Three Florida Tech Swimmers Named To Preseason All-Sunshine State Conference Honors
By Mitch Praxl, Athletic Communications Director // September 21, 2016
RAZ WON FIT's first-ever Gold Medal LAST YEAR
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA –With the start of the 2016-17 season less than a month away, Florida Tech received some preseason distinction on Monday when three Panthers were named to the CollegeSwimming.com Preseason All-Sunshine State Conference team.
Two Panther men, Nir Barnea and Ferruccio Rossi, were named to the list, while Dar Raz was the lone FIT woman selected.
Barnea, the defending SSC Champion, was chosen for the 50 yard freestyle. The Israeli native posted a then school-record 19.98 in the event at the SSC Championships for gold before crushing the time with a 19.84 leadoff in the 200 free relay at the NCAA Championships.
Rossi is named all-conference in the mile, an event in which he had a breakout performance at the conference meet a season ago. The Milan, Italy native dropped nearly 21 seconds off of his career best at the Orlando YMCA to make a surprise podium appearance, taking bronze with a 15:37.07.
ABOVE VIDEO: Florida Tech men’s swimmer Nir Barnea talks with Ryan Jones about becoming one of two of FIT’s first-ever qualifiers for the NCAA Championship
Raz has proven to be one of the elite SSC swimmers in the 100 back, earning a bronze medal at the 2016 edition of the conference championships after garnering FIT’s first-ever SSC Gold Medal at the 2015 meet.
ABOVE VIDEO: Florida Tech swimmer Dar Raz talks about becoming FIT’s first-ever SSC Champion as well as one of the first two qualifiers for the NCAA Championship.
Individuals were selected to the CollegeSwimming.com Preseason All-Conference Teams among swimmers ranking in the top two of their conference’s respective events.
Related Story:Florida Tech Ranked No. 19 In Latest Coaches Poll, Panthers Take On Presbyterian (S.C.) Saturday
Selections were based on the times of both returning and incoming swimmers (through September 1st) with input from coaches and sports information contacts.
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