Eagles Finish Third at SAC Championships; Morales, Corcoran Earn Swimmer of the Meet Honors
Carson-Newman wrapped up the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Swimming Championships on Saturday with multiple podium performances and strong depth across finals, highlighted by medal-winning swims from Megan Corcoran and Gabriel Morales at the Kingsport Aquatic Center.
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Carson-Newman capped a strong four-day showing at the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Swimming Championships on Saturday with multiple podium finishes and two of the league's top individual honors at the Kingsport Aquatic Center.
The Eagles were led on the final day by Megan Corcoran, who claimed gold in the women's 200-yard backstroke, touching first in 1:59.92 to earn an NCAA Division II B cut. Corcoran's championship performance secured Carson-Newman's final gold medal of the meet and added 32 points to the team total.
On the men's side, Gabriel Morales closed the championships with a silver-medal finish in the 200-yard backstroke, placing second in 1:46.22 in the A final. Morales' podium swim capped a dominant meet for the junior, who consistently scored at the top of the conference field.
Carson-Newman added further points in the women's 200-yard breaststroke, where Paola Gonzalez finished fifth in the A final with a time of 2:20.41. In the B final, Ana Faria led the Eagles with a 2:25.25 ninth-place finish overall, while Chloe Bishop (2:31.16) and Kate Nawyn (2:32.93) also scored.
Sprint scoring came from freshman Gabriel Catapano in the men's 100-yard freestyle, where he placed fourth in the A final with a time of 44.09, narrowly missing the podium in one of the fastest events of the night.
The championships concluded with the women's 400-yard freestyle relay, as the Carson-Newman quartet of Morgan Cowan, Martina Ivanova, Paola Gonzalez, and Lillian Hilt touched in 3:39.96, closing the meet with a competitive relay effort.
Following the final session, Carson-Newman was prominently represented in the conference's top individual honors. Megan Corcoran was named Women's Swimmer of the Meet, while Gabriel Morales earned Men's Swimmer of the Meet recognition after standout performances across multiple events.
Additional conference awards included Mathilda Sandberg (Wingate) as Women's Freshman of the Year, Jules Remy (Catawba) as Men's Freshman of the Year, Matt Gearing (Catawba) as Women's Coach of the Year, and Kevin Hennessey (Wingate) as Men's Coach of the Year.
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