Swimming & Diving Places 3rd at All-NC Invite

Friday, October 3

Greensboro, N.C.

5:30 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

NC Collegiate Kickoff

Luke Burton

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Swimming & Diving Places 3rd at All-NC Invite

10/4/2014 11:14:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

By: Mark Brumbaugh

Saturday Results | Friday Results

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Davidson men's and women's swimming & diving teams both placed third in a strong season-opening performance at the All-NC Invitational, hosted by NC State, which concluded Saturday evening in the Greensboro Aquatics Center.

Luke Burton led the men's team with a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke and a seventh-place finish in the 200 back. He also contributed to a pair of top-10 relay efforts, as he opened the day in the 200 medley relay by teaming with Spencer Gill, Cameron Bard and Brandon Kegley for a seventh-place finish in 1:35.44. The meet concluded with the 400-yard freestyle relay, in which Burton, Bard, Dylan Ludwick and Kegley placed sixth in 3:08.73.

The Davidson men totaled 1061 points in its 11-team field, while NC State claimed the team title with 1681 points. The 'Cats trailed East Carolina (1251), but led Gardner-Webb (892).

For the women, Meredith Nakano earned three top-fives and a sixth-place finish individually, while also earning a fifth- and seventh-place finish, respectively, in two relay efforts.

Nakano led teammate Elise Lankiewicz (seventh, 57.81) in the 100-yard fly with a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard fly, and then touched fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.85) and sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (52.80). She led teammate Katy Williams (eighth, 2:26.18) in the 200 breast with her top placing of the day, taking fourth in 2:21.18.

Lauren Malachowski, Nakano, Lankiewicz and Kassie Shannon opened Day 2 with a seventh-place finish in 1:48.61 in the 200 medley relay, and Lankiewicz, Shannon, Angie Healy and Nakano concluded it with a fifth-place finish in 3:31.26 in the 400 free.

NC State was also victorious on the women's side, totaling 1580 points, while East Carolina also took second with 1413 points. Davidson totalted 1126 to lead Gardner-Webb (883) in a 14-team field.

On the men's side, Grant Smith also had a strong day, earning a pair of top-10 placements. His top finish was fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:07.98, and he was followed by Gill in seventh in 2:09.60. Smith touched the wall in 4:07.11 in the 400 individual medley and placed 11th in the 100-yard breast in 59.28 seconds, trailing Gill's 58.64 for an eighth-place finish in the same event.

Making a strong collegiate debut, Riley League placed sixth in the 200 fly in 1:55.48.

Senior Dylan Ludwick also performed well. In addition to his relay success, he placed 10th in the 200 free in 1:43.93, and 12th in the 100 free in 47.80 seconds. Bard also posted an individual top-10 finish, placing 10th in 53.06 seconds in the 100 fly.

Additional highlights for the women included Lankiewicz's fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle in 1:53.63, and her sixth placing in the 200 fly in 2:05.98, giving her four top-10 individual performances for the weekend.

The 'Cats also picked up a pair of top-10 finishes in the 100-yard backstroke and the 1650-yard freestyle. Malachowski led in the back, taking seventh in 59.33 with Kate Moreton trailing closely in ninth in 1:00.26. Anna Blair Bullock paced Davidson in the distance race, touching seventh in 18:10.98. Leah Hubert followed in eighth in 18:13.79.

On Friday, Lankiewicz posted the top Davidson finish, taking third behind a pair of NC State swimmers in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:59.20, while freshman Elizabeth Weldon rounded out the Top 10 in the event in her debut in 5:11.34.

The Wildcat women earned two additional top-five finishes, as Karen Monuszko led three Davidson divers in the 1-meter dive with a fifth-place finish, scoring 207.68, and Erica Clancy, Nakano, Shannon and Healy teamed up in the 200-yard freestyle relay to place fifth in 1:37.97.

Shannon then paced Davidson in the 50 free, touching the wall in 24.68 seconds to place ninth. Four 'Cats placed in the Top 15, as Clancy (24.80), Malachowski (24.82) and Healy (24.88) placed 13th, 14th and 15th, respectively.

The women's session concluded with the 400-yard medley relay, which Healy, Williams, Lankiewicz and Nakano led with a seventh-place finish in 3:58.20.

The Wildcat men saw their top finishes come in the relays, as Bard, Ari Snyder, Kegley and Burton opened the session with a fifth-place finish in the 200 free in 1:25.32. Burton, Gill, Bard and Kegley then concluded the session with a sixth-place finish in 3:30.30 to lead the 'Cats in the 400 medley.

In between, three earned top-10 finishes in the 500-yard freestyle, led by Ludwick in seventh in 4:44.04. He was followed by a pair of freshmen in eighth and ninth, respectively: Clay Resweber (4:45.66) and Cole Riggan (4:45.95).

Smith paced the men in the 200 individual medley with an eighth-place finish in 1:55.93. Bard also earned an eighth placing, doing so in the 50 free in 21.30 seconds. Burton followed in 12th in 21.74.

Davidson returns to action Saturday at 1 p.m. against East Carolina in its first dual meet of the season.