Eagles Start Strong Day One of SAC Championships
Carson-Newman kicked off the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Swimming Championships on Wednesday with momentum, fueled by Megan Corcoran’s championship performance in the women’s 200-yard individual medley.
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Carson-Newman opened the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Swimming Championships on Wednesday with impactful swims across distance freestyle, individual medley, sprint events, and relays, highlighted by a championship-level performance from Megan Corcoran in the women's 200-yard individual medley.
"I thought day one as a whole went really well," said head coach Ben Young. "I thought we historically start out slower on day one, so it was good to see fast swims today and opportunities for us to move up in finals. We did a great job of getting up and swimming in the morning and moving up significantly based on where we were supposed to be after day one."
The championships began with the women's 1,000-yard freestyle, where Ana Faria led the Eagles with a time of 10:46.99, finishing 23rd overall. Delanee Williams followed closely behind with a 10:51.92 for 24th.
Morgan Cowan clocked an 11:18.43, while Fernanda Bautista finished in 11:19.95. Jojo Harris (11:29.77) and Christa Schlimper (11:34.17) rounded out a strong showing for Carson-Newman, which placed six swimmers in the event.
On the men's side, Jack Hebert delivered one of Carson-Newman's top point-scoring swims of the day in the men's 1,000 freestyle, placing seventh overall with a time of 9:32.28. Mikael Soederberg followed with a 9:42.38 for 10th place, while Jacob Sell added points with a 10:05.76 finish.
Jakov Igrec touched in 10:09.92, with Cameron Nichols (10:25.85) and Joey Moos (10:28.94) also competing for the Eagles, as Carson-Newman again showed depth in the distance field.
Megan Corcoran delivered one of the premier swims of Day One in the women's 200-yard individual medley, winning the A final with a time of 2:03.41. Corcoran's performance met the NCAA Division II "B" cut and earned 32 points, providing a major early boost for the Eagles. She surged through the back half of the race, pulling away from the field over the breaststroke and freestyle legs to secure the victory.
"Megan's 200 IM performance was solid, and it just shows how talented of a swimmer she is and how she works every single day. As she continues to race, I think she will show what sets her apart within the conference," said Young.
Carson-Newman also added depth in the event, as Fernanda Antunes Paranhos finished eighth in the A final with a time of 2:11.78, while Paola Gonzalez placed 11th overall after touching in 2:07.68 in the B final.
In the women's 50-yard freestyle, Emma Bowling earned points for Carson-Newman with a time of 23.74, finishing seventh in the A final. Olivia Kerr Muir added a 16th-place finish in 23.98, while Kate Nawyn posted a 24.63.
The men's 50 freestyle saw Arthur Gluzman place fourth overall with a time of 20.33, while Gabriel Catapano followed closely behind in 20.42 for sixth.
The night concluded with the women's 200-yard medley relay, where Carson-Newman's A relay of Sarah Covington, Paola Gonzalez, Megan Corcoran, and Emma Bowling finished third with a time of 1:45.21 to close the opening session.
"With day one complete, we have another opportunity to get up tomorrow and carry momentum through the meet," said Young. "It's another big day for us and ultimately another chance for us to find some lanes in finals and progress through the week."
With Day One complete, Carson-Newman established early momentum through scoring depth and top-end performances. Competition at the SAC Championships continues Thursday with additional prelims and finals as the Eagles look to build on a productive opening day. Thursday kicks off with prelims at 10 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.
For updates throughout the week, follow @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram, or Carson-Newman Athletics on Facebook. Full coverage is also available at cneagles.com.
