Courtesy: Georgia Tech Athletics
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech swimming wrapped up the 2020-21 regular season over the weekend at the Yellow Jacket Invitational at McAuley Aquatic Center. The Invite served as a last chance meet for Tech before ACC Swimming & Diving championships get under way next week.
“I’m excited about how well we competed this weekend,” said Toni M. and Richard L. Bergmark Swimming & Diving Head Coach Courtney Shealey Hart. “We are grateful that Emmanuel College was able to come compete with us. I was especially proud of how our student-athletes cheered each other on. We want this kind of energy to be a precursor to how we support each other at ACC’s.”
Women’s Highlights
The Tech women had seven first-place performances at the Invite. Notably, Brooke Switzer earned an NCAA B cut in a first-place effort in the women’s 100 free after clocking in at 49.40. The Yellow Jackets swept the podium in the 100 free, with Arianna Sakellaris taking second at 50.88 and Kyrsten Davis finishing third at 51.11. Davis would be back on the podium as she finished with a time of 1:48.24 to take first in the 200 free.
Imane El Barodi finished first in the women’s 100 breast, touching the wall at 1:04.40. Emily Graham (23.57) and El Barodi (23.82) took first- and second-place, respectively, in the 50 free. Tamir Cohen Gonen collected gold in the 200 fly with a time of 2:06.77. In the 100 back Julia Kelly placed first at 57.06.
Men’s Highlights
On the men’s end of things the Yellow Jackets entered the weekend ranked as the No. 22 team in the most recent CSCAA Division I Poll. Overall, they garnered three first-place finishes at the Invite. Simon Davies was victorious in the 200 back taking gold at 1:49.91. Tyler Branscombe won the 100 free at 44.74. Wiggo Frohde placed second in the 500 free at 4:33.70.
Tech swept the podium in the 200 free, with Batur Unlu leading the way in first with an NCAA B cut mark of 1:33.31. Unlu was accompanied by Jonathan Vater (2nd, 1:39.02) and Frohde (3rd, 1:39.91) on the podium in the 200 free.
ACC Women’s Swimming & Men’s/Women’s Diving Championships will be held Feb. 17-20 in Greensboro. ACC Men’s Swimming Championships will follow on Feb. 24-27.