ATHENS, Ga. – It was a record-breaking day in the pool for the FGCU swimming and diving team Friday evening as the Eagles took sole possession of first place for first time heading into the final day of the CCSA Championships.
 
Thanks to another big day, the Green and Blue collected a massive 600 points Friday evening to total its point total to 1,152. Right behind FGCU is Liberty (1,078), Georgia Sotuhern (628), Incarnate Word (593.5) and Gardner-Webb (567) who round out the top five.

"It was an incredible night for our team," said head coach Dave Rollins. "The women knew we were backed up against the wall and they responded with resilience. They turned to one another and came out firing. There were two new schools record with Liz in the 400 IM and Melissa on the 1M, on top of 12 new times overall. We are sitting in a great spot for tomorrow and we know it's going to be an exciting finish."

In the 100 butterfly, four members of the Green and Blue finished in the top eight, highlighted by Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Charlottenlund, Denmark/Ordrup Gymnasium) taking the first place crown touching in 53.27, an 'NCAA B' cut time. Gracie Redding (Orlando, Fla./The First Academy/FSU) and Cassidy Fry  (Oakwood, Ohio/Oakwood HS) kept the momentum in FGCU's favor finishing third and fourth, respectively, as Yee Ching Wong (Hong Kong, China/Diocesan Girls' School) capped off her race coming in sixth and Kiley Eble (Cleveland, Ohio./Gilmour Academy) rounded out the top 10.

FGCU kept racking up points as the Eagles crowned another first-place winner this time in the 400 medley. With a time of 4:13.06 not only did Elizabeth Zeiger (Cumberland, R.I./Homeschool) shatter the FGCU record but the sophomore also broke the CCSA meet record and conference record.

Transitioning right into the 200 free, defending champion Hannah Burdge (Stuart, Fla./Martin County HS) (1:47.58) repeated her title and Linda Shaw (Leeds, United Kingdom/Roundhay HS) (1:47.75) finished second, respectively, as Antonia Baerens (Ottobrunn, Germany/Max-Josef-Stift Gymnasium/Nevada) finished fourth in 1:48.97 to lengthen the point total for the Eagles.

After capturing a CCSA crown last year in the 100 breast, Sommer Harris (Richmond, Va./St. Catherine's School) repeated her performance claiming another first place finish touching the pads in 1:01.34. Petra Halmai (Dombovar, Hungary/Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School) and Hannah Soutar (Edinburgh, Scotland/Broughton HS) finished right behind one another at third and fourth, respectively.

The duo of Doris Eichhorn (Berlin, Germany/HTW Berlin) and Courtney Chapin (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS) turned in third and fourth place finishes in the 100 back while in the one-meter dive, Melissa Novak (Frederick, Md./Oakdale HS) added to the FGCU record book with a final score of 316.30, a new school record.

Capping off day three in the 400 medley was the quartet of Eichhorn, Harris, Elmgreen and Redding, finishing in second touching in 3:39.02 (fourth fastest in school history).

FRIDAY RESULTS
100 Fly
1. Christina Kaas Elmgreen – 53.27 (NCAA 'B')
3. Gracie Redding – 53.96 (NCAA 'B')
4. Cassidy Fry – 54.02 (NCAA 'B')
6. Yee Ching Wong – 54.22 (NCAA 'B')
10. Kiley Eble – 55.42
 
400 IM
1. Elizabeth Zeiger – 4:13.06 (NCAA 'B')
 
200 Free
1. Hannah Burdge – 1:47.58 (NCAA 'B')
2. Linda Shaw – 1:47.75 (NCAA 'B')
4. Antonia Baerens – 1:48.97
8. Cassidy Fry – 1:51.19
10. Hannah Whitman – 1:50.80
12. Rebecca Moynihan – 1:51.32
18. Yee Ching Wong – 1:52.36
 
100 Breast
1. Sommer Harris – 1:01.34 (NCAA 'B')
3. Petra Halmai – 1:01.86 (NCAA 'B')
4. Hannah Soutar – 1:02.13 (NCAA 'B')
12. Elizabeth White – 1:03.72
 
100 Back
3. Doris Eichhorn – 54.00 (NCAA 'B')
4. Courtney Chapin – 54.91 (NCAA 'B')
8. Kiley Eble – 57.35
 
1M Diving
2. Melissa Novak – 316.30
5. Megan Wakefield – 270.40
17. Stevie Meyerson – 177.10
 
400 Medley Relay
2. Eichhorn, Harris, Kaas Elmgreen, Redding – 3:39.02
 
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. FGCU – 1152
2. Liberty – 1072
3. Georgia Southern – 628
4. Incarnate Word – 593.5
5. Gardner-Webb – 567
6. Campbell – 480
7. UNC Asheville - 429
8. UNF – 199.5
9. Howard – 189
 
UP NEXT
The fourth and final day of the CCSA Championships will take place on Saturday, beginning with preliminary races at 10 a.m. and 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
Second-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.