2020 NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships Day 2: Song, Nagy Tie Records

Photo Courtesy: Nick Peck

Isabella Song’s first impression on the NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships was a record-setting one Thursday. The Savannah College of Art and Design freshman won the women’s 200 individual medley in 2:02.75, tying the meet record in the event that was set in 2015 by Christine Tixier of Biola.

Song’s wasn’t the only record set on Day 2 of the meet in Knoxville, Tenn. It also wasn’t the only record tied on the day.

NAIA Swimming Championships

200 free relay

Savannah College of Art and Design scored the win in the women’s race, the team of Anna Kate McGinty, Spencer Sheridan, Chloe Hui and Sloan Sizemore winning in 1:33.32. Sizemore, whose split of 22.69 was the fastest in the race, put SCAD ahead on the anchor leg, surging past Keiser to win by a scant six one-hundredths of a second. Olivet Nazarene was third, more than three seconds back.

The top two spots flipped in the men’s race, with Keiser (Marcel Nagy, Lukas Macek, Matias Lazzerini and Jared Ingram) winning in 1:19.77, a margin of nearly two seconds over SCAD. All but Lazzerini were under 20 seconds; the rest of the race featured only one 19-second leg (the anchor on fifth-place Midland, Scott Cain).

500 freestyle

Mendy De Rooi of Cumberlands repeated as the women’s champ in 4:58.51. She was a third of a second faster than last year. Karla Islas of Olivet Nazarene was the runner-up for a third straight year in 5:00.37 with Emily Elz of SCAD third.

The men’s side featured a blast from the past: 2017 champ Joel Thatcher of SCAD, who took a two-year break for a Mormon mission. He won in 4:22.37, not far from his meet record of 4:20.35, to edge Lindsey Wilson freshman Calvin Coetzee by .62 seconds. Third was last year’s champ, Pol Roch of Keiser.

200 individual medley

Song’s winning time of 2:02.75 was four tenths quicker than Indiana Wesleyan’s Sydney Darnell. Thea Brandauer of SCAD was third.

The men’s race went to Keiser senior Lukas Macek, who was DQed in last year’s final. He got a measure of revenge with a 1:48.75, using his breaststroke leg to surge past teammate and runner-up Marti Ranea. Last year’s champ, SCAD’s Zoltan Monori, was fifth.

50 freestyle

McGinty got to the wall first in 23.27 seconds, defending her top seed and leading three SCAD swimmers in the top four (with Sizemore and Sheridan). Breaking the SCAD blockade was silver medalist Leanne Latocha of Olivet Nazarene.

On the men’s side, Nagy dazzled in prelims, the reigning champ from Keiser tying the meet record of 19.71 set by Logan Lassley in 2014. He was slower at night but still the class of the field in 20.06. Cain was second in 20.37, and Ingram finished third.

One-meter diving

St. Ambrose’s Andrea Adam won diving for a third straight year with 249.70, the class of a six-diver field. Second was teammate Taylor Madison (228.75).

400 medley relay

Keiser gained a measure of revenge in the women’s 400 medley relay, winning in 3:45.52 with the team of Emma Sofie Augustsson, Ori Freibach, Anna Herbst and Elianna Kennon. SCAD (Allie Rassenfoss, Song, Brandauer, Sheridan) was second in 3:47.52 with Cumberlands third.

The men’s race went to Keiser again. The team of Jan Suchan, Macek, Nagy and Ingram were out front from Suchan’s 49.37 back split on, winning by more than four seconds. SCAD was second with Midland third.

Team Scoring

After two days, SCAD has a huge lead in the women’s competition with 293.5 points. Keiser sits second with 160, while Cumberlands (145) and Olivet Nazarene (137) are vying for the last podium spot.

Keiser and SCAD are engaged in a clear two-horse race in the men’s competition, Keiser holding a 244-225 lead. Lindsey Wilson (124) and Midland (118) are the best of the rest.

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Elizabeth Bannon Scargill

4 years ago

Go SCAD ?’s!!