LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 10 Florida Southern College men's swimming team defeated No. 25 Rollins College on Friday afternoon, winning its first home meet of the year by a final score of 162-94 at the Nina B. Hollis Wellness Center Pool.
It was a dominant performance for the men's team, coming off of a very successful 2021-2022 season that saw a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships last year. Through all 14 events, the Mocs men took first place in every single race.
The squad was paced by sophomore
Brandon Wilson, junior
Keith Peristeridis, and senior
Matteo Zampese, who each had two individual victories in Friday's meet.
Wilson won the 100-yard backstroke by a few seconds, handily defeating his opponents with a marvelous time of 50.57. He would go on to win the 200-yard backstroke as well without much pressure, earning the first-place finish with a time of 1:54.70.
K. Peristeridis, who returned to compete at Florida Southern for the third year, won the 200-yard freestyle event, separating himself from the competition with a time of 1:40.27, less than two seconds off of his personal best, which he set last season at the Sunshine State Conference Championships. K. Peristeridis would go on to win the 500-yard freestyle as well, posting a time of 4:30.99.
Zampese took the top step of the podium with his wins in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard freestyle events. In the 100-breast, Zampese swam a time of 56.38 as he looks to build on his run at the Division II Championships last season. In the 100-yard free, Zampese swam a quick time of 46.09 to win the crowded event.
Freshman
Nicko Peristeridis made his stamp on the family legacy with his first collegiate win, taking the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:05.98.
Other individual winners included
Elder Oliveira,
Cameron Lai-Harris, and
Milosz Mencel.
Freshmen
Tristan Clanton and
Kyle Hopewell each earned individual first-place finishes as well, the first of their young collegiate careers.
The men return to action next Friday, Oct. 21, when they take on Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.
