MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Southern College women's swimming team won a close opening meet against Florida Tech on Friday afternoon at the Panther Aquatic Center.
The Moccasins won the season opener by a score of 136 to 125 points. The first event of the season was the 200 medley relay as an FSC team of Zoe Celi, Alizee Pelletier, Elizabeth Sikes, and Phoebe Reid took second place. The next event was the first event win on the day as Olivia Miles on the 1000 free in a time of 10:47.96. Anya Bogdanova came in third with a time of 11:06.58. Ainsley Bennett (sophomore from Hannibal, Mo.) then won the 200 free in 1:56.68 before a second and third place FSC finish in the 100 breast by Pelletier and Alexa Paredes.
Sikes won her first event of the day in the 200 fly with a time of 2:10.54, ahead of teammate Miles, who placed third. A close event in the 50 free as Reid took second in 24.81 ahead of Sam Hunter in third with 25.03, who both placed second and third in the 100 free as well. Celi improved in the 200 back with a second-place finish from her third place in the 100 back. Pelletier then took first (2:26.53) in the 200 breast, with Paredes in second with a time of 2:31.29.
Bennett took the 500 free, her second event win of the day, in 5:11.31, with a second event win for Sikes in the 100 fly (57.78). Bennett won the final individual event of the meet with a 2:11.57 finish in the 200 IM. FSC finished the meet with a win in the 200 free relay behind a team of Sikes, Kaitlyn Weitz, Hunter, and Reid with a time of 1:38.33.
The Mocs will take next week off before their next meet at the University of Tampa on Nov. 1, set for a 5 p.m. start at the Riseman Aquatics Center.
