61 and David Wray of Ouachita came in third place touching in at a 1:51.29.
In the women’s 200 breast, West Florida’s Paulina Szydlo won the event with a 2:14.67. With this time she broke her own NSISC record or 2:16.01. Kirsten Stroven of Delta came in second place with a 2:16.34 and Henderson’s Camille Leary touched in at a 2:22.08 for the bronze.
Delta’s Matteo Fraschi won the men’s 200 breast with a 1:58.60; this time was just short of his 2014 SSC record of 1:58.45. Justin Winnett of St. Cloud, took silver with a 1:59.11 and Garrett Duncan of Henderson came in third place (2:03.99).
West Florida’s women won the 400 free relay in the time of 3:26.29. With this time, the team of Halfast (52.85), Sophia Olivia (52.34), de Villers (51.36) and Michalak (49.74) broke the previous NSISC record of 3:26.49. Delta came in second place (3:28.28) with their team of Hannah Core (52.57), Batsel (51.70), Anastasia Klyarovskaya (52.70) and Bennett (51.31). St. Cloud went a 3:31.71 for third place with the squad of Paige Lay (53.03), Anna Schmitt (53.90), Kaitlin Heinen (52.79) and Erin Hart (51.99).
Delta’s men’s team went a 2:59.15 for the gold in the 400 free relay. The team of Schirru (44.18), Wendel (44.35), Dylon Johnson (45.21) and Nick Zorn (45.41) broke the previous NSISC record of 2:59.50. St. Cloud went a 3:01.16 for second with their team of Winnett (45.50), Ike Erickson (46.10), Jordan Kinney (45.06) and Ferguson (45.11). Ouachita finished in third place (3:05.16) with Orekhov (45.98), Wray (46.45), Podguzov (46.73) and Matt Cox (46.00).
Women’s Team Scores
1.University of West Florida 1765
2.Delta State University 1635
3.St. Cloud State University 1409
4.Minnesota State, Mankato 1169
5.Henderson State University 936
6.Minnesota State Moorhead 891
7.Ouachita Baptist University 543
8.Northern State University 490
9.UT-Permian Basin 409
Men’s Team Scores
1.Delta State University 1156.5
2.Henderson State University 832.5
3.St. Cloud State University 653
4.Ouachita Baptist University 544
5.UT-Permain Basin 361
