SCAD Savannah’s (Ga.) Joel Thatcher set a new NAIA record, while Olivet Nazarene leads the team standings after two days of competition at the 2017 NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday night at the Columbus Aquatic Center.
Thatcher broke the NAIA record in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 4:20.35. That time was over a second faster than the previous record set last year by Joel Ax.
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) won both the 200 free relay and the 200 individual medley to tally 221.5 points. Magnus Andersen, Vladislav Khoroletc, Daniil Kuzman, and Magnus Poulsen swam 1:20.90 to win the 200 free relay. Andersen followed that up by edging out Kuzman to win the 200 IM by 0.71 seconds.
SCAD Savannah is in second place with 174.5 points. In addition to Thatcher’s win in the 500 free, the Bees also came from behind to win the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:17.94. Joel Ax finished second in the 50 free, touching the wall in 20.17.
Perry Lindo of Thomas (Ga.) won the final individual national title of the day, earning a first place finish in the 50 freestyle with a time of 19.99. The Nighthawks are sitting in third place of the team standings with 103 points.
The NAIA Championships will continue Friday, March 3, with the third day of competition. Prelims will begin at 9 a.m., while finals will start at 5 p.m. Complete coverage of the championships can be found here.
Stretch Internet, the NAIA’s official video streaming company, is broadcasting all events of the national championships. Packages can be purchased for $9.95. For more information click, here.
Women's Recap
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) won the 200 free relay, the 200 individual medley, and the one-meter dive to finish the day with 245 points. Andrea Vega, Deirdre Gerke, Amanda Moran, and Leanne Latocha teamed up to swim a winning time of 1:34.69 in the 200 free relay. Tiffany Ray followed that up by winning the 200 IM, touching the wall in 2:05.07. The Tigers added a 1-2 finish in the one-meter dive event with Vanessa Van Oost tallying 203.70 to win the event, while teammate Shanynn Santos finished second with 188.25 points.
SCAD Savannah (Ga.) is in second place with 200 points. The Bees also garnered a pair of national champions in the 500 free and the 400 medley relay. Abigail Richey won the 500 free, touching the wall in 4:59.00. Julie Woody, Sara Lacusky, Cadie Crow, and Richey teamed up to win the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:48.56. SCAD also added a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200 IM and the 50 free.
Lisa Tixier of Biola (Ca.) won the final individual national title of the day, earning a first place finish in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.01. The Eagles are sitting in third place of the team standings with 144 points.
