GARLAND, Texas - The 23rd-ranked Trinity men's swimming & diving team secured its fourth consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship on the final day of the conference meet on Saturday.
The meet came down to the wire after what was essentially a nice lead after day three was shortened considerably prior today's action. A relay team from Colorado College that was disqualified yesterday, had that decision overturned (fairly) to turn a possible easy win into a nail-biter that was decided by the final events of the day. Despite the added drama, Trinity was ready to compete and earn its championship in the water.
The final tally for Trinity was 979 points, which was just 42 points in front of Colorado College's total of 937 for the four-day event. Southwestern University finished third with 766.5 points, with McMurry University taking fourth with 319.5 points. University of the Ozarks was fifth with 288 points, Austin College was sixth with 164 points, and Centenary College scored 73 points to finish seventh.
Diving followed the morning prelims session and
Konstantine Partalas (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) finished off a sweep of both boards by winning the 3-meter event with a score of 513.15. It was Trinity's eighth straight won in the 3-meter competition. Partalas and
Garrett Guillet (San Antonio, Texas / Churchill) both earned NCAA "B" Cut scores in the event, as Guillet was fifth with a total score of 332.35 points.
Following the 1,650 freestyle finals, Trinity began piling up the accolades to make its final push for the conference crown.
Matteo Lanzara (Moraga, Calif. / Campolindo) got it started with his win in the 200 backstroke in a time of 1:50.26. The Tigers had won this event for five straight years coming into 2023, though Lanzara had been the runner-up each of the past three seasons. This year he got the win by more than two seconds to close out his career.
The 100 freestyle featured four Tigers in the championship final and Trinity secured three of the top four spots in 2023.
Michael Kohl (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) won for the third straight season, earning an NCAA "B" Cut time of 44.89 seconds that is also a season-best for Trinity.
Caleb Manifold (Helotes, Texas / Homeschool) also earned All-SCAC honors by finishing third with his time of 45.80, and
Nathaniel Early (Austin, Texas / Westwood) was fourth in 45.96 seconds.
Kendal Southwell (Rio Rancho, N.M. / Calvert Online Academy) won the 200 breaststroke for the third straight time on Saturday, earning an NCAA "B" Cut time of 2:01.25 and breaking his own Trinity, SCAC Championship, and SCAC Open records in the process.
John Key (El Paso, Texas / Franklin) was third with his time of 2:03.49 to earn All-SCAC recognition.
Spencer Steward (Kearney, Mo. / Kearney) and
Brennan Jimenez (Fair Oaks, Calif. / Bella Vista) were fifth and sixth to give Trinity half of the championship finals field.
Trinity did not win the final individual event of the meet, but two Tiger swimmers scored All-SCAC accolades by finishing second and third in the 200 butterfly.
William Walker (Houston, Texas / Westside) was second in 1:54.92 and
Omar Shahatit (Austin, Texas / Westlake) was third in 1:56.21.
With the team championship point totals so close and both teams performing at their best, Trinity needed a win in the 400 free relay to clinch the SCAC Championship. Kohl, Manifold, Lanzara, and Early delivered in a big way by breaking the Trinity, SCAC Championship, and SCAC Open records with a time of 3:00.56 that is also an NCAA "B" Cut.
Up Next:
The Tiger divers who officially qualify for the NCAA III Regional Diving Championships will compete at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga, February 24-25. The NCAA III Swimming & Diving Championships will be held March 15-18 in Greensboro, N.C.
