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FGCU Swimming wins ninth CCSA Championship

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EN Photo / Brad Young

For the ninth time in 10 years, the FGCU swimming and diving team won the CCSA Championship after the Eagles totaled 1,612. That is the second most scored points of all-time, as they won by 112 points over second-place Liberty.
Additionally, Gracie Redding took home the CCSA Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet, making her the sixth straight Eagle to win the award. Head coach Dave Rollins also earned coach of the year following the Eagles’ win.
“I am so proud of these young women,” said Rollins“It has been an incredible journey that we’ve been on in the past 365 days. For our seniors to go out as four-time conference champions is incredibly special. This moment is something we will cherish for a very long time.”
After day one of the event, FGCU ended the day in third place. Christina Kass Elmgreen set a new-school record in the 200-fly at 1:55:55 and 19th best in the country to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Melissa Novak and Megan Wakefield led FGCU in the diving competition as they finished second and third respectively in the three-meter dive. In the final two relay events, Doris Eichhorn, Sommer Harris, Gracie Redding and Rebecca Moynihan finished second in the 200-yard medley relay, but was declared a season-best time at 1:39.34.
With Hannah Burdge, Linda Shaw, Antonia Baerens, and Elizabeth Zeiger, the Eagles 800 team set a program record at 7:11.15, nearly three seconds faster than the previous record.
FGCU moved up a spot on day two to second place. The day will be remembered for Shaw and Redding earning their first CCSA Championship. Shaw earned 32 points with a time of 4:48.14 and was the second best time in school history. Antonia Baerens finished in fourth and Zeiger finished in fifth.
Redding’s win came in the 50-free, as she scored at 22.25 for the fourth fastest time in school history in route to her first championship. Other notable events during the day were from Elmgreen, who finished first in the 200 Medley, with Hannah Whitman coming in fifth.
On day three, FGCU took the lead and would not give it up as the Eagles earned 600 points on the day. Elmgreen finished first in the 100-butterfly as Redding, Fry and Yee Ching Wong finished in the top six as well.
FGCU had three more wins in both the 200-free and 100-yard breaststroke as Burdge earned the win and Shaw finished right behind her in the 200-free. Sommer Harris won the 100-yard breaststroke. Halmai finished less than a second behind for a third place showing.
Eichhorn, Harris, Elmgreen, and Redding also picked up yet another win with the 400-yard Medley relay and the Eagles landing an 80-point lead into the final day.
The final day consisted of more wins for the Eagles as they were able to sweep the podium in the 100-free with Gracie Redding finishing in first, ahead of Rebecca Moynihan and Hannah Burdge.
Hannah Soutar won the 200-breaststroke at 2:13.26. Halmai finished second at 2:13:26 and Sommer Harris finished fourth a little over two seconds behind Soutar. The 400-relay team also finished in first courtesy of Burdge, Redding, Moynihan and Shaw.
They would have two more second place showings from Zeiger and Elmgreen along with third place showing from Eichhorn as the Eagles earned their fourth straight conference championship.
FGCU will be right back in action in Gainesville at the UF Last Chance Meet starting on Feb. 22-24 before the NCAA diving competition starting on Mar. 8.

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