November 9, 2008

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill College Swim Team competed this weekend at the University of the South in the 8th Annual Sewanee Invitational. The women came away with a second place overall finish, and the men placed third overall in the 10 team field.

The women's relay teams scored two top-three finishes. In the Women's 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, the team of Tiffany Golding (Dobson, N.C.), Lara Brockwell (Asheville, N.C.), Ashley Varga (Port Charlotte, Fla.) and Katie Brasche (Irmo, S.C.) got second in 1:47.37. In the Women's 200 Yard Medley Relay, the team of Rebekah Thomas (Stanley, N.C.), Mariya Kulakova (Asheville, N.C.), Nikki Holt (Kennesaw, Ga.) and Lena Palo (Lexington, S.C.)got third in a time of 1:59.37.

Individually Palo was the workhorse for the women's team. She won the Women's 200 Yard Freestyle in a time of 1:59.27. In the Women's 100 Yard Backstroke, Palo got second with time of 1:03.05. She also placed second in the Women's 100 Yard Freestyle in 54.70.

Kulakova also looked impressive for Mars Hill. In the Women's 200 Yard IM, she got second in 2:23.15. In the Women's 100 Yard Breaststroke, Kulakova got third in a time of 1:12.06. She also finished third in the Women's 200 Yard Breaststroke in 2:36.07.

Brasche placed second in the Women's 100 Yard Butterfly in 1:04.53. In the Women's 50 Yard Freestyle, she tied for third with time of 26.43.

Holt finished second in the Women's 200 Yard Butterfly with a time of 2:25.59.

On the men's side, the Men's 200 Yard Medley Relay team comprised of Carson Fackler (Bakersfield, Calif.), Ed Smith (Blairsville, Ga.), Luke Hoffman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Mike Wilkes (Lake Placid, Fla.) got third in a time of 1:40.62.

Fackler dominated individual meets for Mars Hill. In the Men's 100 Yard Backstroke, he placed first with blistering time of 55.47. Fackler got second in the Men's 200 Yard Freestyle in 1:47.45. In the Men's 200 Yard Backstroke, he got third in 2:00.63.

Wilkes tallied two second-place finishes in both the Men's 50 Yard Freestyle and the 100 Yard Freestyle. His time in the first race was 22.12. Wilkes' time in the second race was 49.66.

Smith swam well for the Lions in individual meets. In the Men's 200 Yard IM, Smith placed first with a time of 1:59.26. In the Men's 100 Yard Breaststroke, he got third in 1:00.51. Smith closed out his day in third place in the Men's 200 Yard Breaststroke in 2:14.97.

P.J. Maloney (Corning, N.Y.) rounded out the award winners for the Lions, winning the Men's 500 Yard Freestyle in 4:54.99.

The swim teams will host Pfeiffer on Nov. 21 at 5 p.m.

Sewanee Invitational Results

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