UT Women First, Men Second Heading to Final Day

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Tampa women's swimming team has held the lead for three days with one day remaining in the 2019 Sunshine State Conference Women's Swimming Championships while the Spartan men are within striking distance at the two spot.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

The Spartans enjoyed more school record performances on day three, including McKenzie Street's time of 1:02.32 in the 100 Breast and Courtney Sherwood's 2:00.72 in the 200 Fly. Brian Valedon's school record in the 200 Fly was a gold medal performance and a new SSC meet record with a time of 1:45.56.

Maslova captured the 200-butterfly in a meet and conference record 1:58.65, which was also an NCAA automatic qualifying time. She had already won both individual medley events and hit an NCAA "A" time in one of those as well. Maslova ended her night by teaming up with Madison Allen, Laurel Fink, and Emma Sundstedt for a win in the 800-freestyle relay. That was also Sundstedt's second gold medal of the night after she had won the 500-free with an NCAA automatic qualifying time much earlier. However, those results still left the Sharks a little short of the Spartans in the team standings, with Tampa on top 717-692.

The Spartans got a 1-2 finish from McKenzie Street and Elizaveta Bazarova in the 100-breast and got three swimmers into the championship finals in that event compared to the Sharks' one, a key element in their 25-point lead. Florida Southern was in third place with 286 points.

Meanwhile, Florida Southern senior Matthew Holmes won his third individual gold medal on the men's side, Tampa junior Brian Valedon set a new meet record in the 200-fly, and the Florida Southern 800-freestyle relay team also etched its name in the SSC Championship record book. Those two schools are still chasing Nova Southeastern, however, with Sharks on top with 668 points. Tampa is second with 590, and Florida Southern is third with 571.

Holmes had already swept the two individual medley events prior to Saturday night before picking up his third win in as many nights. This one came in the 100-breaststroke, which he swam in 54.60 seconds to edge out Nova's Cory Klemm by 0.07 seconds. Holmes later anchored the Moccasins' winning 800-freestyle relay squad that included Nico Campbell, Luka Planinc and Charles Gotsch, with their time of 6:30.02 breaking the previous SSC meet record for that event.

Nova Southeastern retained the overall lead though and will take a 78-point lead into the final day of the meet.

Women's 500 Freestyle Medalists:                                                                        
1.    Emma Sundstetdt    SO    Nova Southeastern    4:50.53
2.    Katie Moore    SR    Florida Southern    4:51.23
3.    Jessie Tobin    SO    Tampa    4:57.66

Men's 500 Freestyle Medalists:
1.    Vincent Lijoi    JR    Nova Southeastern    4:26.12
2.    Luka Planinc    SR    Florida Southern    4:26.30
3.    Cole Smith    FR    Florida Southern    4:30.44

Women's 100 Backstroke Medalists:
1.    Jenna Johns    FR    Nova Southeastern    55.04
2.    Karolina Smylek    FR    Lynn    55.48
3.    Suzanne Afchain    SR    Nova Southeastern    56.32

Men's 100 Backstroke Medalists:
1.    Brandon Dyck    SO    Florida Southern    47.94
2.    Emanuele Rossi    SR    Florida Tech    48.54
3.    Luke Hene    JR    Tampa    48.62

Women's 100 Breaststroke Medalists:
1.    McKenzie Street    SR    Tampa    1:02.32
2.    Elizaveta Bazarova    FR    Tampa    1:02.60
3.    Sarah Hughes    SR    Lynn    1:02.96

Men's 100 Breastroke Medalists:
1.    Matt Holmes    SR    Florida Southern    54.60
2.    Cory Klemm    SR    Nova Southeastern    54.67
3.    Henrik Dahrendorff    JR    Saint Leo    54.69

Women's 200 Butterfly Medalists:
1.    *Sasha Maslova    FR    Nova Southeastern    1:58.65
2.    Courtney Sherwood    FR    Tampa    2:00.72
3.    Caroline Oster    SR    Nova Southeastern    2:02.53
*set SSC Championship and overall SSC records

Men's 200 Butterfly Medalists:
1.    *Brian Valedon    JR    Tampa    1:45.56
2.    Magnus Poulsen    JR    Nova Southeastern    1:46.08
3.    Miguel Bernotti    SO    Florida Southern    1:46.33
*set SSC Championship record

Women's 800 Freestyle Relay Medalists:
1.    Nova Southeastern    7:25.81
2.    Tampa    7:28.10
3.    Florida Southern    7:32.34

Men's 800 Freestyle Relay Medalists:
1.    *Florida Southern    6:30.02
2.    Nova Southeastern    6:35.48
3.    Tampa    6:35.35
*set SSC Championship record