Women’s Swimming and Diving Team Crowned SSC Champions

Women’s Swimming and Diving Crowned SSC Champions.

For the first time since 2012, the Nova Southeastern University women’s swimming and diving team claimed the 2015 Sunshine State Conference Championship, dominating the competition with 853.5 points, 93 points ahead of second-place finisher Florida Southern. In a valiant effort that came down to the final three events of the final session, the men claimed second-place, tallying 791 points, nine points shy of first-place. Florida Southern seized the title on the men’s side with 800 points.

“I’m very proud of our women’s team for taking the lead early in the meet and turning in outstanding results every night at finals. Our women have been dynamic all season and their win tonight was the result of all their hard work and efforts,” said head coach Hollie Bonewit-Cron. “The men’s team found every way possible to be great and although they came up short at the end, there is no question that their success until the last relays was indicative of their commitment all season long. I’m looking forward to nationals with both teams when we will have everyone rested, shaved and competing with the nation’s elite.”

Once again, the highlight of the night came from Anton Lobanov (Fr., Novosibirisk, Russia), breaking the all-time NCAA Division II record in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke. His NCAA A-Standard time of 1:53.49 shattered the previous record of 1:54.45. Lobanov’s incredible feat trumped Thiago Sickert (So., Vila Velha, Brazil) and Bryndis Hansen (So., Akureyri, Iceland), each swimming a new SSC meet and overall record in the men’s and women’s 100-yard freestyle. Their times of 43.48 and 49.28, respectively, each surpassed the NCAA A-Standard mark.

In the first event of the final session, the women’s 1650-yard freestyle, Madison Yelle (Fr., Mansfield, Texas) swam a NCAA B-Standard time of 17.25.05 to claim fifth place. She was followed by Blake Woodrow (Fr., Fort Myers, Fla.) who swam a NCAA B-Standard time of 15:31.87 to take third place in the men’s 1650-yard freestyle. After Hansen and Sickert each set their own SSC records, it was time for the men’s and women’s 200-yard backstroke. Courtney DeVeny(Fr., Estero, Fla.) swam a SSC meet record and NCAA A-Standard time of 1:57.18. Marco Aldabe (So., Alicante, Spain) followed with a fourth-place finish in the men’s 200-yard backstroke, swimming a NCAA B-Standard time of 1:46.99.

In the next event, the women’s 200-yard breaststroke, Malin Westman (Fr., Harryda, Sweden) swam a NCAA A-Standard time of 2:14.46 to take second place. Lobanov followed with his second all-time NCAA DII record of the meet, claiming the record in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke.

Heading into the final two events of the night, the men’s and women’s 400-yard freestyle relay, the women had an 81-point lead, while the men were just out of reach, down 25 points. The women cruised to a first-place finish, swimming a SSC meet record and NCAA B-Standard time of 3:24.71. While the lead may have been out of reach, it didn’t stop the men from swimming to a first-place finish, recording a SSC meet and overall record and NCAA A-Standard time of 2:55.55.

The Sharks will take the next three weeks to prepare for the NCAA Championships, beginning March 11 in Indianapolis.