Junior Andrew Wilson swims the breaststroke. Wilson and the Emory men’s team, along with the Emory women’s team, defeated the men’s and women’s teams from Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) last Saturday. | Photo courtesy of Emory Athletics
By Elana Cates
Staff Writer
This past weekend, both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams defeated the Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) Panthers. The wins marked the second-straight victory for the women and the first of the season for the men.
The men and women combined to earn five NCAA qualifying marks and finished first in 27 of the 30 events at the meet.
The men topped Birmingham-Southern 163.5-95.5, while the women had a final 210-69 lead over the Panthers.
Leading the men’s team was sophomore Mitchell Cooper, who won the 400-yard individual medley with an NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 4:05.25. He also competed in the 500-yard freestyle, which he won with a time of 4:40.89.
In addition, Cooper, along with teammates sophomore Christian Baker, freshman Alexander Hardwick and freshman Henry Copses, claimed the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7:01.12.
Baker, Hardwick and Copses earned first-place finishes in other events, as well. Baker won the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:39.41. Hardwick was the victor of the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.15 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle with 46.48 seconds. Copses claimed a win in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:44.87.
For the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard breaststroke, junior Andrew Wilson came out on top with times of 52.86 seconds and 2:02.63, respectively.
His breaststroke time marked a NCAA ‘B’ cut.
Other Eagles to claim victories included freshman Oliver Smith in the 50-yard freestyle (21.78), junior John Galvin in the 200-yard butterfly (1:57.46) and junior Jared Scheuer in the 200-yard backstroke (1:54.35).
The meet served as a good measure of the teams’ current states and improvements that need to be made.
“This meet was more to see where our team is at time wise, and be able to improve it as the season goes on,” sophomore Hayes Burdette-Sapp said.
On the women’s side, both sophomore Annelise Kowalsky and freshman Phoebe Edwards recorded NCAA ‘B’ cut times in the 400-yard individual medley.
Kowalsky won with a time of 4:31.79 seconds, while Edwards came in second with 4:32.85. Kowalsky also claimed victories in the 100-yard butterfly (58.84) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:26.05).
The final NCAA mark came from freshman Mara Rosenstock who earned a score of 277.66 in the women’s one-meter dive.
She also claimed a win in the women’s three-meter dive with a score of 269.40.
The team of freshman Ming Ong, senior McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg, senior Dana Holt and freshman Julia Wawer won the women’s 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7:44.37.
Other women’s team winners against the Panthers included freshman Cindy Cheng in the 100-yard backstroke (57.76) and 100-yard freestyle (53.55); freshman Rebecca Upton in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:34.87) and the 200-yard butterfly (2:10.68); Newsum-Schoenberg in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.55) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:04.22); sophomore Claire Liu in the 50-yard freestyle (24.04 seconds) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:09.33) and senior Megan Beach in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.62).
“This meet was really great because [Head Coach Jon Howell] gave us the opportunity to race some events that we normally don’t get to, the facility was excellent and it was our first away meet of the season,” Kowalsky said.
The teams have been in tough training as the season has come to a start and this meet provided a certain affirmation of the progress that training has led to.
“The win gives us some confidence going into future dual meets, especially coming off a few really tough weeks of training,” Kowalsky said. “Next weekend, we have a meet against [the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)] and it’s always really exciting to race at home.”
The men’s team will take on SCAD and the women’s team will match up with SCAD and Brenau University (Ga.) Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. in the WoodPEC
– By Elana Cates, Staff Writer
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
