KNOXVILLE, TN – Day three of the 2020 CCSA Championship proved to be one of the strongest for FGCU swimming & diving (8-8-1, 4-1 CCSA), as 21 Eagles qualified for scoring finals. The team finished the day still in second place with 889 points, behind first-place Liberty (1,023) and ahead of third-place UIW (664.5).

Due to a scoring issue, full results were not released upon completion of Friday's events at the Jones Aquatic Center. Further information, including FGCU's times and scoring finishes, will be released upon completion of the CCSA's review.

Both junior Petra Halmai (Dombovar, Hungary/Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School) and freshman Julia Rodriguez (Gainesville, FL/Buccholz HS) earned top finishes during the day's competition, as Halmai took home the 100 Breast and Rodriguez claimed the 100 Fly.

"What a fantastic day for our team," head coach Dave Rollins said. "Petra (Halmai) setting a CCSA and school record in the 100 Breast and Julia (Rodriguez) winning her first-ever CCSA title in the 100 Fly were both huge swims. Seven out of our 21 scoring opportunities today were done by athletes whom were on the scoring team a year ago. This is a young team that is coming into its own and it's been awesome to see. The energy can be felt all over the pool deck. It's contagious and I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring."

Senior Elizabeth Zeiger (Cumberland, RI/Homeschool) also medaled during today's events, as she touched the wall second in the 400 IM with a season-best time of 4:20.21.

Additionally, the Eagles were represented on the podium by the 400-yard medley relay entry comprised of freshman Claire McAtee (Louisville, KY/Sacred Heart Academy), Halmai, Rodriguez and sophomore Wiktoria Czarnecka (Lublin, Poland/Liceum NR 10 W Lublinie). The quartet placed second, finshing behind Liberty. 

The final day of the CCSA Championship will commence on Saturday, Feb. 22. Finals during the fourth day of competition will include the mile, the 200 Back, the 100 Free, the 200 Breast and the 200 Fly. The meet will close out with the 400 Free Relay. Like the first three days, prelims will begin at 10 a.m. and the final sessions is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start. 

Standings, Day Three
1. Liberty – 1,023
2. FGCU – 889
3. Incarnate Word – 664.5
4. UNC Asheville – 517
5. Gardner-Webb – 483
6. North Florida – 452
7. Campbell – 413.5
8. Georgia Southern – 328
9. Howard – 223

For complete coverage of FGCU swimming & diving, follow the Eagles on Twitter (@FGCU_WSwim), Instagram (@FGCU_WSwimDive) and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU swimming & diving or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
Head coach Dave Rollins is only the second coach in program history. He was hired Sept. 1, 2016 and owns a 32-20-1 (.615) dual meet record, which includes an 11-2 (.846) mark against CCSA opponents, in his fourth season. Rollins guided FGCU to back-to-back CCSA titles (2017, 2018), as well as the program's fourth-straight title in 2018, marking the ninth championship in 10 years. In addition, he has been awarded CCSA Coach of the Year in two of his seasons at the helm. Previously, Rollins was the associate head men's swimming coach at The Ohio State University. Rollins brings over a decade of coaching experience to The Nest, which includes helping to develop Olympians, NCAA Champions and All-Americans, along with multiple conference champions. A native of Brockton, Mass., he was a standout collegiate swimmer in his own right and was inducted into the University of Arizona's Hall of Fame in 2017, as a nine-time NCAA All-American, national champion, school record holder and team captain.

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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 81 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.

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