ATHENS, Ga. – After day one and multiple new school records, the FGCU swimming and diving team currently sits in third place with 190 points after the first day of action at the CCSA Championships held at the University of Georgia's Gabrielson Natatorium Wednesday evening.

"To start the meet with a school record is incredible but to also end the meet with three more new schools records is more than what we can ask for," said head coach Dave Rollins. "We are incredibly thrilled for Christina and also Melissa for her new time as well as our 800 relay team. We had an incredible night and we have to keep it rolling tomorrow."

FGCU trails only Incarnate World (206) and Georgia Southern (203) while the Eagles lead Liberty (170) and Gardner-Webb (102) who round out the top five. A complete list of women's team standings can be found at the bottom of this release.

The Green and Blue got off to a rapid start in thrilling fashion during the time trial session. In the 200 fly, Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Charlottenlund, Denmark/Ordrup Gymnasium) etched a new time in the FGCU record books, touching the pads in 1:55.55. On top of being a new record, it was marked as the 19th fastest time in the country and qualified her for the NCAA Championships.

In the diving portion, Melissa Novak (Frederick, Md./Oakdale HS) and Megan Wakefield (Guelph, Ontario, Canada/Centennial CVI) highlighted the day as they finished second and third, respectively, in the three-meter dive.

If once was not enough, Novak shattered the school record twice, with the new mark being 335.05. Wakefield was right behind Novak breaking a previous record and placed third overall with a score of 334.50.

In the second to last event of day one, the quartet of Doris Eichhorn (Berlin, Germany/HTW Berlin), Sommer Harris (Richmond, Va./St. Catherine's School), Gracie Redding (Orlando, Fla./The First Academy/FSU), and Rebecca Moynihan (Palmerston North, New Zealand/Waiopehu College) clocked out with a new season-best time of 1:39.07 in the 200 medley relay. Liberty finished first just narrowly edging out the Eagles with a time of 1:38.34.

To cap off the evening, the FGCU 800 team of Hannah Burdge (Stuart, Fla./Martin County HS), Linda Shaw (Leeds, United Kingdom/Roundhay HS), Antonia Baerens (Ottobrunn, Germany/Max-Josef-Stift Gymnasium/Nevada), and Elizabeth Zeiger (Cumberland, R.I./Homeschool) finished second in the conference touching out in 7:11.15. The time proved to be another school record by more than 2.7 seconds from last season.

In total, the Eagles set 11 new best times and are currently 50 points ahead of where the team stood last year after day one.

Action continues tomorrow in Athens at 10 a.m. with the 500 free prelims.

WEDNESDAY RESULTS
200 Medley Relay
2. Eichhorn, Harris, Redding, Moynihan – 1:39.07
 
3M Diving
2. Melissa Novak – 335.05
3. Megan Wakefield – 334.50
7. Stevie Meyerson – 264.60
 
800 Free Relay
2. Burdge, Shaw, Baerens, Zeiger – 7:11.15
 
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. Incarnate Word – 206
2. Georgia Southern – 203
3. FGCU – 190
4. Liberty – 170
5. Gardner-Webb – 102
6. Campbell – 100
7. UNC Asheville – 94
8. Howard – 54
9. UNF – 46

UP NEXT
Day two of the CCSA Championships will take place on Thursday, beginning with preliminary races commencing at 10 a.m. followed by final events at 6 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women's swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.
                                                                      
HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
First-year head coach Dave Rollins became the program's second head coach in program history on Sept. 1, 2016. Most recently the associate head men's swimming coach at The Ohio State University, Rollins brings 10 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.