SAN ANTONIO - The Trinity University men's swimming and diving team collected a whopping 321 points on opening day of the 2021 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championship Thursday evening at the Bill Walker Natatorium.
The Tigers captured four of five events, just as the women's team did in the early session, to collect a total of 10 All-SCAC preformances as they chase their 13th SCAC title in program history, ninth in the last ten years.
THE RUNDOWN
Leading the way for Trinity was first-year Michael Kohl (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) with three All-SCAC finished. The Tiger newcomer pushed both the 200 Freestyle and 400 Medley Relay 'A' squads to victory while he also collected the pinnacle of the 500 Freestyle, in just-under four minutes, 38 seconds. Sophomore Omar Shahatit (Austin, Texas / Westlake) added an All-SCAC nod as Kohl's runner-up in the 500 Freestyle.
The trio of senior Shamzi Alkaff (Fort Collins, Colo. / Fossil Ridge), sophomore Nolan Anthony (Missouri City, Texas / Missouri City) and first-year Nathaniel Early (Austin, Texas / Westwood) joined Kohl to top the 200 Freestyle relay leaderboard at 1:22.61, within two-tenths of a second of the NCAA provisional mark. Anthony and Alkaff also collected a second All-SCAC performance with a second- and third-place mark in the 50 Freestyle, respectively.
Junior Daniel Sarman (Austin, Texas / Vandergrift) collected the top spot in the 200 IM as he squeaked past Southwestern University's Sam Anderson with a time of 1:55.13. Senior Jamie Warren (Heath, Texas / Rockwall Heath) added another All-SCAC mark to the total, notching third place in the event.
The Tigers swept the 400 Medley Relay as Kohl, Early, sophomore Matteo Lanzara (Moraga, Calif. / Campolindo) and first-year Kendall Southwell (Rio Rancho, N.M. / Calvert Academy) teamed up for the top spot at three minutes, 24 seconds. The second squad of Sarman, Warren, junior Spencer Steward (Kearney, Mo. / Kearney) and first-year John Fontenot (Austin, Texas / St. Andrew's) was the only other 400 Medley group to finish under the 3:30 mark.
The second Trinity quartet in the 200 Freestyle Relay, seniors Leon Faulk (Houston, Texas / Bartlesville) and Eamon Morris (Nashville, Tenn. / Hume-Fogg), junior Ben Adams (Lubbock, Texas / Monterey) and first-year Andrew Crosley (San Antonio, Texas / Alamo Heights), finished third overall in the event, at 1:25.76.
COACH SPEAK
"The men improved on their relay performances from last year, nearly breaking school records in both the 200 free and 400 medley relay," Head Coach Scott Trompeter. "We, as a staff, were not expecting such strong results today. The 200 free relay was a shade off the NCAA provisional cut and that gave our men tremendous momentum and confidence for the remainder of the evening."
DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL
Trinity Swimming and Diving returns to the Bill Walker Natatorium Friday for Day Two of the SCAC Championships. The Tiger women get things going at noon, while the men's session begins at 4:30 p.m.
