LAKELAND â€" In its final home competition of the season, Florida Southern won 10 of 11 events, and had seven runner-up finishes too, as the 13th-ranked Moccasins won their fifth straight dual meet with a 148-44 decision over Daytona State College.
Now 5-4 on the season, Florida Southern was never threatened after its two 200-yard medley relay teams finished first and second in event number one, and freshman Heather Burns and junior Carlee McDonald finished 1-2 in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Daytona State then got its only win of the day from Ginny Grams in the 200-yard freestyle before the Mocs won the final eight events. Grams set a pool record with her time of 1:53.7, but even in finishing second, freshman Alli Crenshaw still had a NCAA “B†qualifying time of 1:55.2, her best of the season.
Burns was the only Moccasin with more than one win. After winning the 1,000-yard freestyle by more than 22 seconds, she later took the 500-yard freestyle by more than nine seconds. It was the second time this year she won both of those races in the same meet.
In the 50-yard freestyle, senior Anna McIntyre (25.05), who was also part of the winning 200-yard medley relay team, edged out senior teammate Jordon Momsen (25.24). Freshman Morgan Burns (2:15.03) and senior Missy Witt (2:17.32) followed that with first and second-place finishes in the 200-yard IM.
Sophomore Catie Carden, another member of the 200-yard medley relay team, gave the Mocs yet another win in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:00.13, and senior Stephanie Doran took the 100-yard freestyle in 52.56 seconds. Doran’s time was another NCAA “B†qualifier.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Florida Southern took the top three places, led by freshman Virginia Summer’s winning time and personal best of 59.18 seconds. The final individual win of the day belonged to Witt, who was victorious in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:08.38. That too was an event that saw Florida Southern finish 1-2-3.
The meet ended with the 200-yard freestyle relay team of freshman Kelsey Gouge, Doran, freshman Rachael Norfleet and Crenshaw swimming a time of 1:38.96, the second fastest of the season for the Moccasins. It was the second relay win of the day for Gouge, who also helped the Mocs achieve a NCAA “B†standard in the 200-yard medley race that started the meet. McIntyre, Carden and freshman Lauren Reynolds were a part of that team too.
Florida Southern will now prepare for the Sunshine State Conference Championships in Clearwater, that begin on Wednesday, February 16.
