By Morgan Swem
Florida Southern finished with four individual wins on Saturday at Nova Southeastern. Despite the four wins, the Mocs were defeated by Nova Southeastern with a final score of 155-107. Even though the Mocs suffered a loss, swimmer Kourtney Gavin broke a school record.
Gavin finished the 200-butterfly with a time of 2:08.48, breaking her own school record. She had previously set that record at the SSC Championships in 2015. Though she broke her own record, she finished the race in second-place. Gavin continued on to win the 100-fly, finishing just 0.77 seconds before Caroline Oster. The 100-fly was one of two races that the Mocs took home first, third and fourth-place in. Sophomores Krystal Karas and Rachel Ringley finished the 100-fly in third and fourth-place.
The Moccasins continued on to take first, third and fourth-place in the 200-backstroke race as well. Junior, Peyton Breault, finished the race in first-place. Breault finished just 0.43 seconds before Nova Southeastern swimmer, Courtney DeVeny. Freshman Kyra Fraser and senior Leah Haney finished the 200-backstroke in third and fourth-place.
Fraser also won the 100-backstroke earlier in the day. She finished the race 0.89 seconds before the Sharks’ swimmer, Jordan Shows. Freshman Mallary Meyer finished the race in third-place.
Junior Jacinda Whittenburg gave Florida Southern their fourth individual win this past weekend. Whittenburg took home first in the 200-IM. She finished the race with a time of 2:08.40, finishing just 1.41 seconds before DeVeny.
Karas gave the Mocs a pair of second-place finishes in addition to her third-place finish in the 200-butterfly. Karas finished second in both the 50-free and the 100-free. Sophomore Rebeka Dics finished third in the 50-free and junior Britt Aubley finished the race in fourth-place.
Whittenburg along with sophomore Haley DeGrace were the Mocs’ best swimmers in two breaststroke events this past weekend. DeGrace finished in second while Whittenburg completed the race in third for the 100. Later that day the swapped wins and Whittenburg came in second and DeGrace came in third in the 200.
Breault finished the 500-free in second place. She was also the Moccasins highest finisher for the 200-free race where she came in fourth-place and senior Moccasin, Madi Rowan was the best swimmer in the 1,000 free for the Mocs.
Florida Southern came in second in the 400-medley relay. Breault, Whittenburg, Karas and Dics teamed up to bring home that second-place win. Moccasins Meyer, Aubley, Ringley and junior Allie Kaufmann teamed up for the 200-freestyle to bring home second-place.
Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern finished in first and second-place this past year at the Sunshine State Conference Championships. The Sharks did win a head-to-head dual meet back in January.
Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern finished first and second respectively, at last year’s Sunshine State Conference Championships, though the Sharks won the head-to-head dual meet in January.
Florida Southern will compete again Friday, January 20. It will host the defending junior college national champion Indian River State at 2 p.m. This will be the Mocs last dual meet of the season.