SCAD Savannah Splits Season Opener with Florida Tech as Lady Bees Win, Men Lose, at Home

Women’s Meet

Florida Tech jumped in front of the host Bees with a win in the 400 medley relay, as Lauren Suarez (1:01.36), Samantha Conger (1:08.41), Dar Raz (59.51), and Liana Soileau (56.64) combined for 4:05.92 over SCAD’s Cadie Crow (1:03.37), Haley Thompson (1:11.67), Samantha Benson (59.53), and Caroline Lepesant (54.09).

SCAD freshman Rebecca Justus picked up her first collegiate win with a 11:03.96 in the 1000 free over Ana Torres-Rivera. The Bees swept the 200 free with junior Thompson (1:59.41), freshman Shannon Brouk (2:01.40) and junior Emma McKinley (2:01.82).

SCAD junior Heather Partlow won the 50 free in 24.82. She was followed by Florida Tech’s Suarez (25.12) and SCAD sophomore Julie Woody (25.17).

The Panthers’ junior Shelby Pearce was the winner in the 200 IM, posting a 2:13.98 over SCAD’s Lepesant (2:14.14), who almost caught her with a 28.69 50 free on the end. Third went to FIT sophomore Willa Huddleston. Florida Tech’s Raz kept the momentum going for the Panthers, winning the 100 fly in 59.47. SCAD’s McKinley (1:01.07) and Justus (1:01.30) followed.

SCAD was back on top with a victory in the 100 free from freshman Benson, with 54.96. Florida Tech’s Bernadette Murphy (55.90) took second; SCAD junior Heather Dundey (56.19), third. Woody came in first in the 100 back, touching in 1:00.67 ahead of Panther teammates Paulina Bjorkbacka (1:01.99) and Julie Coen (1:02.23).

Lepesant won the 500 free in 5:05.06 in front of FIT’s Pearce and SCAD freshman Mady Sieracki. The final individual event featured a 1-2 sweep in the 100 breast from Florida Tech’s Conger (1:08.82) and Schelli Linz. The Bees’ Thompson was third.

The Bees edged the Panthers in the 200 free relay, 1:41.05 to 1:41.39. The SCAD relay featured Partlow (25.67), Shannon Cummings (25.25), Dundey (25.60), and Woody (24.53). FIT’s foursome included Raz (25.24), Trista Phelps (26.08), Murphy (24.95), and Soileau (25.12).

Final Score: SCAD 112 – 90 Florida Tech

Men’s Meet

Florida Tech beat the Bees by a very narrow margin (7 points) this year, having won by 30 last year. SCAD kicked things off with a win in the 400 medley relay. The all-sophomore quartet of Karl Hegwein (51.56), Styrbjorn Torell (59.58), Joel Ax (51.82), and Tim Jarnvik (48.68) combined for 3:31.64, while the Panthers’ Kaikea Nakachi (54.44), Stuart Jamieson (1:02.57), Steven Moodie (53.22), and Michael Brandt (51.63) went 3:41.86.

Florida Tech went 1-3 in the 1000, thanks to sophomores Ferruccio Rossi (9:54.31) and Matthew Colvin (10:25.07). SCAD freshman Kyle Peach finished second in 10:12.83.

The Bees’ Ax and Hegwein went 1-2 in the 200 free with 1:41.71 and 1:44.69, respectively. Hegwein split a 26.38 on the final 50 to overcome FIT’s Takashi Worrell, who took third with 1:44.74. The Panthers turned the tables in the 50 free when junior Nir Barnea (21.02) and freshman Thomas Steenberg (21.84) went 1-2 ahead of SCAD freshman Nick Wargo (22.04).

SCAD freshman Tyler Prescott logged his first collegiate win with a 1:57.51 in the 200 IM. Florida Tech sophomores Nathan Hufnagel (1:57.65) and Camden Johnston (2:00.99) took second and third. The Bees’ Ax tallied his second win with a 52.85 in the 100 fly, ahead of FIT seniors Victor Westerlund (53.43) and Moodie (54.11).

Steenberg of Florida Tech won the 100 free in 47.38. SCAD’s Wargo (48.22) touched second, while FIT’s Jonah Rieman (49.77) was third. SCAD kept things close with a 1-3 finish in the 100 back from Hegwein (51.91) and junior Connor Wilson (55.48). FIT senior Nakachi (54.14) took second.

The Panthers’ Worrell led the field in the 500, winning in 4:45.83. Teammate Rossi (4:49.10) took second, and a trio of SCAD freshmen followed: Prescott, Peach, and Roger Kjos. The Bees tied up the score in the last event -100 breast- with a first from Torell (59.98) and a third from freshman JT Bartel (1:01.78). FIT junior Brian Dumont (1:00.69) touched second.

Heading into the 200 free relay it was 95-95. Florida Tech’s sprinters proved too much for SCAD and the Panthers took both the event and the meet with their 1:25.06 victory (Barnea-20.95, Rieman-21.40, Steenberg-21.28, and Westerlund-21.43). SCAD’s relay featured Wargo (22.07), freshman Andre Farstad (22.56), Kjos (22.26), and Jarnvik (21.63).

Final Score: Florida Tech 106 – 99 SCAD