FSC men’s swimming is now ranked number one in the Sunshine State Conference, after finishing first in the Panther Invitational in Melbourne Nov. 20.
“Part of the reason we have been so successful this year is we have strong swimmers in all events and no weaknesses. We’ve had a lot of depth and certainly have some studs on the team,” Head Coach Andy Robbins said.
Florida Southern finished with 1,646 points with the host, Florida Tech, far behind scoring 980 points. FSC is now ranked sixth in Division II of the NCAA.
“We are obviously happy with the results this season so far. Everyone is improving and the atmosphere of the team is also very optimistic,” FSC freshmen Milosz Mencel said.
Mencel along with junior Elder Oliveira placed first and second respectively in the 200 free at the invitational.
This season has also consisted of much freshmen success, when the Mocs won their first meet with many freshmen leading.
“I would say that we are doing a great job holding each other accountable. Each one of us helps our other teammates to be the best version of themselves everyday,” Mencel said.
Oliveira shared that this season hasn’t come easy.
“I believe that this semester has been very exciting and challenging at the same,” Oliveira said.
This season included record breaking times as sophomore Kyle Micallef broke his previous 50 free record which automatically qualified him for the NCAA championship. Micallef also won the SSC men’s swimmer of the week title after his record breaking time.
“The job is not done though,” Mencel said “Conference, and NCAA nationals are ahead of us. These are the meets we are aiming for.” The NCAA Division II National Championship will take place in March after it was canceled last March due to COVID-19.
The previous swim season got off to a late start, after the first meet occurred in February due to COVID-19 restrictions. It became difficult for many swimmers to practice amid protocols and regulations, but that didn’t stop last season from being a success and this season even more so.
“Last year our team didn’t have many opportunities to race other schools, it made us stronger and made us want to take advantage of every single opportunity whether if that’s during practice or at a meet,” Oliveira said.
This season has brought the swimmers together as Oliveira states, “I’m proud of being part of this team.” Oliveira won first with his personal best time in the 500 free at the latest meet.
“We are excited for what’s to come in the next few months,” said Mencel as the team heads to Nova Southeastern Jan. 21 and the NCAA championship in March.
