The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL Bahamian swimmers were in competition for their respective programmes as several conferences hosted their championship meets at various levels of the NCAA.

Jared Fitzgerald had an active meet for the University of Tampa Spartans and helped lead his team to an historic Sunshine State Conference Championship title, the first in school history.

Fitzgerald turned in two individual first place finishes and was a member of a pair of first place relay teams, one of which set a new school record.

On day one of the four-day meet, he finished fifth in the 50-yard freestyle in 20.46 seconds.

On day two he swam to a first place finish in the 200 freestyle in 1:37.05. His 200 free relay team also finished first in 1:19.88 and Fitzgerald swam a split of 19.85.

Day three included another first place finish in the 800 free relay in a new Spartans record of 6:31.72 (1:36.59 split).

On the final day of competition he won the 100 free in 43.93 and was a member of the 400 free relay team that finished second in 2:57.03 (43.18 secs split).

Tampa won the SSC title with a total score of 952 points followed by Nova Southeastern with 809 points and Florida Southern with 548 points. The Spartans now shift their focus to the 2020 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships. The finals are scheduled for March 11-14 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

Also in Division II, Davante Carey and his McKendree University Bearcats finished second at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships.

Individually, Carey took second place in the 100 back in a new personal best time of 47.81. He also swam as a member of a pair of first place relay teams that broke conference records in both the 200 IM and 400 IM.

The 200 IM team set a new GLVC record with a time of 1:26.31 and Carey swam a split of 21.88. The 400 IM also set a new GLVC record with a time of 1:26.31 (48.36 split).

In the 200 back, he took second in the B final, turning in a time of 1:48.80 and in the 200 IM, took sixth in the B final, turning in a time of 1:51.66.

The Bearcats will also compete at the aforementioned NCAAs in Geneva, Ohio.

Tyler Russell and his Emory University Eagles took first place in the University Athletic Association Championships in dramatic fashion by just 16.5 points.

Russell was a member of the 200 and 400 medley relay teams that finished 2nd overall. Russell swam the breast legs with splits of 24.71 and 54.69 respectively.

Individually, he finished ninth overall in the 100 breast in 54.77 and was also ninth in the 200 breast in 2:01.53.

The NCAA division III championships are slated for March 18-21 in Greensboro, North Carolina.