WATCH LIVE: Florida Tech in SSC Swimming Championships
By Ryan Jones // February 22, 2014
Lauren Suarez shines in 100-yard backstroke
Suarez Is First-Ever Panther SSC Championship Medalist
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Florida Tech freshman Lauren Suarez was awarded the program’s first-ever medal in day three of the Sunshine State Conference Championship at the Orlando YMCA Aquatic Center on Friday.
Day four of the championship prelims start at 10 a.m. today and the finals are set for 5 p.m. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE VIDEO
Suarez won bronze in the 100-yard backstroke with a new program record time of 57.10. Fellow freshman Dar Raz came in right behind her at 57.31 for fourth place. Florida Southern’s Lauren Reynolds finished first at 55.37.
“We had an exciting night tonight with our first medal winner at a conference championship meet,” head coach Jeni Ritter said.
“Lauren Suarez placing third in the 100-yard backstroke was a great moment for our program. It will help motivate the team to finish the meet strong.”
Suarez’ time was one of nine program records the Panthers set in the finals on the third day of the championships.
In the opening race of the day, Suarez swam with Raz, Schelli Linz and Madison Hart to a seventh-place finish in the ‘A’ Final of the 200-yard medley relay at program record of 1:50.25.
The women are in fourth with 263 points. Tampa continues to lead the pack with 621 points.
MEN SET NEW PROGRAM MARK
The men’s 200-yard medley relay then set a new program mark at 1:32.90.
• Finishing fourth in the ‘A’ Final was Kaikea Nakachi, Brian Dumont, Nir Barnea and Victor Westerlund.
• Camden Johnston set a new program time with a sixth-place finish in the 400-yard IM at 4:03.44.
• Nir Barnea finished seventh in the ‘A’ Final of the 100-yard butterfly at a new program record of 49.53.
• Bernie Murphy then placed first in the ‘B’ Final and ninth overall at a new FIT women’s team mark of 1:55.88 in the 200-yard freestyle
• Dumont placed fourth in the top final of the 100-yard breaststroke at a program mark of 56.78.
• In the men’s 100-yard backstroke, Nakachi set a new program time of 52.22 for 11th place overall and third in the ‘B’ Final.
As a team, the Panther men are in fourth with 292 points. Florida Southern is atop the leaderboard on the men’s side at 653 points.
